Heavenly Recipes

Heavenly Recipes

Trudy Clement

Trudy Makes a JAMBALAYA

Story and Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

This month’s heavenly recipe, shrimp and sausage jambalaya, comes from Christ the Redeemer parishioner and the administrative coordinator for the offices of the bishop and vicars general, Trudy Clement. Trudy grew up in Vacherie, the daughter of a sugar cane farmer who has called Thibodaux home for the past 30 years. She and her husband Chris have an adult son and daughter.

“I learned to cook from my mom and dad. My mom always cooked when I was growing up as a child. However, after my dad retired from cane farming, my parents started a catering business where they cooked together.” The couple even put a cookbook together entitled “Cook and Tell,” featuring unique Cajun recipes and stories from former Congressman Billy Tauzin.

Trudy likes to cook meals that are quick and easy to prepare. “I was always cooking when I got home from work when my children were young. I would cook, wash clothes and do a few chores around the house while the children did their homework. I would always try to have something I could prepare and cook in about 30 minutes or so.”

Before working for the diocese, Trudy was a consultant for administrative funding at E Learning, the director of the Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium in Thibodaux, and she also worked for Congressman Billy Tauzin before he retired.

Trudy has been friends with Father Mark Toups for years and when Father Mark shared the diocesan strategic plan with her and asked her to join his team and work on the plan she told him that she would give him two years. “I have been with the diocese for five years now and I love

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. of shrimp 1 lb. of smoked sausage 2 cups of rice 1 stick of butter 1 can of cream of mushroom soup 1 can of Rotel tomatoes 1 can of French onion soup 1 chopped onion 1/2 of chopped bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Sauté onion and bell pepper with stick of butter. In casserole dish, mix rice, cream of mushroom soup, Rotel tomatoes and French onion soup. Once onions are clear, add shrimp and sausage until shrimp are pink, then add to casserole dish with other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

it. God has a plan for all of us. The invitation from Father Mark came out of the blue.”

One of the things she likes best about her job is the interaction that she has with the priests of the diocese. “I enjoy knowing the priests. I appreciate them at a different level. I have come to know what they do for the people of their parish. I have really learned to appreciate them.” BC