This past winter, yes technically it's still but not for those of us living in So Cal, I discovered my new favorite thing...Cajun Paste. I was shopping at William-Sonoma for products to make my Thanksgiving and Christmas a little less labor intensive. I came across a product called Turkey Paste - Cajun Spice. I also purchased a yummy rosemary-garlic brine mix.
I mulled it over decided I wouldn't use the paste for the turkey for two reasons. The first being that I have a kids and worried it might be too spicy. The second was that Thanksgiving is too special of a day for me to risk screwing up the bird. I decided to start small. A nice cajun roasted chicken was the first test. The cajun paste jar is small but packed with flavor. The direction suggest coating the bird inside and out, making sure to get under that breast skin, and allowing to marinade for about two hours. I roasted the chicken as normal and was rewarded with a delicious, flavorful bird. It was spicy so my youngest had a hotdog and green beans for dinner.
I started imagining all of the other uses for the paste. Next I added a teaspoon to home fried potatoes as they cooked for breakfast. Another hit with family. My best discover yet has been using the paste on seafood. Cajun baked tilapia is my new favorite thing. Spoon a teaspoon of cajun paste over each fillet and bake for about 23-25 minutes depending size of pieces at 400 degrees. So yummy!
Another great recipe is cajun shrimp. Toss about a pound of shelled shrimp with 2 tablespoons of paste and lay out on baking sheet. In a 350 degree oven, bake for about 10 minutes.
I have no affiliation with William-Sonoma but I just wanted to pass on a great find. Enjoy