Cajun Chicken Caesar Salad was a staple on café menus about a decade ago. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing it.
Now all of a sudden, both Cajun spice and Chicken Caesar Salad have fallen out of favour.
Fortunately there are other ways to use Cajun spice.
It's a sort of tomatoey, spicy flavour and is traditionally used to coat fish in Creole cuisine, which is then 'blackened' in a hot pan. Very yummy.
I use it differently. This is a bit like a Pumpkin Curry but with a subtley different flavour that we really love.
Cajun Pumpkin and Two types of Beans
Serves 4
A few sprays cooking spray
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 handfuls of green beans, cut on the angle into long slivers
2 carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons Cajun spice
Half a butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced
1 tin chopped peeled tomatoes
1 tin four bean mix
Several slices thickly sliced bread
4 tablespoons thick Greek Yoghurt or Easi-yo Labna (cream cheese)
Spray a large pan with cooking spray. Fry the garlic for 1 minute.
Add the carrots and fry for 2 minutes. Add the Cajun spice and pumpkin, then fry for 5 minutes, so the vegetables are well coated. Add 2/3 cup water.
Add tomatoes and simmer for 45 minutes or until liquid is reduced to a thick sauce. Add the green beans 5 minutes before serving, so that they heat but don't go soggy.
Dollop the Greek Yoghurt or Labna onto the pumpkin mix when served, adding thick slices of bread on the side....
This has so many flavour and textures, it really is a feast all by itself!
