Big Daddy and his mama circa 1993(photo property of Lyndy Hartley Doskocil)

Some of you might ask “who is Dianne?” and some of you already know. What a lady. Such a great lady. Dianne Hartley Bowlin was Big Daddy’s mama. She passed away in 1994 and we miss her everyday. She was a spirited and strong lady full of conviction and a loud laugh that was contagious. She had beautiful brown eyes and a little button nose that I am so glad my girls inherited. She was a beautiful spirit that lives on everyday in so many ways.
And her recipes of course are one of those ways. She ended up a social worker but got her degree from NLU in home economics and she loved to cook. See, she passed before Big Daddy and I got together, but I knew her all my life. It’s a long story and one that I am proud of but it is an emotional story that is a blog post in and of itself. So, let’s just say, she was a part of my life since I was little and by the grace of God, she still is. Because I married her son and gave birth to her grandkids. She is known as Mammaw Dianne to them and she is very much a presence in their lives. My father in law remarried and I love my mother in law. Aka Deb aka Granny. None of this takes away her part in our lives. But to tell about this recipe, I must tell of Dianne. She had many great recipes, ones that I will share as time goes by but this is by far my favorite. It represents her in so many ways. Spicy, no fuss, practical and yet absolutely perfect in it’s simplicity. It is not an old Cajun recipe. I actually have no clue where it came from. I remember getting it when big daddy and I started dating and I fell in love (with him and this recipe). You make a potato salad and some French bread and just go on and you will be just right. With the Lenten season upon us, this is a great recipe to have. It is perfect for company or just to make for the fam on a Friday night. Please don’t judge this recipe by it’s surprise ingredients. They somehow end up making a truly delicious étouffée. Trust me on this one, ok? Dianne would be proud and I believe she is up in Heaven laughing her big laugh at the thought of a blog post all about her.

Dianne’s Quick and Easy Crawfish Étouffée

Serves about 6

Stuff you need~

1 stick of butter
1-12 ounce bag of seasoning blend
Tony’s to taste
2 cans Golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pound of crawfish tails (fat included…Good night do not forget the fat!!)
A bloop of ketchup
A bloop of mustard (I had to put that because the original recipe had that in it. Bloop. A squirt. And yes ketchup and mustard. I don’t know why but it works. Just go with it.)

What to do with the stuff~

In a large deep skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the seasoning blend and sauté until the veggies are tender. Add a little Tony’s at this point but don’t over do it. Now stir in the soups and let this cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or so to let the soups and seasoning blend get comfortable together and flavors blend. Stir in the crawfish tails. Now squeeze in the ketchup and mustard. Let it cook for about 5 minutes and give it a quick taste. It may need a little more ketchup and mustard. I usually add 2 bloops of each. Lol at bloops. That’s the funniest word! Ok anyway, let the étouffée simmer for about 20
minutes while the flavors blend aka the time while the rice finishes cooking. Give it another taste and add a few shakes of Tony’s if you think it needs it. Serve it up over rice and let the good times roll. Don’t forget your potato salad and the French bread. Ooh Cher, it’s gonna be good yeah!

bloop!

pretty little veggies getting all tender

bloop bloop bloop