Louisiana Style Cajun White Beans with Blackened Shrimp over Rice (Spicy)

Not everyone likes spicy, so if this is you, pass this one by or take a walk on the wild side and give it a try. This recipe can be made Vegan and serves 6-8 people

IMPORTANT! You will want to prep your shrimp the day before you want to make this. Let’s talk about the shrimp for a second. I like to use large wild caught because they just taste better, but understandably, most will have to use another. But regardless, try to get the largest you can. Where I live it is hard to get fresh, so I do buy frozen and thaw it ahead of time. (If using shrimp, keep shells to make stock)

This recipe can be made vegan or made with blackened chicken, beef pork or fish (This includes lobster. I will be trying this soon.), or heck, just grill an Andouille sausage and lay it on top! You are the boss of your kitchen! If making vegan, just leave the meat out or add alternative meat/sausage after it is cooked.

The white bean is up to you as well. You can use Navy, Great Northern, Lima or Cannellini. My personal favorite to use for this recipe is Cannellini, because they are larger, firmer and buttery.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb large Raw Shrimp peeled & deveined
2 lbs dry white beans
1 med/lg onion finely chopped
1 green pepper finely chopped
4 leaves kale rib removed and roughly chopped.
2 ribs celery finely chopped
2 cups Broth or Stock (Depending on if you’re making it Vegan or the protein you are using.
2 cups long grain white rice

4 Cloves minced garlic
4 tsp Cajun seasoning (make your own here)
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup white Miso paste
5- 5 1/2 tsp Blackened seasoning for Shrimp. (make your own here)
Optional Items: Green onions, Cotija or Feta cheese for topping. Butter & Soy sauce

COOKING DIRECTION:

PREP WORK: (IF YOU ARE USING FROZEN SHRIMP) Plan on one day to defrost, day 2 to marinate (You can skip this step, but I don’t recommend it.) and day 3 eat! If you are using fresh shrimp skip the defrost day. DAY 1 defrost shrimp.

DAY 2: Peel (keep the shells refrigerated untill ready to make stock.) and devein your shrimp. Devein shrimp by first peeling it, and then with a sharp knife make a shallow cut along the length of it’s spine. Using the tip of the knife or your finger remove the intestine vein. (Do I need to devein? Well, that’s up to you, but the vein is referring to the crustaceans poop shoot, so if you don’t want to eat poop, yes!) Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Drizzle shrimp with 1 tbls oilve oil, then sprinkle with 5-5 1/2 tsp blackened seasoning and mix till all shrimp are coated. Cover and refrigerate over night. Sort and rinse the beans. After rinsing, cover with water and allow to soak overnight.

Day 3: Chop all veggies and get your seasonings ready. Measure out your stock/broth. (if using shrimp, boil the shells removed earlier in about 2 1/2-3 cups water for about 15 minutes. Next, par- boil the beans. (It de-gasses them) You can skip this step if you don’t mind the gas. Simply add the beans to a pan and cover with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 5-7 minutes. you will see white foam developing as pictured Above. Spoon off the foam. Then drain and rinse thoroughly.

Add the beans, all the vegetables, seasonings Miso, 2 cups of stock/broth and salt to the pot of your pressure cooking device. (Following all manufactures guidelines) Cook on the bean/chili function, choosing the longest cook time. While the beans are cooking, you can make the rice. When beans are finished, allow to cool for about 10 minutes. following your devices instructions, use the quick release function to remove the steam/pressure. BE CAREFUL, it’s HOT! Carefully remove lid. Remove the Bay leaves. With a potato masher or the back of a large spoon or ladle, mash about 1/3 to 1/2 of the beans. Stir to combine. Now lets cook the shrimp!

Heat a heavy skillet until it is hot, smokin’ hot (med-high)(I use cast iron, but you can use what ever heavy skillet you have.) Place marinated shrimp a few at a time in skillet . Don’t overcrowd. Cook on both sides for about 2 minutes. What you are looking for is a nice dark, burnt coloring. Don’t over cook your shrimp, they cook really fast and you don’t want them tough. When each batch is done, place aside until all the shrimp have been cooked.

SERVING: Scoop out some rice and place in the bottom of shallow bowl or plate. (At this point I like to put a dollop of butter on the rice) Next, scoop some of the beans on top of the rice. add the Blackened shrimp to the top of the beans and top with green onions and Cotjia cheese. Serve with corn bread or warm tortillas. You may have left overs. I like to reheat it the next morning topped with an egg.

ENJOY!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, you can tailor it to your tastes. If you make it, let me know your thoughts. Let’s get cooking! ~Kristy