The beautiful Everage Family. Chad and Dena (pictured below) and their precious children, Trinady and Daxton. Every once in a while, you meet people who change your life. There is an instant connection and you feel instantly comfortable. Like Family. A bond where you know you just “get” each other. The Hubs and I were SO Blessed to have this rare occurrence happen when we went to Louisiana to see our Great Nephews. And so our story begins……

Foster Care. Two words that produce Love, Tears, Smiles, Blessings, Hope, Frustration, every emotion of the Human Condition. We are on the receiving end of this long, long journey that has been a rocky and very enlightening road. It is not for the weary of heart! But it will be SO worth it in the end because it is all about the Children.  This family is the REAL deal…ones whom we will cherish and be friends for life! We are both Foster Parents and that is the reason we met…

While we were visiting in Louisiana, we had dinner with them. Chad Everage is the best undiscovered Cajun Cook I have ever been lucky enough to meet! And his precious daughter and Chef’s assistant, Trinady, is amazing as well as the perfect Hostess! The man should have a restaurant. Period. Everyone would eat there daily. And I was Blessed to get some of his wonderful recipes. Now you will as well. Notice the age old Pots and Pans passed on thru the Everage family that have volumes of stories of the most rich and spicy food ever made…..if they could only talk!

Ya’ll Enjoy!

We started off with dipping French Bread into the most magnificent flavors of an Infused Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar concoction that Cam and I love! Chad gets them from Olive Oils & Balsamics – Crave Gourmet Baskets & Gifts in Lake Charles, LA and you can too!

Chad’s Snow Crab Legs Cajun Style

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-6 pounds Alaskan King Crab Legs
• Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• Boiling water in a large pan

DIRECTIONS:

Instead of a shrimp boil mixture to season the hard boiling water, Chad uses Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Season to your taste! Lightly spiced to red hot!

After 4 minutes, remove claws from pot and put on a large plate or platter. Let rest 5 minutes. The steam in the claws, once removed, will finish the cooking process and help make them easier to snap apart. Perfect Cajun crab legs!

Next let’s start the Chad’s Bayou Barbeque Shrimp!

INGREDIENTS:

• 20 count Large Shrimp in the shell and with their heads intact
• Tony Chachare’s to taste
• 2 teaspoon prepared Mustard
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
• 2-4 Dashes Tabasco Sauce
• 1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 stick butter, halved
• 6 oz beer
• 4 cups cooked white rice

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and allow shrimp to marinade while chopping the onions.

Over Medium heat in a large skillet, melt 1/2 stick butter and saute’ the onions until translucent. Add the shrimp, half stick butter and the beer to the mixture and let it cook down to a thickened sauce over low heat until the shrimp are pink and done, tossing occasionally.

In a rice cooker, cook 4 cups of rice to serve with the shrimp and potatoes. Start the potatoes while marinating the shrimp.

A great addition to the shrimp are Cajun Boiled Potatoes:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds new potatoes
• 1 package crab boil
• 1/2 Chopped Sweet onion

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the potatoes and place in a large pot. Cover with water several inches over the potatoes and add the crab boil and onion. Cover and cook over Medium heat until potatoes pierce easily with a fork approximately 25-35 minutes.

TO SERVE:

Spoon 1/2 cup rice onto a plate. Add the shrimp and BBQ gravy over the rice. Add the potatoes, serve with drawn butter and feast! What an amazing taste of the real Bayou!

A SPECIAL thank-you to the Everages for inviting us to one of the best Dinners we have had in a long time!

Ya’ll Enjoy!

Published by Two Cousins and a Skillet

Grew up in Clearwater, Florida. Graduated from Clearwater High School. Work for Pinellas County Schools as a technology technician. View all posts by Two Cousins and a Skillet