Cajun shrimp alfredo

It has been a busy week, and didn't have much time for blogging, but I promised Ray I would share this recipe.

We had planned for grilled shrimp and poppers on the grill, but rain cancelled that plan. So, having to come up with a dinner plan on the fly, this was my creation !

I started the pasta pot boiling, we always keep some dried pasta on hand for emergencies, although Ray is a bit of a pasta snob and prefers homemade. There just isn't enough time of the weeknight to do that. Anyway...

I sauteed some garlic and thyme in butter and EVOO on the stove, then added the cleaned shrimp (I bought them cleaned, which I don't always, but again, no time during the week). I sauteed them until they were just underdone, and removed them from the pan. I added about 3 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of cajun seasoning. This is one of the many nice spice blends Ray received for his birthday, from our friend Charlene, who works at Karlsberger Foods. I made a roux out of this, then slowly added some whole milk.

Now, I am lactose intolerant, so we use lactose free milk. We like the whole milk better than the skim, as it tastes more like real milk. But any milk would do. I waited for the sauce to thicken a bit, then I used up some leftover cheese from the fridge. We had some swiss cheese that didn't have a lot of "swiss-y" flavor, but I added it and some fresh grated parmesan. When the sauce was as thick as I wanted, I turned it to simmer.

Just as the pasta was ready to drain, I stirred the shrimp back into the sauce. Drained the pasta, added it into the sauce, and dinner was served. I think Ray's description was "indescribable". I hope he meant in a good way !

Bees arrived last night ! Can't wait to update on that !