Adding a Taste of New Orleans to Rex's Recipes: Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet

As my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers know, Rex and I have a sweet deal in our household: he does all the cooking, and I do all the spreadsheets. The best part is that I am Rex's cooking muse, inspiring him with delicious ideas while I sit back and let him cook for me. Down here at the beach in Bay Head, New Jersey, my thoughts run to fresh shellfish and other seafood from the Crab Shack, on Mantoloking Road, across the bridge in Brick, NJ. My whole family enjoys the selection of domestic U.S. seafood -- fresh, local clams, shrimp, salmon, and other favorites. Today's inspiration hails from Louisiana -- a recipe I discovered on the Great American Seafood Cook Off web site. They've posted five finalists, who were given several challenges in creating their dishes for the final round of competition: each dish had to contain one of two mystery ingredients, either Southwest Airline Peanuts or select Michelob brews; keeping it healthy and simple, each dish’s ingredients had to represent all five food groups and be a dish that Rex and other home chefs could prepare on their own. All five dishes sound delicious, and I also feel confident that Rex could prepare any one of the five for me...but today Roxy's got a hankering for shrimp, so I've selected Chef Brian Landry's recipe for Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet: Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille sausage smothered in a white bean casserole.

I've teased you a bit and shared a tasty photo, and I'll let you in on Chef Landry's secret ingredient (see photo on your left), but I'm not going to post the entire recipe here...instead, you'll have to visit the Great American Seafood Cookoff at www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com to download the complete recipe. While you're there, you can choose from the five finalists and vote for your favorite recipe, with the chance to win a trip to New Orleans. While I consumed my share of hurricanes during Mardi Gras with Melissa back in Roxy's wild single days, and I've taken clients to all of the best restaurants during a couple of NAB Radio conventions with Rex, we haven't been back since our girls were born, so I would love to win the trip....I wonder if London and Maddie are allowed in to Pat O'Briens?