Jackson Jambalaya

 We try to go to the beach several times a year. We're not always successful making it down there but we consider it a noble cause worthy of daydreams. One of the reasons we want to be there because a condo on the beach is a wonderful place to enjoy a plate of Shrimp Freddy.

Since the days when we lived in central Alabama, we usually beach it up in LA (lower Alabama). Many years back, we decided the best place for our first stop once we arrived in LA was Billy's, in Bon Secour. Billy's is a great place to shop if fresh seafood is your thing. He has a mark painted on the wall showing the high storm surge point reached by Hurricane Ivan. I like the lines they paint on the sides of costal buildings, since they show the beach might not be such a good place to be when a hurricane is in the neighborhood.

For folks who are concerned with shark dangers within 6 miles of any beach, there are similar lines at the dock in Vicksburg, showing past highwater events on the Mississippi.

If you should find yourself staying at the beach with us, I can guarantee you boiled shrimp at the condo will be on the menu sometime right after arrival. 

After an occurrence twenty plus years ago, when this recipe came into being as the wife's method of dealing with leftover shrimp after her husband purchased way too many shrimps at Billy's, we always set some aside when we boil the tasty little bottom dwellers so we can cook the dish I named "Shrimp Freddy" after the (sometimes made from scratch, but more often from a jar) Alfredo sauce we use.

Note: The photos I used here were not taken at the beach since I'm usually too busy doing nothing to take food photos when we are there. The dish can also be made in your central Mississippi kitchen using Piggly Wiggly seafood market shrimp, or ones purchased from the ice chest in the back of that guy's truck parked somewhere on Highway 49 below Jerry's Catfish Igloo (My favorite catfish dinner location).

Here is how we make Shrimp Freddy.

Ingredients:

+- 1 pound shrimp. We usually go with leftover boiled, but raw shrimp work fine.
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup onion diced
1 cup zucchini zoodles, sometimes, but not always
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Jar Alfredo Sauce
1 - 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 small package (4 servings) Spaghetti, or Linguini
4 green onion tops (sliced), or parsley (chopped), for serving
Salt and black pepper

We usually have crusty bread with our Shrimp Freddy, because I love crusty bread. To make your very own crusty bread, you will need:

French bread
Garlic
Butter
Parsley
Lawry's Garlic Salt, or just salt
Parmesan Cheese

Slice bread, cover with soft butter mixed with parsley and garlic, and covered with lots of grated parmesan, then cooked in oven at 350 degrees F until the cheese melts.

Directions for making the Shrimp Freddy:

If using pre boiled shrimp, taste and season with Cajun seasoning if desired. If using raw shrimp, season with Cajun seasoning. Set aside.

Boil the spaghetti in salted water until al dente

Prep peppers, onion, garlic, and mushrooms

Sauté the vegetables in the butter, until tender

If using raw shrimp, add them to the vegetables and continue cooking until the shrimp are cooked. Precooked shrimp should be added at the very end and cooked only long enough to heat them up.

Stir in Alfredo sauce. Taste and season with salt, black pepper, Cajun seasoning and garlic salt.

Stir in cooked pasta - Spaghetti or Linguine, or whatever, and Parmesan Cheese.

Serve and top with sliced green onions, or parsley