Cooking beignets with Princess and the Frog and a healthy Cajun recipe roundup

My daughter, Lucie and I loved Princess and the Frog when it came out in movie theaters. Lucie loved Tiana, the princess story and funny characters like Louis the trumpet playing gator. I enjoyed the animation, Randy Newman?s music and references to the culture and food of New Orleans.

Most of all I loved how Tiana?s dream was about cooking and opening up the restaurant her father and her had planned together. Not since Ratatouille has a Disney movie appealed to the cook in me. (Bet you foodies didn?t know that Emeril Lagasse voiced the part of Marlon the Gator!)

With the March 16th release of Disney?s Princess and the Frog on Blu-ray and DVD and the companion cookbook, The Princess and the Frog: Tiana?s Cookbook it?s time to get your kids cooking!

Tiana?s Famous Beignets

We love having beignets at Lucille?s, a Cajun style restaurant chain here in Colorado. They?re an occasional special treat that you might want to try making at home. Put on some Louis Armstrong and dance around with the kids to work off those calories!

Makes 14 to 16

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners? sugar, for dusting

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine 23/4 cups of the flour with the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk everything together.
In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture from Step 1.
Use some of the remaining flour to dust your work surface. Place the dough on it and pat it into a large 1/2 -inch-thick square. Dust the top with more flour if it gets sticky. Next, slice the dough into 21/2 -inch squares.
Now it?s time to fry the beignets?be sure to ask an adult to help you! Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan on the stovetop until the temperature reaches 325° on a deep-fat thermometer. Check the temperature every so often while cooking. If it gets too hot, temporarily turn the heat down, or off.
Carefully drop 3 dough squares at a time into the hot oil. Fry them for 3 minutes, turn them over, and continue frying for 3 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beignets to a wire rack set atop paper towels to drain. Dust the beignets with confectioners? sugar, and enjoy!

Reprinted from the book DISNEY?S THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG TIANA?S COOKBOOK RECIPES FOR KIDS. Copyright © 2009 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Healthier Cajun food

Traditionally Cajun food isn?t the healthiest, but I?ve found several recipes that do their best to lessen the culinary damage:

Easy Heart Healthy King Cake Recipe
Healthier Cajun Recipes from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals
Cajun Country Cookin' from Cooking Light
Healthy Foods From Cajun Country
Healthy Cajun Recipes ? Shrimp and Ocra Gumbo and Red Beans

From Holly Clegg

Easy Mardi Gras King Cake made with Crescent Rolls
Crawfish and Rice Casserole 
Chicken and Sausage Couscous Jambalaya
Quick Cheese Grits

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Disclosure: I received a review copy of the Princess and the Frog DVD.