FIREFIGHTER RECIPES: Shrimp Creole . . . Firehouse Ribs and Spaghetti . . . Corned Beef with Mustard Glaze

Shrimp Creole/b>

4 tablespoons butter

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

½ sweet onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 10¾-ounce cans cream of shrimp soup

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons Pickapeppa Red Hot Sauce

Tabasco, to taste

4 cups hot cooked white rice

½ cup diced mango (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

In a nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add peppers and onions and cook 5 minutes or until soft. Add brown sugar and heat until dissolved. Add soup and shrimp; stirring frequently, simmer about 5 minutes. Add cayenne, salt, pepper, Pickapeppa sauce and Tabasco. Stirring, cook about 5 minutes until shrimp is cooked through; do not boil. Combine rice with mango and cilantro, if using. Serve shrimp mixture over rice.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (with mango and cilantro): 375 calories, 31 percent calories from fat, 17 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 13 grams fat, 142 milligrams cholesterol, 1,283 milligrams sodium.

Firehouse Ribs and Spaghetti/b>

2 country-style pork ribs per person

1 to 2 onions per taste

Black pepper to taste

1 10¾-ounce can of tomato soup per person

¼ can vinegar per can of soup

¼ can brown sugar per can of soup

Chili powder (add a lot and season to taste)

Colby cheese, shredded

Spaghetti (make a lot, it’s cheap)

Trim excess fat off ribs, rinse and put in roaster. Add water to top of ribs. Add onions and pepper. Cover and parboil ribs for 1 to 2 hours at 325 degrees.

While ribs are parboiling, make sauce. In pot on stove, add tomato soup, vinegar, brown sugar (for ribs on sweeter side add a little extra brown sugar) and chili powder to taste. Bring mixture to light boil while stirring to prevent sticking to bottom. Let sauce simmer until ribs are parboiled.

After ribs are parboiled, drain water, pour sauce over ribs, cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. While ribs are cooking, prepare spaghetti (time it so it is done when ribs are) and shred the cheese.

When ready to serve, put spaghetti and ribs on plate, sprinkle cheese over spaghetti, pour sauce over top and enjoy.

Note: This recipe is a favorite of the Grand Forks firefighters who work out oft Station 1 at 1124 DeMers Ave. Captain Mike Sandry said he’s not sure who came up with the recipe, which has been passed down over the years.

Corned Beef with Mustard Glaze

2-pound roast corned beef

Water

½ cup prepared mustard

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup ginger ale

Place corned beef in a large pot with water just to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 1½ hours. Remove beef from water and drain. Place fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan (or on rack of a broiler pan).

Mix mustard and brown sugar. Spread on top and sides of meat. Pour ginger ale over it. Add about 2 cups water to pan; it should come close to, but not go over, the rack. Roast in a 350-degree oven 45 minutes or until glazed.

Note: This recipe and the one for Shrimp Creole is a favorite of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., firefighters.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 320 calories, 62 percent of calories from fat, 21 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 0.50 grams fiber, 22 grams fat, 111 milligrams cholesterol, 1,464 milligrams sodium.