Jambalaya

This is my picky-eater husband’s favorite dish.  I know– weird, right?  He HATES onions and avoids the kitchen when garlic is cooking.  And yet he LOVES jambalaya.  He likes the spice.  And the combination of meats.  He also likes rice.  I really should make this more often!

Why don’t I make it more often?  Well, this recipe makes A LOT of jambalaya.  A huge pot full.  And there’s just the two of us.  I don’t like it as leftovers because I think the shrimp gets rubbery and the rice gets too mushy.  But Ty likes the leftovers, so that’s good. 🙂

This dish is hearty, spicy, and warms you up from the inside out.  It’s perfect for a cold winter’s day.  Maybe we will make this a New Years tradition!  Make it every New Years Eve to start the year out right.  Ty would like that!

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• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb chicken, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 (14 oz.) smoked sauage, cut into 1/2-inch thick half-moons
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
• 1-1/4 cups water
• 1-2 Tbsp cajun seasoning
• 2 tsp hot sauce (Crystal is the best)
• 1-1/2 cups long grain rice
• 1/2 lb. peeled, de-veined shrimp

1. In a large pot, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and garlic.  Cook until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pot along with any accumulated juices.  Set aside.
2. Add the sausage to the pot and cook until browned, stirring often, about 7 minutes.  Don’t worry if the bottom of the pot turns black.  That’s flavor, baby!  Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil in the pot and add the carrots.  Cook about 2 minutes, then add the celery and bell pepper.  Continue to cook, stirring often, about 5 more minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Remove from pot and set aside.
4. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.  Add the water, tomatoes and hot sauce.  For a mild Jambalaya, add 1 Tbsp cajun seasoning; for medium, add 1-1/2 Tbsp cajun seasoning; for hot, add 2 Tbsp cajun seasoning.  Bring to a boil.
5. Stir in the rice and let cook for 15 minutes.  Add the chicken, sausage, vegetables, and shrimp to the pot.  Cook another 7 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque and the rice is tender.  Serve immediately with more hot sauce, if desired.

Happy 2013!!!

Sausage Primavera Grinders

Need something hearty?  Something healthy?  Somethings deliciously cheesy?  Wish granted!

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• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 lb red potatoes, boiled for 10 minutes, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 lb mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 16 oz. marinara sauce
• 6 Italian sandwich rolls, sliced in half and lightly toasted
• 6 slices provolone cheese, cut in half

1. Lightly spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium high heat.  Add the potatoes and sausage.  Cook, stirring every few minutes, until browned and crispy.  Potatoes should be tender.  Remove from pan.
2. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and peppers.  Cook, stirring every few minutes, until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Add potatoes and sausage back to pan.  Keep warm.
3. Use the back of a spoon to gently press down the bread to create a dip in each side of the bun.  This helps so not as much of the filling will fall out when you eat it. 
4. Place about 1 cup of the sausage mixture in each bun.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of marinara on top.  Lay two pieces of cheese on top of the other side of the bun.
5. Broil until cheese is melted.  Put the sandwich together.  Dip in additional marinara if desired.

Leftover sausage mixture also makes a great soup!  Put it in a pot with a can or two of diced tomatoes and season to taste.  YUM !

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

The temperature is dropping and I had some small white beans to use up.  So… Soup!  This weekend, I spent Saturday with my good friend Tamra and her family.  Amelie and I played ‘fishing’ over the back of the couch with a jump rope, and Peyton and I played peek-a-boo.  It was so much fun playing with the kids!  I brought the soup over for lunch and Tamra made pitas from scratch.  Both were yummy!

I’m sorry to say that I forgot to snap a photo before we ate the soup.  Just trust me– its good.  White beans in a flavorful chicken broth with bright green kale, celery, carrots and smoked sausage.  Warms you right up!  Here’s my recipe.

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage
8 oz. white beans, rinsed and picked over
smoked beef sausage (I used Hillshire Farms)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz. low sodium chicken broth (The kirkland brand from Costco is REALLY good)
1 tsp dried basil
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1.  Place beans  in a pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil, then put the lid on and let them sit for an hour.  Drain.

2.  Cut the sausage in slices (rounds), then cut each round in half (half-moon shape).  Fry over medium-high heat in a soup pot in 2 batches.  Remove to a bowl and place in the refrigerator.  The frying should take about 5-7 minutes per batch– you want the sausage to render its fat and get slightly brown.  Don’t worry about the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  Brown bits = flavor! 🙂

3.  Place the onion in the pot with the fat from the sausage and saute until slightly transparent.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in about a cup of broth and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add the rest of the broth, carrots, celery, and beans.  Sprinkle dried basil over the broth.  Bring to a slight boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

4.  After 30 minutes, add the sausage and stir.  Add water if necessary as the beans will soak up liquid as they cook.  Cover and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

5.  Add the kale, remove from the heat, and replace the lid.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then stir in the kale.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

6.  If desired, you can add 1/2 cup cream at this point to make it a bit more creamy.

Enjoy!  Here’s to snowballs, snowmen and steamy bowl of white bean soup!