Mardi Gras Jambalaya

In honor of Mardi Gras, I decided that a hearty Jambalaya was in order...commence the recipe search! I found this gem on a blog: Deep South Dish. I was searching for a Jambalaya that compared to one that I enjoyed in New Orleans this past summer. This definitely met my standards, although per usual I modified the recipe just a bit! You can substitute any type of sausage if you prefer, however the Andouille Sausage I picked up a Whole Foods was amazing and definitely started a great base flavor for this hearty dish.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb Andouille Sausage, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. Canola oil
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 T. Flour
1 (28 ounce) can of diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can of original Rotel tomatoes, undrained
4 c. Chicken Broth
2 t. Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 t. Cajun Seasoning
1/4 t. Cayenne or Hot Sauce (I used Hot Sauce)
4 c. Long Grain Brown Rice
1 T. Butter
1 lb Raw Shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1 Bunch Green Onions, chopped

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic; set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown in oil over medium to medium high heat in a large cast iron dutch oven that has a lid. Do not cook through. Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Once cool, coarsely chop into bite sized pieces.

To the dutch oven, add the chopped sausage and cook until browned (again, don't cook through); remove and set aside. Ensure that there is about 1 T of fat/oil in the pan once sausage is removed. Add Canola oil as needed.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until lightly browned (about 1 minute). Add onion and bell pepper and saute a few minutes until softened. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, cooking another minute. Add the Roasted Tomatoes(straight from the can) and the Rotel tomatoes (straight from the can) to the pot and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, white pepper, and cayenne/hot sauce, bring back up to a boil.

Add the rice and stir in. Return to a boil.

Add the chicken and sausage, dot the top with butter, stir, cover the pot and place it into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the majority of liquid is absorbed (For me, this took about 45 minutes but the original recipe called for 30 minutes).

Remove, stir, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Sprinkle the shrimp lightly with some Cajun Seasoning, stir the shrimp into the rice mixture and return to the oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked through.

Right before serving, add the chopped green onions!

This makes enough for at least 8-10 servings - and it's quite a crowd pleaser!

Bon Appetit & Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Costa Rican Black Beans & Rice

Lizano Salsa makes this dish. If you can't find it, its been recommended to try Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce. I got my Lizano Salsa in Costa Rica, but once I run out, I am sure to order some more online, as it is just plain delicious! Beware, this makes alot! But its great with dinner as a side dish or with a fried egg on top for breakfast!

Ingredients
1 Box 10 Minute Instant Brown Rice (cook as instructed on the box with chicken broth)
3 Can of Black Beans (drained, but not rinsed)
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1-2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 T. Cumin
1 T. Ground Ginger
3 T. Lizano Salsa
4 Green Onions, chopped
1/2 c. Cilantro, roughly chopped

Method
Cook the entire box of rice as instructed with some chicken broth. Set aside.
In a 5Qt Pot, saute the Onion and Garlic until soft with some EVOO (throw in a dash of salt to help the softening process).
After the onions are mostly softened, add the red bell pepper and cook for about 3 minutes more.
Then add the Cumin, Ginger, and Lizano Salsa and cook for one minute.
Add the cooked Rice and Black Beans and heat through.
Right before serving, add the Green Onions & Cilanto.
Season with S&P to taste.

(Recipe makes enough for about 10 people)

Such a simple and quick way to make black beans and rice, and I've found it to be much more inexpensive than the boxed variety.

Pura Vida!