Jambalaya

Dinner tonight. The beautiful thing about cooking is that there is so much room for interpretation. Jambalaya is as diverse as chili, soup, casserole or stew. So go with the flow. If you only have one pepper and it's green, who cares. Chop it up and toss it in. It always helps to refer to a few recipes when making something at home. Don't rely too much on exact ingredients. There are always perfectly acceptable substitutions. If you don't like sausage, try shrimp. If peppers aren't your thing, try zucchini. You get me. So here we go.

Peppers, onion and garlic.

4 garlic links, simmering until cooked.

4 tsp louisiana hot sauce, several shakes of the tobasco, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato paste, 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup water.

1 tsp thyme, 3 bay leaves, salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

While the sausage simmers cut the peppers into chunks and dice the onion.

Remove the cooked sausage and add a tbsp of oil to the skillet. Saute your veg on high heat just to soften.

In a preheated crockpot add the sauces and seasonings, sliced cooked sausages and 1/2 cup of rice. Once the veggies are done add them in too. Cover and let cook for atleast 2 hrs or at least until the rice is cooked. Taste and correct the seasonings before serving.

My corrections

1. I didn't have any celery which I find pretty standard so I added celery seed for extra flavour.
2. I have a sick obsession with onion and garlic powder...so in they went.
3. I would have really liked to have added some big juicy shrimp, but alas I don't just keep those expensive buggers on hand.
4. I like extra spicy so I added cayenne pepper and the hubby's special spicy blend*.

* the hubby loves to garden which is probably just a means to feed his obsession with anything hot. 2 years ago he grew enough peppers, to make enough dried spice to last a lifetime. It consists of habeneros, cayenne, fish peppers, banana peppers, jalapenos, cherry hot, hungarian wax and probably 10 more I can't remember. It's damn good stuff. Unfortunately the jars of sauces and salsas he made have long since been eaten.

Mexicana Salad

Ingredients

2 cups baby spinach
4 cups field greens or california mix greens
pint of cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion very thinly sliced
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 small red pepper, diced

~for the dressing~
1 small, ripened avacado pit and skin removed
2 egg yolks
2-3 tbsp olive oil
the juice of one lime
dash or so of cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp of cumin powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 clove of garlic
cracked pepper and margarita salt, to taste

Method

Prepare the dressing by mixing the ingredients in a blender or by using an immersion mixer. You can add a little more seasoning or lime here or there to adjust to your own tastes.
Toss the dressing with the spinach, peppers and onions. Top with tomatoes and pistachios to serve.

Dill-licious Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 lbs red potatoes, washed, skins on
1/2 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
Seasoned rice vinegar
onion powder
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Method

Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes, roughly. Boil in 6 litres salted water until tender yet firm. Remove, drain. Transfer to bowl and cover with a generous portion of vinegar. Place in fridge to cool. Once cooled stir in dill, mayo and onion adding the seasonings to taste. Serve and enjoy :o)

Chicken Soup

This is a great recipe for a cold day or when you've got the sniffles!

Ingredients

2 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
5 cups homemade chicken stock
1/4 c quick cooking, wild rice
1 small spanish onion, diced
1/4 c sliced baby carrots
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup zucchini, diced
1/4 cup pimento or diced red pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash or so each of garlic, onion and mustard powder, cayenne pepper and hungarian paprika
1 tsp thyme
fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste

Method

In a large stock or soup pot melt butter and saute onions and garlic until onions are clear. Add remaining vegetables and cook for another several minutes. Add diced chicken, broth and water or stock, rice and spices. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Apple Sandwiches

Apple Cinnamon Sandwich

2 thick slices of whole grain bread
1 egg
1/2 c milk
1/8 tsp vanilla and almond extract combined
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp brown sugar
1 spy apple, peeled, cored and sliced

~heat skillet with 1tbsp of butter. When melted, add apples and turn coating them in butter. Sprinkle with sugar and allow to caramelize. Apples should be softened not mushy when finished.
Set aside.
~ In a bowl beat egg then add milk, extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Coat generously, both sides of bread. Add remaining butter to skillet, heat and add bread, flipping to brown both sides.
~Spread cream cheese on one side of bread. Layer on the cooked apples. Spread other slice with remaining cream cheese, set on top of apples. Slice in half and enjoy!



Grilled Granny Sandwich

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
2 slices Sourdough bread
3oz Brie, skin removed and sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp crushed pecans

~ Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice, butter side down in warm skillet, add half the amount of brie, nuts and all the apples. Top with remaining nuts, then cheese, then bread. Once bread is browned and cheese is melting, flip to brown the other side.
~Serve with greens tossed in a light vinagrette.

Balsamic Walnut Chicken

The Good
4 skinless chicken breasts with the bone
4 wasa rye crispbread
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 cups maple syrup...no need for the real thing...but if you can afford it, go for it.
Salt and cracked pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of milk

The Gettin'
Prick the chick with a fork several times then flip it over, meat side down, in a deep dish. Slather it in vinegar and syrup till it's fully coated. Cover it up and put it in the fridge to cool off for about an hour. In the mean time you can get out your frustrations by making some crumbs. In whatever way you see fit, without losing it all to the floor, smash to bits the wasa and the walnuts. Go ahead. Make them one. Stir in the salt and pepper. Crack and beat the eggs then add in the milk. Hour's up. Preheat your oven to 375F. Dip the breasts in the yolky milk then let them have a roll in the crumbs. Put them on a baking pan and slide them in the hot oven. Let them sweat for at least one hour or until done. To finish em off spray em with oil and let them broil for 4 minutes. Crispy sweet goodness.

Your welcome ;o)

Berry Glazed Chinook

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup frozen mixed berries and 1/2 cup frozen mango with a pinch of salt, 2 dashes of allspice and...

...1/4 cup of raspberry vinegar and 1/4 cup of really tasty, really cheap red wine.

Take a large chinook salmon filet(about a pound), on the skin, and cover in 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2tsp rosemary and fresh cracked pepper. Let marinate while....

...you let the sauce reduce for about 10 minutes.

Then add 4 unpacked, heaping tbsps of brown sugar and reduce for atleast 10 minutes longer.

Once the sauce has reduced to about the consistency of syrup, blend with a hand mixer till it resembles jam.

In the mean time you may have placed the salmon under the broiler for 10 minutes.

Now cover the broiled chinook with the berry sauce and broil for another 10-15 minutes.

VOILA!

Serve with snapped asparagus, steamed in chicken broth.

It's ok bebe. Mommy's done cookin'.