Easy Jambalaya

I love jambalaya.  It's so yummy and a great warm meal for these cool fall nights.  It'll warm you right up and make your family feel loved.  Big bonus:  This will have you eating in about 30 minutes!

You Need:

4 cups rice
1/2 lb. chicken breasts
1 smoked sausage
1/2-1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 12 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can condensed French onion soup
1-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 cup butter

 Heat about 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.  Dice the chicken breasts and sausage into smaller-than-bite-sized pieces.  Cut each shrimp in half.  Begin browning the chicken in the skillet.

Start cooking the rice according to package directions.  I am sure you could use Minute Rice, but I never have, so I don't know quite how that goes. 

Once the chicken is browned, add the sausage.  Let it brown until it gets kind of puffy and carmelized.  While these are browning, dice the onion and the green pepper.

Add the diced green pepper and onion.

Let all of this work together in the pan for a few minutes, until the onion and green pepper start to get soft and you can really start to smell them. 

Now, add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and French onion soup.  Cut the butter into several pieces, and add that too. Add the Cajun seasoning a teaspoon at a time, tasting it as it is mixed in.  I usually add about 2 teaspoons of the brand pictured above.  Then I let it cook for a few minutes and taste it to see where I am spice-wise.  However, all brands of seasoning are different.  I have another brand that I only use about 1 teaspoon of because it is super spicy.  Taste as you go!

 Stir to combine.  Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret:  I love this sauce:

Tastefully Simple's Bayou Bourbon Glaze.  It's Bayou.  It's Bourbon.  It screams to be in jambalaya. You can order this sauce from this website:  www.tastefullysimple.com/web/catchley or email me cynthiattchley@gmail.com to find out more about Tastefully Simple.
I add about 1/4 cup to my sauce.  It just takes the sauce to the next level.  SO YUMMY!

After the sauce has simmered for a bit, and the butter has melted, add the shrimp and corn to the sauce.  (Your rice should have about 5 minutes left at this point, if you are using regular white rice.)  Let the corn and the shrimp heat up.  You can thicken the sauce a bit with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons cold water, if you would like it thicker.  I like it juicier so that it really soaks into the rice. 

Serve a big scoop of rice with lots of jambalaya goodness on top.  We like this with corn bread and honey.  Enjoy!  It's delicious!

At my house, this feeds mom, 3 kids, 2 hungry working men (my hubby and brother), with enough for lunch leftovers for mom, dad, and brother the next day.  If you wanted to make a big batch of the jambalaya, it would freeze very well so that on a busy day, all you'd have to do is cook the rice and re-heat the jambalaya.  Hope you like it!

Navajo Tacos

We love tacos at our house.  Sometimes, though, I like to switch it up and make them on scones.  It's no more difficult than regular old tacos, but it's fun and new and soooooo yummy!

You need:

1 lb. ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
12 frozen Rhodes rolls (double recipe if you need more)
Oil for frying scones
Taco toppings:
cheese, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, onion, taco sauce, sour cream, refried beans...)

Thaw rolls and let rise.  I almost always use the quick-rise method on the back of the bag.

Cook ground beef with the taco seasonings as per directions on the seasoning packet.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  I test my oil by dropping a one-inch piece of bread into the oil.  If it fries to a golden brown in about 30 seconds, I know it's ready.  Stretch each roll into a 3-4 inch circle.  You can also combine two rolls for a larger taco.  Fry on each side until golden brown.

Remove to a plate that has a couple paper towels on it to collect the oil drips.  Let everyone build the taco of their dreams with the toppings,

Here's my favorite:  scone, meat, cheese, onion, olives, lettuce, taco sauce.  So yummy; so fun!

BBQ Ribs

One of my favorite things about getting out the grill is ribs!!!!  I love ribs.  So, here is my favorite way to make them.  Plan ahead, they need to cook in the oven for about 3-5 hours beforehand

You Need:

1-2 racks of ribs OR 2-3 lbs of Country Style Ribs
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 T. balsalmic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
2 t. liquid smoke
1 can soda-NO DIET (Coke, root beer, cream soda, lemon-lime, ginger ale...)
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1-2 T. your favorite BBQ rub (I like Famous Daves, Durkee, and McCormicks)

Mix together everything but the ribs.  Taste to make sure it's to your liking.  You don't want it too spicy because it has a lot of time to develop while it's cooking. 

Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Lay the ribs on the cookie sheet meat-side down.  You want the side with the visible bones and tendons facing up so the meat can absorb all that yummy sauce.  Spoon some sauce over the top.

Tightly cover the sheet with tin foil.

Bake at about 250 for 5 hours.  (You can up the temperature to 300 or so for a shorter cooking time. The ribs will cook through in about 2 hours, but to make them tender you want 3-5 hours.)  Remove from the oven and take the foil off.

Check out the tenderness of these ribs.  I am TOUCHING it, not even pulling in the picture below.

Cut the rib racks in half in order to make removing them easier.  Preheat your grill to a high heat.  Put your favorite BBQ sauce in a bowl and baste onto the bone side of the ribs.

Sweet Baby Ray's is my FAVE! 

I use a paintbrush as a baster.  It cleans so well, and has lasted way longer than any of my "real" basters.  Put the ribs on the hot grill BBQ sauce-side down.

Once on the grill, baste the meat-side.  Close the grill cover and let sit for about 2-3 minutes.  This is going to caramalize the sauce and give them that nice "bark" on the outside.  Turn the ribs to the other side. 

Again, let sit for about 3-5 minutes.  Then remove to a serving plate.  Serve immediately.  We like them with Twice Baked Potatoes and a vegetable.

These will make your significant other love you FOREVA!

Little Cheesy Meatloaves

OK, I am not a meatloaf fan.  I never order it at restaurants, and when someone invites me to a meatloaf dinner, I am betting on eating beforehand.  However, I was invited to a friend's house for meatloaf, and this was the best surprise ever.  These are sooooo yummy!  And my kids will gobble them up.  So good.

You Need:

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 c. oats
1/2 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheese
1/2 medium onion or 1 sm. onion, chopped
1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. mustard (Shameless plug for my mom's mustard.  It's called Dione's Mustard.  Email me if you want to know how you can get it.)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. liquid smoke
salt and pepper

Put the first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Mix it well.  Don't be wimpy about it.  You really need to get your hands in there working it all together.

When it's all mixed, it will look like this:

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.  Portion the meatloaf mix into 6 equal portions.  Shape into little football shaped loaves and place in the pan.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the ketchup, mustard, liquid smoke, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Taste as you go and add more of whatever you think it needs, or don't if it's perfect.

Pour the sauce over the little loaves.  It looks like a little sauce blanket for each meatloaf.  So cute.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until loaves are cooked through.

Serve to a happy family.  We like ours with Regular Old Mashed Potatoes or Twice Baked Potatoes and a vegetable.

Beef Stir-Fry

I am a sucker for stir-fry.  They are so easy and so yummy, and they generally turn out pretty healthy, too, so everyone wins!!! 

Stir Fry:
2 T. vegetable oil
2 lbs. beef steak (I use a cheaper cut of meat because after it is marinated and cut against the grain, it's tender.)
Sugar Snap Peas
Broccoli
Carrots
Bell Peppers (I used yellow and orange today)

I use whatever veggies are in my fridge and seem like they'd hold up to stir fry.  Feel free to change up the veggies to whatever you like or need to use up.

Sauce/Marinade:
1 1/2 c. soy sauce
2 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. rice vinegar (If you don't have it, skip it.)
2 T. aji mirin (If you don't have it, skip it.)
2 T. jarred or freshly grated ginger
1-2 t. jarred or freshly minced garlic
3 T. cornstarch
cold water

First mix together the first 6 ingredients of the sauce/marinade.

Yes, I do this in a large measuring cup.  They're easier to pour.  However, you'll note in the top and bottom picture that "measuring" is a loosely used term.

Pour half of the marinade/sauce into a resealable bag.  Place the steaks into the marinade.  If you  have a shot of vodka or mildly flavored liquer put that in the bag too.  (It helps the marinade penetrate the meat better.)  Marinate as long as you can wait from 30 minutes to overnight.

They key from here is to get everything chopped and ready to cook because once you start this dish, you can't stop until it's finished.  So, make sure all veggies and meat are chopped the way you want, the sauce is mixed, and the side dish has started cooking. 

Now, heat the oil in a large, deep pan or a wok.  You want the oil super hot.  Now, toss in some of the meat.  You do not want to crowd the pan at all, so you may need to do this in several batches.  For 2 lbs. of meat in my pan, I have to do 3 separate batches.  Stir to cook for for about 2-6 minutes, depending on how you like your steak cooked.  I like rare to medium-rare, so I do about 2-3 minutes per batch.  Remove each batch to a plate as you cook the rest.

Now, remove all beef from the pan, and add the carrots.  Carrots are a more dense vegetable, so they take a moment longer to cook.  To speed them along, I put in about a tablespoon of water in the hot pan and quickly cover it with a lid for 1 minute.  This is the only minute that I find it all right to put a lid on stir fry.

Take the lid off after 1 minute.  Add the broccoli to the pan.  Stir to incorporate, and let cook for about 1 minute.  Stir often to make sure the veggies don't burn on the bottom.  The pan is super hot, so it's easy to burn.

I love how bright the veggies get.  Add the peppers and sugar snap peas to the pan.  Stir for about another minute or two.

As the veggies cook, they become brighter.  You want them to be crisp and not soggy, so don't cover the pan at all and don't let them cook until they turn dull.  Sample one or two of the pieces to make sure they are approaching the crisp-tender stage, then add the beef to the pan.

Stir to incorporate.  Quickly whisk the sauce to make sure it hasn't separated, then pour it onto the stir-fry.  Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it thickens slightly.

I tried to get a good picture of the thickened sauce, but it just didn't work well.  Anyway, it thickens.  Serve the dish immediately with pan-fried noodles, rice, or we did Coconut Rice last night.
It also goes really well with fresh fruit, like pineapple and mango.

My Dad's Amazing Spaghetti

Looking at the ingredients for this dish, you'll notice the smoked sausage.  The first time my dad put in the sausage I thought, "Oh my heck.  This is going to be terrible.  What is he thinking????"  Well, I LOVE spaghetti this way.  So, just try it.  Trust me. 

You need:

4-5 servings of spaghetti noodles
1 beef smoked sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can sliced olives
2 T. oregano
2 T. basil
2 T. Italian seasoning
1 t. minced garlic
1 packet Spaghetti seasoning (I like McCormicks)
1  15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1  15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 c. red wine
1 1/2 c. water

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the noodles.  Cook according to package directions.

In a hot, deep pan brown the hamburger and break it up as it cooks.  Drain any excess fat from the cooked burger.  Add the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms to the burger and cook until they start to soften.

Add the garlic, basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning to the pan.  Now, I know I gave measurements, but the picture below shows how I measure.

My cupped palm holds about 2 Tablespoons.  Do it by taste.  If it's too much, start with less.  If it's too little, add more.  Add the sausage and olives to the pan.  Let all that good stuff in the pan hang out together for a couple minutes.  Smell the good smells.

Add the spaghetti seasoning, tomato sauce, water, and diced tomatoes to the pan.  Stir and bring to a bubble.  Now, taste it.  The wine is optional, but it adds such a richness to the dish that it's really missing something without it.  However, it is your choice, and the sauce will still be awesome without it.  If you are adding the wine, do so now.  Stir, and let that hang out in the pan on low, stirring occaisionally unitl ready to serve.  It will taste delicious once it's all bubbly and thickened slightly.  However, letting it simmer for 20 minutes or longer just makes it better. 

Yummy sauce.  Yummy, yummmy sauce.  Here it is all served up.  I like it with a side of garlic bread and salad.

NOTE:  If your pan doesn't look as full as mine, it is because I make a double recipe and freeze half of it.  This makes another spaghetti dinner on a night that I don't feel like cooking just a moment away.