Welcome!

I hope you have as much fun trying these recipes as I have had posting them. I love to cook and I love to share recipes with others... please feel free to try any and leave some love as you do! Also feel free to share any that you have, I'm willing to try anything new! The kitchen really is fun with a little love and laughter.... and some dancing!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Jambalaya - redone; plus Cornbread Muffins!

 So my last post, (sorry it's been so long!), has really been bothering me. I thought I had made Jambalaya... but once I went on an online search about it, I realized Jambalaya is more of a rice pilaf than a soup. So I've been itching to try it again. Today provided perfect conditions for doing so: rain, rain and more rain (with a few thunderstorms and tornado watches thrown in the mix, ugh). 

But first, I must rave about our side dish, Sweet Cornbread Muffins.  
Recipe inspiration comes from The Galley Gourmet! Love her recipes and her site! 
My hubby usually doesn't eat a bread side dish, but tonight, I had to tell him to slow down and to save some for tomorrow! Even our 3 year old-picky son loved them! 

I thought I had "corn meal" but when I pulled it out I realized it was "corn masa." I'm not sure if they're different... but just in case, I decided to add 2TBS ground flax to the mix of dry to give it the texture I thought it was missing. Maybe I was mistaken, but it was good regardless! Everything else I followed, and mine aren't as pretty (really, I'm not a baker. I'm just happy they turned out at all!), but they were perfect for us! 
Go check her out!! 

So what did I do differently from last time? 
Well, I kept to one can of chicken broth, and halved the onion, oregano and parsley. I cooked it on the stove this time for fear of losing power. I basically brought it to a boil, then let it simmer for about 2 hours, then added the rice directly to the pot (already cooked rice that was a leftover, that is) to allow the juices to be soaked up by the rice.  I accidentally allowed it to boil too long (losing a lot of juice), so I added about a cup of water. 
And... I didn't have a green bell pepper. I know I committed a Southern sin, but in my defense, I thought I had one in the fridge. I was mistaken. Oh well. It was good regardless. It's a bit spicy, but sided with the cornbread (and cottage cheese), it helped. 
The recipes: 

Jambalaya

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast, cut in pieces
1 pkg Andouille sausage, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1C celery, chopped
1 can chicken broth
1tsp Oregano
1tsp Parsley
2tsp Cajun
1tsp. Cayenne
1/2tsp. Thyme 
2 handfuls frozen peeled/deveined shrimp *optional

2C Rice, prepared. 

Instructions:
Add everything to a large stock pot or crock pot. If using stock pot, bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and allow to simmer about 30min - 1 hour. If using crock pot, add everything cook on LOW 7-8hours, or HIGH 3-4 hours. If adding shrimp, do so with about 10 minutes remaining. Add rice, mix well and turn of heat. Allow to cool a few minutes. 



Sweet Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients:
1C flour
1C cornmeal (or 1C corn masa + 2TBS ground flax)
1/4C sugar
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp baking soda
3/4tsp kosher salt
1C milk
1TBS white vinegar
1 lg egg, room temp. 
1/4C butter, melted

Instructions:
1. Combine milk and vinegar and allow to sit for 30 minutes. 
2. Preheat oven to 425. Place liners in muffin tin and spray with a bit of Pam. (Follow The Galley's recipe for a cake pan). 
3. In a large bowl, combing flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk mixture, egg, and butter. 
4. Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix just until combined. 
5. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. 
6. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.