Crock Pot Jambalaya

 Now that I live in the South, I thought I should probably start learning how to cook some good Southern food. I saw this recipe on Pinterest and it looked simple and yummy! Doing a little more research, I've discovered this looks more like Gumbo than actual Jambalaya... but it has the rice like Jambalaya. I did add more water than the recipe called for (I thought it was supposed to be "soup-y"!). So all y'all Southerners out there don't be hatin ok! I tried.

The recipe calls for "andouille sausage" well, according to ETNT, Aidells is the best sausage you could eat! Pretty tasty too!! (Found at local Publix)

Oh! And if you're like me and your Cajun Seasoning just happened to "disappear" magically when you needed it and you decide to opt for Creole Seasoning, don't throw in the full 2tsp it calls for, unless you like it HOT. Lesson learned. 

Learn from me (what I'd do differently next time is in parentheses)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes (I used one breast)
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced (1 - 12oz package worked perfect)
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 large onion, chopped  (I'd do half)
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (1tsp next time)
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley (1tsp next time)
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (if using Creole Seasoning, I'd use 1/2tsp - 1tsp)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails (I used about 2 good handfuls of frozen, cooked shrimp, thrown in during the last 30 minutes)

Instructions:

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

Artichoke Dip -- a healthy version!

Picture from Google. 

As I was thinking of a menu for the Super Bowl this Sunday, what sounds better than lots of fun finger foods?! So we'll be having potato skins, taquitos, chips and salsa, Bagel Bites, sausage and cheese tray, (all for my husband), shrimp cocktail, olives, meatballs, pomegranate sausage bits, and this Artichoke Dip with Stacy's Pita Chips. Artichoke Dip is the WORST option you could have as an appetizer because most recipes begin with Mayo and cream cheese and end with the veg. It should be backwards. Which, once again, is why I love the Eat This, Not That books! In the 2010 version they have included the following recipe, which I will be making this Sunday! 

Ingredients:

1 12oz jar artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped (they recommend Cento brand)

1 16oz box chopped frozen spinach, thawed (Cascadian Farm Organic)

2TBS olive oil based mayo 

1/2TBS butter

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small can roasted green chiles, drained and chopped

2TBS whipped light cream cheese

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

Whole wheat pitas -- optional

Instructions:

Optional -- Cut pitas into 6-8 wedges and separate the layers. Spread on 2 baking sheets and bake at 400 for 5 minutes. 

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add artichokes, spinach, chiles, mayo, cream cheese and lemon juice. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serves 4.

Fish cooked in a Bag with veg

 One of my goals this year is to eat healthier. Did you know the Food Guide Pyramid is no longer in use? Now the USDA wants our meals to look more like this:

I like it. It helps me know how much of each item we should be eating during our meals. Much more simple! So tonight, I sort of just threw this meal together. No, really. I did. And I got the recipe from Cook This, Not That!


If you haven't seen the Eat This, Not That! books, you really should check them out. They have changed the way I eat. That and Food, Inc. on Netflix instant. Worth the time, trust me!

This recipe is so simple and you can make it with any kind of fish you like.

Ingredients:

Fish fillets (3-4oz each, I used Mahi Mahi)
Onions, sliced (or fennel sliced)
grape tomatoes, halved
marinated artichoke hearts, cut up
olives, sliced (your choice here, I used manzanita)
lemon slices
Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
White wine vinegar (or white wine)

Parchment paper (or foil)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Take 2 large sheets of parchment or foil, place a fillet in the center of each, and top equally with the artichokes, tomatoes, olives, fennel or onion, and lemon. Drizzle with oil and wine; season with salt and pepper. Fold the paper over the fish and seal by tightly rolling up the edges, creating a secure pouch. It's important the packets are fully sealed, so that the steam created inside can't escape.

3. Place the pouches on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with lemon and rice and fresh veggies.

Awesome Giveaway!!

I came across a website tonight through Pinterest and I'm so excited about a giveaway she's doing. I love, love, LOVE Shelf Reliance's Cansolidator series of food rotation systems. One day I will own one of the big boys!! So go check out her site and enter for yourself!!!

A Meal Fit for a King... (or Queen...)

Beef Wellington.

I first heard about this one day while watching an episode of Take Home Chef. It sounded fancy, and being a French dish, I thought it would be hard. But watching, it didn't seem to bad. So I decided to try it. 

My hubby hates mushrooms. No joke. He will pick them out of everything. And sometimes once he picks them out, he gives them to me. I could eat mushrooms on almost everything, or just raw. Yum. But even though he hates them, I thought maybe this would be a way I could "sneak" them in without him noticing, and if he liked the flavor I could spring it on him and he'd decide they weren't that bad?! It was worth a shot. 

Well my pastry didn't work out so well.. I tell you, I'm not a baker. Anything dough related and I just don't get along. It was too thin and too small and I did the scores too deep. Needless to say, it completely fell apart during cooking. I took the broken pieces and ate them with my meat anyway, but my hubs didn't even try them (the mushrooms came off with the pastry).

And preparing for this meal was an adventure. I have never purchased wine before and had no clue what I was doing. Because of our religion, (and our choice not to)we don't drink wine, or any alcohol for that matter. The thing about cooking with wine is you cook out all the alcohol and are left with the flavor. I picked up a cheap bottle of the same kind they used on the show and checked out. And who do I see as I'm leaving the store? The Missionaries, of course! Of all the days to run into them in the middle of the Southern Bible Belt. What are the odds? Crazy. 

I get everything out and start preparing the meal and I ask my hubs to work on opening the wine bottle. Only problem, we didn't have a cork screw. He tried sticking it with a nail, screwing it... nothing worked. He eventually had to run to the store for one.

Even with all the mishaps, it turned out delicious and definitely something I want to try again (I'd better... I have a more than half-full bottle of wine sitting on my cupboard! It will add a nice flavor to tomato sauces as well!). 

You don't have to use a Beef Tenderloin. I didn't. I found a cheaper roast with little fat that was a uniformly round size. I would recommend cutting all fat off first, no matter what piece of meat you choose. 

I hope you find the courage to try this, it is really delicious and a meal in itself. I paired it with sauteed spinach (1TBS butter in a frying pan, add the spinach, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and cook just until wilted.). And we used the left over beef for French Dip sandwiches the next day, mixing our wine sauce with an Au Jus packet. 

Yum!

Fish Fry Friday

 --- Fish Tacos two ways, plus sauces... in recipe card form.

Let me know what you think of the new recipe card look... Would you rather me post them this way, or the old way of typing everything out? These can be printed as regular 4x6 photos, then placed into a photo book turned into recipe book.
We had this for dinner last night (grilled version). It was delicious. I didn't have yogurt for the white sauce, so I used sour cream. It wasn't as runny as it should've been... but it had a nice kick to it. The salsa makes a ton, so be ready with a couple of bags of chips (which we are lacking... so not cool). I think this is going on the menu again for next week, it was just that good.

Chipotle Chicken

This chicken has a serious KICK to it... and it's so good as a taco, burrito, or enchilada filling. Move over Cafe Rio... 

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

3 Chipotle Peppers + a little juice

2C tomato juice (or 1 can sauce + 2C water)

1 onion, chopped

1 can diced green chiles

1/2 bunch cilantro (optional)

3 juiced lemons +1/2 rind

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot (or crock pot). Add a bit of water to completely cover the chicken, if necessary). Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook for an hour and a half to two hours (if using crock pot, cook on high 4 hours), stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from broth, shred into large bowl or pan. Add a little of the broth, discarding the whole peppers and lemon rind. Place on tortillas, top with guacamole and sour cream or yogurt.

And a new feature here at Dancing in the Kitchen... I will provide a printable recipe card! Show some love would ya?!