Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Mardi Gras is a huge ordeal if you live anywhere in the south, and even more so if you are from Alabama or Louisiana. Contrary to popular belief, the original Mardi Gras was in Mobile, Alabama. New Orleans followed shortly there after and to some is considered the real Mardi Gras. It's all really dependent on what you want out of your experience. Regardless of where you choose to celebrate Mardi Gras, you're bound to have a great time!!! The last day of Mardi Gras is called Fat Tuesday. It is the last day of the season before the calendar changes into the religious Lenten season. Its the last day for partying, the last day to indulge for many before they enter a season of fasting and reflection in preparation for Easter. For Fat Tuesday I decided to chose a dish traditionally associated with Mobile and New Orleans. I began researching popular "cajun" foods while also considering the ingredients I may already have at the house. Jambalaya. It's a rather simple meal to throw together while at the same time being hearty and filling- AND, I actually had most of the ingredients on had too- which is always nice. It takes about an hour with all prep and cook time, so take that into consideration when planning. so without further delay.....

The original recipe came from Gimme Some Oven. I love her blog and often use her recipes for inspiration.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb peeled/de-veined raw shrimp

12 oz connecuh sausage- cut into medallions

1 green bell pepper- diced

1 can (12-14oz) diced/crushed tomatoes (drained)

1 stalk celery- diced

2-3 jalapeno peppers diced ( I used already sliced jalapenos so the equivalent of about 1/4 cup)

1 cup okra (can be fresh or frozen- I wouldn't suggest canned, It may be too slimy)

3 garlic cloves- minced

1 quart chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning (I used Old Bay)

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

- Start by warming 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet or Wok. 

- add peppers, onions, celery, jalapenos, garlic and saute until soft. 

- add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the cut sausage, stirring to combine. Since the sausage is already fully cooked, you just need to warm it up a bit! 

- Now add in 3 cups of the chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and let cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Check and stir often so the rice does not stick to the bottom of your pan! 

- When rice is done, toss in the okra and the shrimp. Continue to cook/stir until okra is soft and the shrimp are pink and cooked. 

- Remove bay leaf, and check seasoning levels. Add more salt/pepper/cajun seasoning if desired. If it's too hot, you can always add a splash of lemon juice to tone it down. 

serve and enjoy!!!

                   

                

Crispy oven baked drumsticks with roasted vegetable medley

Recently I've really developed a love for chicken wings/drumsticks. I just love the crunchy, crispy, saucy, flavorful taste! However, most of the time when you get them at a restaurant they are fried :( Don't get me wrong, I love a good fried wing along with everyone else, but it's not so much diet friendly. I was on the search for something I could make at home that would be crunchy, crispy, fried... but not. This recipe I found and altered is spot on- Crispy Baked Chicken drumsticks. I adjusted mine slightly by using different spices, and also he doesn't note that the chicken should be washed and dried before coating. (That's something I've learned is imperative to a crispy skin). Anyways, lets get cooking! NOTE: If you want to cook the vegetables for your meal as well, They can cook at the same time as the chicken, so make sure to scroll down and see that recipe first!!!

Ingredients for Chicken:

2 lbs chicken drumsticks (washed and patted dry- skin on)
3 tsp baking powder (yes this sounds odd, but it's what makes the skin so crispy)
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
3 tsp 33rd and Galena seasoning (penzey's blend, it's awesome click the link to check it out!)
2 generous tbsp olive oil

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with olive oil.
- Wash and pat dry chicken- Make sure to do this step if you want crispy skin!) place on baking sheet.
- Mix together dry spices until blended, then add olive oil and mix until smooth. It doesn't look like a lot, but with this a little bit goes a long way.
- With a silicone brush, begin to "paint" the drumsticks until they are all coated. The original recipe suggests tossing them in a bowl with the wet mixture, but I felt like I would get better coverage using the brush. When all the drumsticks are covered, place in oven and set timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes check wings. If you like turn them and/or brush them with more seasoning. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes. The wings should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees and be hot and crispy.

Roasted Vegetables:
This is really something I just threw together with the random assortment of fresh veggies I had in the fridge. I sometimes tend to go over board at ALDI or Fresh Market. So I looked and figured out what would pair well with the chicken. I decided upon: Broccoli, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and Onions.
- Chop all vegetables into acceptable bite sized pieces
- Place in large bowl and drizzle olive oil on top, then toss until all vegetables are coated.
- Add what ever seasonings you desire- I chose just a little bit of garlic salt and some pepper. Sometimes the basics are the best!
You may cook these at the same time as the chicken. Put the chicken in first and cook for ten minutes. When you've reached the 10 minute mark, move the chicken to a lower rack, and place the vegetables in. The veggies should take about 20 minutes. When you have to check the chicken at it's 20 minute point, give the vegetables a good stir. Everything should be done right about the same time!

I would suggest a dipping sauce, but these are so good we just ate them as they were!
ENJOY!!!

Steak And Veggie Omelettes

Healthy, delicious, easy, and a great way use use up leftovers in the fridge! The key to a good omelette is having the right sized pan for your eggs, and also not overloading your eggs. I also highly suggest prepping everything first so that once you pour the eggs in the pan you just dump the rest of the ingredients and go. 

Ingredients:

eggs (I used 2 for mine 3 for Hubby)

diced or chopped vegetables (bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, spinach etc!)

light drizzle of olive oil- just enough so the eggs don't stick. 

salt/pepper/seasonings to taste

Omelettes are really a meal that you create as you go. There's no set recipe for the perfect omelette. There's actually not even a set way to cook an omelette. Some people make the egg fluffy and pre-cook the inside ingredients then gently fold the egg over the ingredients making a sort of pocket. This works best if you're using cheese in your omelette. The cheese acts as a glue, keeping everything together. My favorite way however is slightly different, and works better for us, since we don't use cheese. I scramble up the eggs (normally adding a bit of milk/soymilk to make them fluffy) and pour them into a small omelette skillet. An omelette skillet is mush smaller that what you would normally saute meats and vegetables in. I think mine is an 8 inch skillet. This is key, however, because it allows the eggs to stay confined to the shape of the pan and the add-in ingredients to cook evenly. If your pan is too big, the eggs will run all over, be too thin, and your add-in ingredients will be all over the place. Anyways... once you notice the egg starting to firm up on the bottom, sprinkle in your add-ins. The order doesn't really matter, but I tend to throw in the ones that take longer to cook first, like bell peppers and mushrooms. I normally add my meat last because it's already cooked. evenly distribute your add-ins and let eggs continue to cook. Run a spatula around the edges to keep the eggs from sticking. When you can shake the pan and the omelette move as one solid form, it's time to flip. Now if you're a super chef you may try your hand at the air flip- however that always scares me and I don't really want to have omelette all over the stove. How I flip is by taking two spatulas or turners and getting up under a good amount of the omelette on one side. Then I quickly start to turn it over. Sometimes it does fold over on itself, but you can easily straighten it back out once it's flipped. I let it cook for a little bit on that side, and when I notice that side starting to firm up, I fold the omelette in half (the side with all our add ins will be facing out) and continue to cook, flipping the now folded omelette, until done. You can see in the picture above, that mine is no where close to perfect, but man oh man was it tasty!!! I had some left over broccoli so I threw that in the skillet afterward and sauteed it up with a little olive oil and garlic for my side, and then cut up a pear to replace the crunch you would normally have with a piece of toast. Hope this makes sense!!! Enjoy!!!