Jambalaya

Chicken, Crockpot /Make Ahead Meals, Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, One pot meal, Pork, Seafood

This was an easy and delicious recipe. Even though it had a bit of a kick to it, my girls still ate it. They especially loved all the meat! I made a huge pot of this. I plan on having it again for dinner one night this week and freezing the rest for later. A great one pot meal!

Jambalaya

Ingredients

There are many recipes out there that call for “cajun spice”, but they really are just made up of all the following herbs and spices. I like to create my own combo, so add or omit any you don’t like.

1 packet andouille or smoked sausage (could sub chicken sausage) sliced into bite-sized pieces
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs (could use 1 large or 2 small breasts)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder, chili flakes, cumin, AND cayenne pepper—(These are your “smoke and heat”, so add more or less depending on what you like)
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons tomato paste
One 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1-1/2 cups long grain rice

Instructions

Heat the oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot.

Add the chicken and sausage. Cook thoroughly and take out and put to the side.

Add your chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the tomato paste and mix together for a 2 minutes.

Add the rice and all of your spices and herbs. Mix well.

Add the canned tomatoes (juice included). Mix and add in half of your chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Mix well. Add in the rest of your chicken stock.

Lower heat to low. Cook covered for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through.
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Lastly add the raw shrimp, chicken, and sausage. Gently stir in.

Cook for 5 more minutes until the the shrimp is firm. (Smaller shrimp may require less cooking time.) Stir periodically, if necessary, to keep from sticking.

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Oven Baked Barbecued Chicken

Chicken, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Good evening! So one of my most popular recipes is my easy oven baked chicken. https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/08/31/oven-baked-chicken/ I think people love it so much, becuase it is so simple and easy. Work weeks are busy; weekends are filled with soccer/baseball/gymnastics games/tournaments etc. Sometimes you just want to come home, sit on the couch and watch Ellen/Rachael Ray etc. This is a great recipe for just that.

Oven Baked Barbecued Chicken

Take your chicken; I used legs and thighs, but any kind will do; Salt and pepper them. Place them in a zip top bag. Some people I have talked to HATE touching raw chicken. There are 2 inventions called gloves and tongs. Used them if you must. No biggie; seriously. If you don’t mind touching the chicken, just wash your hands. Soap. No worries, ya’ll!

Add your favorite barbecue sauce to the bag; about 1/2 the bottle. Ours is Sticky Fingers Original.

Put in a greased oven safe casserole dish. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes- 1 hour. Turn halfway through. Add more sauce if needed. Moist, tangy, and juicy!

I cooked yellow rice and oven roasted corn to go with it.
Roast the corn in the husk in the oven for about 30 minutes.

And let me just say that I LOVE summer corn! So sweet and juicy! It doesn’t even need butter! This is a great way to cook it. You could also grill it in its own husk as well. YUM!

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Make It Your Own Boxed Pasta Salad

Pasta, Salads, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains, Vegetarian

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great 4th of July celebrations with your friends and family! We all got together with some friends, had a fish fry, kids played together, and had fun with cheap grocery store fireworks as well as a large firework display at a nearby park. Tons of fun! I brought a bottle of wine, a pasta salad, and some dessert. Lots of great food!

I love making pasta salads. They are so easy and fun, because the combinations are endless. Homemade pasta salad is easy, but there are a lot of great boxed mixes out there to have in your pantry for those nights when you need something fast to throw together. Here I took a couple of boxes of Simply Pasta Salad (there are lots of different kinds out there, but I just stuck to the regular Italian flavor) and added in a few fresh ingredients. I added halved cherry tomatoes, fresh cubed mozzarella, and sliced black olives (kalamata).

You could totally add in fresh basil, grilled chicken, shrimp, broccoli, chopped bacon, pesto sauce, etc. Be creative and use what you have already in the fridge! Make extra to have enough leftovers for lunch. This is a great summer meal!

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Spiced Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Pork Loin

Pork

Epic dinner tonight, ya’ll! Well the title of this post pretty much sums it all. I found this End Boneless Pork Loin on sale and bought it figuring there was something I could do with it. I searched the Internet and my cookbooks and came up with this concoction. There is a little thing I have about pork. I am so scared of overcooking it. I actually would rather undercook it and then throw it back on the grill/oven/stove if needed. There is almost nothing sadder than overcooked protein. People are SO scared of undercooking that they go the opposite.

Have no fear! A cooking thermometer is here! I am still trying to get used to these devices. Digital is best, but just a regular one is fine to. Stick it in at an angle at the thickest part of your meat. I always want to stick it in straight, and that is a mistake. You want to make sure it goes through the entire thick part of the meat, just not straight to the bottom. You will not get a clear reading.

So here is my recipe for an amazing dinner. I served with mashed potatoes and peas. So good! I hope you give this recipe a try!

Spiced Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Pork Loin

Ingredients and Directions

Pork Loin Roast

Spice Rub- 1 heaping teaspoon of chili powder, paprika, and cumin- 1/2 teaspoon each dried herb; oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc. use what you have. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Seasoning is a must, this is you chance for all the flavors to seep into the meat. Do not skimp. Spread on your pork.

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Bacon- enough to cover the pork- I used about 8 pieces.
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Roast in oven for about 25 minutes or until 115 degrees. Take out and add your glaze.
Brown Sugar Glaze- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard powder, 1 1/2 tablespoon honey. Use a pastry brush to slather all over your pork.

Put back in the oven until it reaches 135. Take out and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Should be about 145-150. Perfection for pork. In general, you would cook pork 20-30 per pound of pork. Mine was a smallish boneless loin, so it took about just under an hour.
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Deconstructed Chicken, Steak, and Veggie Kabobs with Couscous

Beef, Chicken, One pot meal, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

So what is a kabob, really? I have a little history lesson tonight to go along with your dinner courtesy of Wikipedia… look it up for the whole story…Kebab is a Middle Eastern dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit originating in the Middle East, and later adopted in Central Asia and by the regions of the former Mongol Empire and later Ottoman Empire, before spreading worldwide. In American English, kebab with no qualification refers to shish kebab cooked on a skewer, whereas in Europe it refers to doner kebab, sliced meat served in a pita. In the Middle East, however, kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and religious prohibitions, other meats may include beef, goat, chicken, pork or fish. Like other ethnic foods brought by travellers, the kebab has remained a part of everyday cuisine in most of the Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia. It is also popular among Western youth as a snack after a night-out.

Long story short; Meat on a stick, people. Unless you are preparing your own homemade skewers, not a good idea to grill ones from the store or add combinations of meats and veggies. Skewers require a good soak in water to prevent burning- at least 20 minutes- not sure I trust 22 year old Shane to properly soak my skewers for the proper amount of time. Plus, different meats and veggies take different times to cook, so you really have to be careful.

But these skewers were on sale and they looked so pretty. 2 chicken and 2 steak skewers. I took the chicken off the skewers first and cooked them in a hot skillet with a little bit of oil to cover the pan. After the first side was browned, about 10 minutes, I added the steak and veggies. I cooked the other side of the chicken for another 8 minutes. I cooked the steak on 6 minutes per side. I took the meat out and let the veggies cook for another 5 minutes while I cooked the couscous (boxed-follow directions) and steam fresh veggie (cauliflower and broccoli). I got a large bowl and plated the couscous, veggies, then meat on top. Make sure you add in all that delicious juice. This meal came together in under 30 minutes! Take that, Rachel Ray! =) 005

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