Tasty Jambalaya

This dish has all the spicy, carb, meaty goodness that I'm looking for in comfort food. And possibly the longest list of spices I've ever put into one dish.

I came to this deliciousness by searching ingredients that I had in my fridge that needed to be used. This is my favorite way of discovering new things to cook while being my thrifty Mennonite self.

I served the jambalaya on top of sautéed kale. The kale really helped balance all the flavors and heaviness out, especially because I made the jambalaya super spicy.

Here's the real recipe from Chow. My modifications are below.

INGREDIENTS
For the spice mix: (I leaned on the heavy side with all these spices)

• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• Pinch celery salt

For the jambalaya:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• A good glug of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 large yellow onions, medium dice
• 2 andouille sausages, medium dice
• 4 bacon slices, medium dice
• 3-4 medium peppers, multi-colored and multi-spiciness, medium dice
• 3-4 celery stalks, medium dice
• 1 jalapeño finely chopped
• 3-4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes, and a larger quantity)
• 1 handful sun dried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water til soft
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)

INSTRUCTIONS

For the spice mix:
Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine; set aside.

For the jambalaya:
Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the lower third. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and set aside.


Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed, ovenproof, 7-quart pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the chicken pieces in the pot and cook, stirring rarely, until browned all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside.


Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just begin to brown, about 6 minutes.


Add the sausage, bacon, and half of the reserved spice mix. Stir to coat everything with the spice mix and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the meat is browned and the onions are very tender, about 10 minutes.


Add the bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, garlic, measured salt, and remaining spice mix. Cook, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the bell peppers have softened, about 10 minutes.


Add the rice and toast a few minutes.


In a food processor, blend the fresh/canned tomatoes and sundried tomatoes in their soaking water until just slightly chunky but mostly smooth. Add to the pot.


Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Add the stock or broth, and bay leaves, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and bake until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.


Remove the pot to a wire rack and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Stir to evenly combine the jambalaya, taste, and season with salt as needed. Sprinkle with the scallions and serve.

AMBF's Taco Night

One time last year AMBF invited us over for a spontaneous taco night. It was soooooo good. She was gracious to share her non-recipe recipe with me and I happened to run across it again today. Thought I'd post it.

For the Rice:
I used 3/4 cup basmati. I rinsed the rice a few times and then let it sit in water for about 20 minutes. In a pan I put in a 3/4 cup of water (equal to the rice), one can of diced tomatoes (drained), diced green onions, chopped jalapenos, some cumin and cinnamon. I brought all of that to a boil, added the rice, covered and set to simmer for about 15 minutes.

For the meat:
I always use ground turkey. I think that package was 1lb. I started with a tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan and sauted 1 chopped onion on low/medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Then I added chopped garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the turkey, 1/2 Tb. of flour, and let meat brown. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Then I always add a can of salsa (or that night I added 1/2 jar of salsa and 1/2 can of rotella). Let the meat simmer until the sauce becomes thick. I like to top with off with some fresh cilantro.

Beans:
I just used one can of drained black beans and this little, yellow can of "mexican" salsa I bought in the Latino aisle at No Frills ... it was super spicy and delicious. I just let the beans simmer in the salsa until warm.