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.

Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Made this last night and it will become a winter staple in our household. SO GOOD. The recipe called for two acorn squash but I had one buttercup squash on hand so I used that instead. I think it'd work great with pumpkin or any larger squash.

There was lots of filling leftover after stuffing the squash. Just finished a delicious lunch of the sausage/quinoa filling that I scrambled with eggs, served in a corn tortilla.

Here's the original recipe. The recipe below is based on my modifications.

Ingredients

• 1 medium- to large- squash, halved and seeded (roast the seeds too, for sprinkling at the end)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground pork sausage (I used spicy italian)
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ cup celery, finely diced
• 4 smallish multi-colored and multi-spicy peppers (or whatever you have to taste), finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 apple, diced
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• parsley, chopped
•  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Roast squash on pan for 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. After cooking, I scooped out some of the squash to make room for more of the filling.
3. While the squash is cooking, heat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add the sausage and brown. Add the onion, celery, peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is tender and translucent.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped thyme and rosemary. Stir in the quinoa and apples. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Scoop the mixture into the roasted acorn squash halves. Top with parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve topped with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley and the roasted seeds.

Breakfast Casserole

My Mama's Breakfast Casserole
(recipe requested this morning)

6-8 slices of white bread
1 lb sausage
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
3/4 c. light cream (half & half)
1 1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard
salt and pepper to taste
6 slightly beaten eggs

Cube bread after removing crusts and line the bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Cook and drain sausage and sprinkle over the bread. Then sprinkle the cheese and mushrooms over the bread and sausage. Add cream and milk to the beaten eggs, stir in the seasonings and beat well (hand beater). Pour egg mixture over the casserole. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!