Chicken Jambalaya Soup

Chicken Jambalaya Soup

Tonight's post is Jambalaya that eats like a soup; perfect for a chilly winter day.  
 
My husband loves Jambalaya, and I had the mix on hand and I thought, why not in a soup?  This is a perfect lunch as you can make it ahead and keep it warm until ready to serve.  And it really is a chicken soup that will  "warm your soul." 

This is a quick and simple recipe that you can spice up or tone down.  It takes a little help from the grocery store, so it’s perfect when you don’t have a lot of time.

You can use lower sodium products in any combination if you want to keep this on the healthier side.   Fresh chives at the end are optional.

What a great way to use leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken!

Here you go:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced green bell or frying pepper

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

7 ounces pre-cooked Andouille sausage, sliced into bite sized rounds

8 ounce Jambalaya mix, regular or lower sodium

1 tsp. Creole seasoning (optional – omit for a milder dish)

48 ounces chicken broth or low sodium chicken broth (suggest Tuscan style)

1 1/2 cups pulled cooked chicken (white or dark meat or both) - skin removed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, lightly chopped

Fresh chopped chives for garnish, optional

Directions:   

Add oil to soup pan or Dutch oven.   

Sauté the onion, pepper, and celery for about three minutes until softened. 

Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the Andouille.   Cook over medium heat for about five minutes until the fat begins to render out.

Add the Jambalaya mix along with 32 ounces of the chicken broth.   Reserve the rest of the broth. Stir in Creole if seasoning using and the thyme.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, but about 25 minutes until rice is tender. 

Once the rice is ready, add remaining broth, and reduce heat, uncovered, until warmed through.

 

 

Top with fresh chopped chives and enjoy!

Notes:  Jambalaya mixes can vary in heat depending on brand.  Suggest adding the extra Creole seasoning after you taste the coup if you are not sure about the heat level.  If using a brown rice Jambalaya mix, adjust cooking time per recommendations on the box.   

I’ll see you soon.

 

 

 

Chipotle Teriyaki London Boil

Can you believe this London Broil is medium rare, and it's been cooked twice?
Check out my grilling technique!

                                     
These are the kinds of recipes that I love to bring to you -  here you are getting not one, but two meal ideas using the same cut of meat, as well as a simple side dish.

Grilling is one of my favorite things to do in the summer.  A couple of years ago, we had a gift certificate for a hardware store and we decided to go get ourselves one of those double grills; one side is gas, the other is charcoal.  I've been having all kinds of fun with it.

Living in Florida, we can grill all year round.  In the summer, I don't like heating up the house with the oven if I can help it.  So I fire up the grill.  Today I'm am bringing you a great (easy) recipe for London Broil. 

Let's talk about London broil:

London broil isn't a cut of meat; it's a style of cooking.  Most often it's thick cut flank steak or tri-tip, but you might just find it's any cut of meat that is less tender.  Check with your butcher to see what cut they market as "London Broil" in your store.  You might be surprised that it is actually sirloin or round.

 

What I love about this recipe is that you can actually get two meals out of it.  You can marinate it and grill it up one day, leaving the center kind of rare.  In fact, what I am showing you here is the re-do (day two) - yes, leftovers.  I wanted you to see how nicely the meal grilled up the second day (even if you like it medium rare like we do).

I first grilled this up on Saturday night.  On Monday, I used it to make this fabulous dinner.  Talk about a time saver on a busy weeknight!

 

I'm showing off my London broil recipe over leftover smashed potato salad mixed with fresh spinach and Dijon mustard (I also added a little spring onion to the leftover potato salad) and I served it with grilled Vidalia onion packs - yum, yum and more yum! 

Got to love this time of year when the Vidalia onions are for sale. 

 

This recipe is also great on top of a fresh Caesar salad.  In a future post, I'll share a great Caesar dressing with you. 

But the bottom line is, this is an excellent meal to prepare with any type of summer veggies. 

 

So fire up the grill!  Here we go:

 

Ingredients:

 

2 – 2 1/4 lb. London broil (thick cut flank steak or tri tip)

For the Marinade: 

1 tsp. Teriyaki sauce
1/8 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. salt free Chipotle seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of rice vinegar
1 tbs. canola oil, plus extra for bushing  

Other:
Grill seasoning for steak
Cooking spray for the grill
Freshly squeezed lime juice for seasoning after grilling (optional)

Directions:

Add the meat to a container.  Combine the Teriyaki sauce, ginger, Chipotle seasoning, garlic, rice vinegar and canola oil.  Marinate under refrigeration for at least 2 -3 hours; longer if you have the time.

When you are ready to grill, bring the meat to room temperature for about 20 minutes.  Pat the excess marinade off with a paper towel.

Bush the meat with extra canola oil or vegetable oil can be substituted.  Rub London Broil with the steak seasoning.  

Note:  Even though there is some salt in the Teriyaki seasoning, I like to add the steak seasoning (which adding salt right to the meat) right before I cook it.  Remember that salt draws the moisture out of the meat - and you don't want your meat to be dry. 

Preheat gas or charcoal grill treated with cooking spray to 400 degrees. 

Rub both sides of the London broil with the steak seasoning.

Grill on one side for about 5 without moving until the sear on the one side.  Turn and continue to grill for about six minutes over direct heat. 

Move the London broil to indirect heat and continue to cook for about 15 minutes each side until internal temperature comes to 145 degrees for medium rare.  The center should still be more on the rare side.    Adjust cooking time accordingly for your grill.

Let meat rest for about 20 minutes before slicing. 

Season with lime juice before serving. 

To reheat leftover London Broil, bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Rub a little extra canola oil over both sides of the meat (you can also add additional steak seasoning or Chipotle seasoning, or a combination of both is you like).

Grill for about four minutes first side, and three on the second until warmed for medium rare (pictured).  Adjust cooking time for your liking.   Note that in this case, you will still have a bit of a cold center.  If you like your meat warmed through, then do your thing and prepare it how you like to eat it. 

There are no definite rules with grilling.  Just like with wine; it's what YOU like that counts!

Okay, so what about the onion?   That is simple - 

I like to quarter small Vidalia onions, leaving the bottom intact so that they form a flower.  Don't cut them all the way through. I spray tin foil with cooking spray.   In the middle I add for each onion -

1/2 tbs. butter
A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 packet of concentrated beef broth

Form a foil packets (if not using heavy duty foil, you might need to double wrap like I did here).  I like to grill for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes over medium heat.  I also close the lid to create steam.  You are going to love these!  Try them.

Enjoy, and I'll see you again soon!

 

Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe I - Turkey Chili

On Black Friday, you are probably doing one of two things;  shopping or working.   But, what about all that leftover turkey?  Either way, you need a no-fuss recipe.

This chili dish is mild enough to serve to the in-laws if they are still hanging at your house.  I suggest following this recipe and serving a little hot sauce on the side for those who want more heat. 

I served this over Orzo.  I also served a side salad with bacon and Ranch and a few corn chips on the side.  

A great Black Friday meal because you can put this in the crock pot in the morning and you can forget about it.  If you are surprised by the additon of the soda to the chili, don't be.  This adds a little sweetness and you'll have to do less thickening.

Leftover Turkey Chili

4 cups leftover  roast Turkey, pulled from the bone
1   15 ounce can Diced Tomato with Mild Green Chili
1  15 ounce can Kidney Beans with Chili Seasoning (Suggest Bush's)*
1 small Spanish Onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1/2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt, to taste
1  12 ounce can 7 Up or Sprite
1 cup Water
1 tablespoon Corn Starch

Other:

Fat Free Sour Cream
Mexican Blend Cheese
Pickled  Jalapeño Pepper Slices for garnish

Combine all ingredients except for corn starch in slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cook on low for at least 7 hours.  

During the last part of cooking, remove about a cup of the juice from the slow cooker.  Whisk in corn starch.   Return to slow cooker. 

Increase heat until high.   Bring to boil until chili is thickened.

*No product was supplied to blogger and not an endorsement. 

Thanksgiving Makeover Part II - The Best Turkey Brine

I have never used brine with a turkey before.  This year I decided to try something a little different.  Our Thanksgiving turkey was so moist and juicy, but with a crispy skin.  The meat just fell off the bone, as you can see in the pictures provided.

Tarragon and orange work so well together.  I live in Florida and the orange trees are producing fruit right now.  I used both flavors in the brine and in the rub.  The result was a subtle orange and herb flavor throughout the turkey, not just on the skin. 

Here is my recipe for the Best Turkey Brine. 

Because this brine is lower in salt, you can feel free to salt your bird to taste before cooking.

Note: Use a non-reactive pot when you brine. 

The Best Turkey Brine (Enough for a 16 pound turkey)

5 quarts Water

1/3 cup Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Peppercorns
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Orange, quartered and Squeezed of Juice
1 medium Spanish Onion, halved
1 tablespoon dried Tarragon
1 dried Bay leaf, crushed
1 quart Ice Cubes

Combine all ingredients including orange rind but excluding ice cubes into a large non-reactive pot.  The pot should be big enough to submerge your turkey into the brine.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for one hour.  

Cool thoroughly - add ice cubes to expedite the cooling process.  Do not submerge the bird until the brine is cool.

Turkey in Brine

Once cooled, submerge your turkey into the pot, cover and refrigerate. Brine approximately forty-five minutes to an hour per pound of meat for best results.

See Note for Rub Recipe

Note:  I added a little salt, pepper, onion and half of an orange to the cavity of the bird. I basted my turkey with melted butter and a mixture of salt, pepper, rubbed sage, dried tarragon, and poultry seasoning before baking.  I covered my bird for all but the last 45 minutes of baking time. 

The last thirty minutes, I basted my bird with a mixture of butter and freshly squeezed orange juice. 

Happy Holidays:  I will be showing you a few great leftover recipes in upcoming posts.