East Texas Six Pepper Jambalaya



My East Texas Six Pepper Jambalaya


If you’ve ever travelled through East Texas on the way to Louisiana, there is such an array of culinary delights, from Tex-Mex to Barbecue to Cajun cuisine.  Back in the mid-to-late nineties, I installed practice management systems for a living.  Florida, Georgia and Texas were my territory. 

I am not shy when I travel alone about taking myself out to dinner.  I take a good book, or some work, and bury myself in that while I get to enjoy a nice, relaxing meal after a long work day.   My tip to you if you travel on business;  Skip the room service.  It’s over-priced.  Go ask your concierge for a nice, local place where you don’t have to drive too far.  Often they will recommend a place within walking distance if you want to have a cocktail or two.  It’s a great way to experience the culinary treasures that reside in the various regions of this great county. 

AND...  you meet great people.

Back to my recipe:

 

I grow my own peppers on my patio garden each summer.  This recipe gave me an excuse to use them, as well as a little of this and a little of that I had in the refrigerator. 

My husband, Dan, makes the best traditional Jambalaya recipe I’ve ever tasted.  This is a close second.  I used his cooking technique for the perfect rice.  You will note I used the natural flavors of the peppers and very little added salt in this dish. 

The heat level on this is just nice; it’s hot enough to make you crave another beer or glass of sweet tea, but not so hot that you couldn’t add a little more hot sauce if you like it really spicy. 

Dan loves this dish.  He thinks the combination of the chicken, shrimp and smoked sausage give it a lot of “substance.”  You won’t go hungry. 

The list of ingredients looks long but I promise you, this isn’t complicated at all. Most of these things you probably already have around the house or could purchase on your next trip to the farmer’s market or grocery store. 

I used my late mom's favorite stew pot for this recipe.  It's very well... seasoned.  It's likely as old as I am.  I am sure they don't make these pots anymore for obvious reasons.   Hey, I've been eating out of it for 50 years and I'm still alive...so... you be the judge.

Oh, and you will love the way I slipped the extra veggies into this dish.  Devious, I am, I am!

Enjoy!

BTW- I am going to begin suggesting wine pairing notes with selected dishes, starting with this one. 

Ingredients: 

Serves 6

1 tbs. olive oil

Butter flavor cooking spray

24 slices (1/4 inch thick each) Kielbasa or turkey Kielbasa

2/3 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper, seeded

1 slightly dried fresh cayenne pepper, seeded and cut into three pieces

¼ cup (or one small) Poblano pepper, seeded and diced*

1 banana pepper, chopped*

1 large Jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped*

1 green Serrano pepper, seeded and chopped*

*Note:  the entire quantity of the last four peppers - minus the bell pepper and the Cayenne - should be about ½ cup chopped when combined.

2 tbs. butter

1/3 cup fresh corn

1/4 cup minced carrot

1/3 cup Vidalia or sweet onion, chopped

1 1/4 cup chopped celery

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

2 cups long grain white rice

1 beer, 12 ounces or non-alcoholic beer (something light)

1 cup organic vegetable broth

1/2 cup water plus one cup reserved

1 tsp. Creole Seasoning

1 tsp. paprika (regular)

1 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp. seafood seasoning

1 chicken breast (5 ounces)

coarse sea salt, to taste

freshly ground cracked pepper, to taste

1 dozen medium pre-cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 tsp. blackened red fish seasoning (optional)

1 tbs. fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

 

Add olive oil and a generous amount of butter flavored cooking spray to a heavy Dutch oven.  Add in the Kielbasa.  Brown on both sides for about four or five minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside until ready to use.  Do not cover.   You do not want the Kielbasa to steam and continue to cook and dry out.

 

Add more cooking spray to the pan.  Add the bell pepper, cayenne, Poblano, banana pepper, Jalapeño and Serrano to the pan.  Cook for about three minutes until softened.

 

Add in the butter, the corn, onion, and celery to the pan with the peppers.  Cook for about three minutes until the butter melts.  Stir to make sure the vegetables aren’t sticking to the pan.

Remove the three pieces of Cayenne.  Dice up one of the pieces and return to pan.  Discard the other two.  (If you want this spicier, you can include all three pieces diced).

 

Add in the garlic, the rice, beer, vegetable broth and the 1/2 cup of the water.  Add the Creole seasoning, paprika, dill weed and seafood seasoning.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes over low heat.  DO NOT open the lid to the Dutch oven.

 

 

While the stew is cooking, sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper.  Grill or pan sear until cooked through to 170 degrees.  Let rest and slice into bite sized pieces.

 

Sprinkle cooked shrimp with the red fish seasoning and the lemon juice.

 

Once the Jambalaya is cooked, remove the lid.  Add the remaining cup of water and gently stir in the Kielbasa, the cut up chicken and the shrimp.

 

Suggestion:   Serve with green pepper hot sauce on the side. 

Wow and double wow!

Wine Pairing Note:  Surprisingly, this dish even pairs nicely with a California (not too much oak) Chardonnay (very cold).  Suggest Rex-Goliath Giant 47 Round Rooster Chardonnay.

Wine pairing suggestion is not an endorsement.  No product supplied to blogger. 

Burgundy Braised Beef over Linguine

Burgundy Braised Beef over Linguine

I promised you a recipe that was fit for holiday season company.   What could be better than a braised pasta dish to impress your guests?

Genoese merchants settled in Naples in the fifteenth century and as a result, French Cooking was introduced to the region.  In the style of Genoa, this recipe is a little bit French and a little bit Italian, kind of like my husband, Dan.

Layers of flavors including onion, garlic, Burgundy wine and tomato create a flavorful braise for country style boneless beef ribs cut to bite-sized chunks.   Add in dried and fresh herbs, and you've got a meal to remember.  

In case you are not familiar, Grapeseed oil is made from the seeds of wine grapes.   It's a light and delicate oil with a slightly nutty flavor.  It's perfect for browning meat before a braise.    Because it's so light, it doesn't make your sauce heavy on oil as it reduces.  And once you try it, you'll be hooked.   It's cheaper than Olive Oil, too!

I also went back to one of my old tricks when I prepared this dish; I used bottled minced garlic.  When you use an oil with a high smoke point, like Grapeseed, fresh garlic can burn very easily and it can get bitter on you.   I find fresh bottled minced garlic to be a good fit here.

Note:  If you cannot find the boneless Angus Beef Ribs, you can substitute stew meat.  Just make sure that it's good quality.  Ask your butcher for help.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil
One pound boneless Angus Country Style Beef Ribs - cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup diced Onion
1/2 tablespoon Bottled Minced Garlic
1/2 cup Burgundy Wine
1 cup Beef Broth
14 ounces Tomato Puree
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning; more to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons Butter
1/8 cup 2% Milk
Fresh Oregano and/or torn Basil and Fresh Parsley (optional but recommended)
Grated Parmesan and Romano Cheese
Other:  Cooked low carb Linguine Pasta (Suggest Dreamfields)*

Add oil to pan and heat until smoking hot.

Add the chopped rib meat to pan (do not season at this point.   Salt will pull moisture from the meat).

Brown meat on both sides, about four minutes total.

Remove meat to bowl and set aside.

Add onions to pan.   Coat the onions with the pan juices and cook for about three minutes. 

Add garlic and stir.  Cook for one more minute.

Add wine.  Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add broth and tomato.   Stir in dried herbs.

Add salt and pepper to meat and to the sauce as desired.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. 

Add meat and any juices back to the pan.  Stir.  Cover and braise for approximately 2 1/2 hours until meat is fork tender, stirring occasionally. 

Remove meat from pan to rest.   Bring sauce to boil again and reduce to simmer.  Add butter and milk.   Continue to cook until sauce thickens.  

Add fresh oregano and basil to pan if using.  Add meat back to pan. 

Serve over cooked linguine.  Top with fresh parsley and grated cheese.

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. 

Pork and Poblano Chili with a Cornbread Crust

Kraft and Philadelphia Brand are on a mission this holiday season to provide 100,000 meals to Feeding America this holiday season!*   The website is asking members to submit mini-cooking videos using A Touch of Philly cheeses.  For each video uploaded, 200 meals will be secured and for each photo submitted, 100 meals will be secured.   I had to do my part to help out. 

Pork and Poblano Chili
with a Cornbread Crust

I made my Pork and Poblano Chili with a Cornbread Crust.  I am going to share the recipe with you.  I am going to give you the link in case you would like to upload a video to help out with this great cause.

Servings: 4

• 2 Roasted Poblanos, skin removed and seeded
• 2 tbsp. of Olive Oil
• 1 medium Spanish Onion, diced
• 1 clove fresh Garlic, minced
• 1 pound(s) of Ground Pork
• 1 tbsp. of Ground Cumin
• 1 Fresh Cayenne Pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tsp. of Chili Powder (optional)
• 2 tsp. of ground Oregano
• 2 tsp. of course Sea Salt, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. of freshly ground Pepper, or to taste
• 1 tbsp. of Light Brown Sugar, more to taste
• 15 ounce(s) of Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 ounce(s) of Diced Tomato for Chili
• 12 ounce(s) of Ginger Ale
• 1 cup(s) of cold Water
• 1 tbsp. of Cornstarch
• 1 Package Cornbread Muffin mix, prepared by box directions
• 2 cup(s) of PHILADELPHIA Touch of Philly Three Cheese blend, more to taste

Steps

1. To roast Poblanos - simply drizzle with olive oil and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour. This can be done ahead of time.
2. Add olive oil to Dutch oven and heat over medium heat.
3. Add onion and garlic. Saute for five minutes, but do not brown.
4. Add ground pork, cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder (if using), and ground oregano. Cook until pork is browed to your liking.
5. Add salt and pepper. Note; do not add the salt while browning the meat. This will slow down the browning process.
6. Add brown sugar, beans and diced tomato. Stir.
7. Add ginger ale.
8. Mix water and corn starch until blended. Add to Dutch oven.
9. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, at least two hours. I think low and slow is better when cooking chili. If you have more than two hours, take your time with it. It will only get better!
10. Prepare cornbread mix per package directions and add in desired amount of cheese to mixture.
11. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
12. Ladle chili into an oven-safe crock (fill about half way). Add cheese and then ladle more chili on top.
13. Top with three tablespoons of cornbread mixture (or or less to your liking). Bake for about 15 minutes. If your crust is thicker, go longer. If not, you can check it at about 10 minutes. You want the cornbread to set-up.

Check out my video.  It is on the second page in the gallery, as well as all the other great videos. 
http://www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com/touch-of-giving-videos

*The monetary equivalent of meals will be donated.  $0.14 equals one meal secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks. 

Note:  Not an endorsement and no product was supplied to blogger.

Beef Merlot

Before I begin this evening's post, I want to say that I am now actively using Twitter.  I resisted for so long because it's very hard for me to condense ANYTHING down to 140 characters.  It's forcing me to be more "creative," is that what they call it?  If you will follow me at @MKWrites2 I promise I WILL follow you!

Also happy to report that I've lost another 5 pounds by simply eating this way and exercising!  Hence the reason for the new profile pic -- and the new "Carmela Soprano" style hairdo that I'm sporting.  I'll be posting a new video soon, so you'll see the "transition" from the spring - when I think I last posted a video - until now.

Healthy eating and exercise = less of you! 

Note:  I added figs to this dish because they are very high in fiber.  See, you can have your braised beef and a serving of smashers and still get good health benefits from a meal like this!  Amazing what nature's foods can do for you!

Beef Merlot

Clocks turned back an hour last night; soups and stews are perfect for this time of year.  Especially since it's even getting colder here in Florida. 

All you need with this meal are mashed potatoes or noodles.  The addition of the figs gives this dish a unique sweet/savory flavor (see health benefit note above).

I like to add a pound of veal breast (cut into ribs) to this dish. If you don't eat veal, you can certainly leave that out. 

It is important to season every "layer" of this dish with salt and pepper.  Fresh herbs are added at the end.

Use a wine that you could drink, but no need to go top of the line.  I like to look for bottles that are on sale for cooking.

Here is what you will need:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound Stew Meat (cut into large chunks)
1 pound Veal Breast, separated into ribs
1/8 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Sea Salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper, more to taste
3 Carrots, sliced into rounds
3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 1/4 cup Merlot
1/4 cup Beef Broth
1/2 cup dried Figs, halved
1 medium Organic Onion, quartered
1 cup sliced Mushrooms
Fresh Chives, to taste
Fresh Parsley, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. 

Toss meat with flour and season with salt and pepper.  Add meat in small batches.  Brown and remove to bowl.

Add carrots and celery.  Cook for three minutes until slightly softened.

Add the cup and a quarter of Merlot wine.   Scape bottom of pan to remove browned bits.  Add beef broth, figs, onion and mushrooms. 

Cover with lid.  Bake for two hours and fifteen minutes. 

Remove lid and stir.  Bake uncovered for an additional thirty minutes until sauce thickens.

Top with fresh herbs before serving.