A Tribute to New Orleans, "Juse" Jambalaya

I went to New Orleans.

I went to New Orleans the week before Mardi Gras.

I went to New Orleans the weekend the Saints won the Super Bowl.

I really went to New Orleans.

And I loved it! If you've never been to that town, you absolutely must go. Partyers, foodies, travelers and jazz folks alike, it's one of the most eclectic places I've ever been.

The sidewalks are filled with history, mystery and people. The buildings are beautiful. The jazz music played in the streets hangs in the air, and the chatter of excited newcomers fills the restaurants and bars. It is truly one of a kind.

When I was in Nawlins, I went to all the hot spots. I got a beinget at Cafe Du Monde. I sipped a Hurriane from Pat O' Brien's. I had gumbo and jambalaya and pralienes and great coffee.

I wish I could go back. Yes, during the trip I was exhausted, hungry, off my regular control freak schedule, but I also spent five nights in an incredible city with some of my best friends and the most hysterical people alive. Here are some pictures of our fun.

Julia, the tall blonde, is probably my soul mate, or business partnet.  I come up with the jokes, she delivers them. She makes me laugh more than anyone ever, I think. Now, for some reason, when she and I get an idea, it takes off. I won't even go into our TupperCleats campaign, but one day that will make us millionaires.

This has a point, I promise.

One day, after a particularly long afternoon of cemetary touring, hurricane sipping and bead stealing, we finally ate lunch at a recommended hole in the wall off the beaten path. Maybe that was our first mistake. We all ordered typical Nawlins cuisine. I can't remember specifics but I know that I got jambalaya.

Spicy, hearty and filling, I could barely eat half. I didn't want to throw it away. Julia (or Amy) ordered the sausage sandwich and it was the same deal. We had an excess of leftover food, and we definitely weren't going to bring the leftovers onto Bourbon Street, please!

Julia and I, in our philanthropic mindset, thought it would be a good idea to make a jambalaya sandwich. We called it "Juse Jambalaya" because that's what our names are combined. No, we aren't 15 years old, we're mature aspiring chefs with creative minds.

We made up a song too. I won't do you the pleasure of giving you the lyrics in case we ever sell it to Beyonce for some big bucks.

We frolicked down the streets after dinner, Juse Jambalaya in hand, and sang our song. We found a man, who was either homeless or an aspiring artist (I think artist), who was hungry. He told us this. We told him if he sang our song, we would give him the sandwich. Guess what?

He sang it! And so he was awarded with the first ever Juse Jambalaya Sandwich. It was a moment in history.

Now whenever I make jambalaya, I think of those times. Brings a smile to my face every time. And all joking aside, I make a mean jambalaya. Check out the recipe, and maybe you'll hear the faint jazz music too. 

What ya need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 to 12 ounces smoked chicken sausage or chicken andouille, coarsely chopped (casings removed)

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice (1 1/2 cups)

1 large onion, cut into small dice (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup chopped celery (from 2 to 3 ribs)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 to 2 teaspoons)

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

2 cups no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes, plus juices

1 cup low-sodium nonfat chicken broth

3 cups cooked brown rice

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 scallions, white and light-green parts, cut crosswise (1/2 cup chopped), for garnish

What ya do:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, until it shimmers. Add the sausage or andouille and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes, until it starts to brown. 

Add the bell pepper, onion, celery and crushed red pepper flakes to taste; cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the onion becomes golden.

Add the garlic, parsley, basil, oregano and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, then add the chicken broth.

Bring to a boil (increase the heat if necessary), then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add the cooked brown rice, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf and divide the jambalaya among individual shallow bowls. Garnish with the scallions and serve hot.

 

Spicy Shrimp Pan Roast

Want a one pot meal that's a breeze, healthy and tasty? You've found it. Well, to be fair, I found it. From Cooking Light! Geez, I love that magazine. I did have to make some changes but all-in-all, it was a good start.  Here are some pictures of the process.

 

What ya need:

1  pound  small red new potatoes, halved

2  tablespoons  olive oil

3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided

1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided

3/4  pound  unpeeled large shrimp

1/4  pound  Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced

1  pound  green beans, trimmed

4  garlic cloves, chopped

1/2  cup  pilsner beer

1/2  teaspoon  Spanish smoked paprika

2  red bell peppers, cut into thin strips

1/4  cup  fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

What ya do:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine taters, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large roasting pan, tossing well to coat potatoes. Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down, in pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

While potatoes cook, peel shrimp, leaving tails intact. Devein shrimp, if desired. Set shrimp aside.

Stir chorizo, green beans, garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper into pan. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, or until green beans tender. Add beer, paprika, and bell pepper, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Tuck shrimp into vegetable mixture. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until potatoes are browned and crisp, and green beans are tender and shrimp are done. Sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 392

Fat: 15.5g (sat 3.8g,mono 8.5g,poly 2.4g)

Protein: 28g

Carbohydrate: 36.6g

Fiber: 7.7g

Cholesterol: 129mg

Iron: 4mg

Sodium: 590mg

Calcium: 127mg

If I were you, I might blanch the green beans and potatoes before baking them, just to ensure a cooked center. I like a little crunch in my veggies, but I should stress little. If you like more bite, then just follow the recipe exactly! It's a fresh meal, for sure! Perfect for these late spring nights. Ta Ta!

Spicy Chicken Sausage Pasta

I love the grocery store.

Have I mentioned that before? Yes, it's true. When I was at PSU, I spent many a lazy Sunday roaming Wegman's (okay, not hours people, but a good amount of time). I like to look at food and explore what's new. Yep. Weird. But I'm sure some of you do the same.

Well, turns out my grocery store fix has become a very big issue. I'm talking once a day, sometimes more. This is mostly because I go and forget to buy things, or I stop in the coffee shop while I'm there. Coffee... oye, that's another story.

The point is, in an effort to minimize trips, cost, and impulse buying I made a LIST on Sunday and was planning on going one time this week after planning out my menus. Well, not total success but much better than usual.

So, Monday, I wanted pasta. I made up something! It looks, well, very green. That's because I used spinach fettuccine. You could obviously use any kind of pasta you'd like but it's what we had and it's certainly more spunky than plain. Or whole wheat...ughh I loathe whole wheat pasta. Anyway, here's what I did.

What ya need:
8 oz pasta (I used Trader Joe's Spinach Fettuccine)
2 Tbsp butter
1 Medium onion
3 Garlic cloves, minced
4 Spicy Chicken Sausage Links (I used Trader Joe's Spicy Red Pepper)
1.5 tsp Chili Powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp Ground Red Pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Parsley

What ya do:
Cook your pasta according to package. Drain and place in a large bowl (keep it warm!)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high. Add the onion and saute for about 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add garlic (and I think next time I'll add red peppers) and continue to saute for 2 minutes.
Cook your chicken links in microwave according to package. Slice into bite size pieces.

Sprinkle your chicken sausage with red pepper, salt and  chili powder (or cayenne/Cajun seasonings). Add it to the pan and saute for about 3 minutes.
Remove from  heat and add half and half and parmesan. Pour chicken/vegetable mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with pasta.

As you may be able to tell, I added broccoli floretts into my pasta. I think I'll omit them next time. This meal is inexpensive, easy and filling. Substitute other vegetables to suit your tastes! Don't worry, it's better than the pictures let on... promise!