Jambalaya

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Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!!  My John William was born in New Orleans while his dad was in school at Tulane University, so Cajun food has a special place in his heart.  And I love this time of year because I do Lent, even though I'm Mormon.  So we thought we'd celebrate each of our little traditions with this traditional Cajun dish!  Hope you enjoy it!

{What you need}

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

2 {14.5 oz} cans stewed tomatoes, do not drain

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 pound turkey sausage links, without casings, cooked and chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon hot sauce

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

salt and pepper to taste

{John hates seafood, but I LOVE it, so I suggest adding 1

 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined} 

2 green onions for garnishing, chopped

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and stir until onion is translucent.  Stir in tomatoes, chicken, and sausage.  Season with garlic powder, hot sauce, and salt and pepper.  Stir in rice, add the broth, and add the shrimp if you want.  Bring to a boil.  Cover skillet and turn to low.  Cook covered for about 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender.

{Inspired by this recipe at allrecipes.com}

Beans and Rice

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"Red beans and rice didn't miss her!"  They sure didn't miss me..... and I cannot lie....This is an easy and delicious recipe for beans and rice.  It's a great vegetarian dish, too, even though we served it with chicken.

{What you need}

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1 1/2 vegetable broth

1 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp chili powder

2 cans red beans, drained

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the onion and garlic and stir for 4 minutes.  Add the rice and stir for an additional two minutes.  Next, add the broth and bring back up to a boil.  Cover and turn heat down to simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done.  Add the spices and the beans and stuff your face.

Baked Mushroom Rice

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A hearty side for roast or chicken from my new favorite cook book.  And you know how I love me mushrooms!  It bakes in the oven for a while so you have free hands to be preparing anything else you need to.

{What you need}

2 T butter

1/2 c onion, chopped

1 c sliced mushrooms

3 c beef broth

1/2 c apple juice

1 T white vinegar

3/4 t kosher salt

1 t pepper

2 c uncooked rice

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9 x 13 dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.  Melt butter over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and continue cooking until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender.  Remove from heat and combine the remaining ingredients in the pan.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

Easy Spanish Rice

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Super easy and delicious addition to a spanish or mexican meal.  I'm not typically a huge fan of red spanish rice (I prefer the green, lime-cilantro variety) but this was extremely surprising and I just loved it!

{What you need}

2 cups uncooked rice

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups favorite salsa

2 teaspoons minced garlic

In a large sauce pan combine rice and garlic.  Add chicken broth and salsa and mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked through.  Let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

Rice Pilaf

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I could live off this stuff.  Such a great accent to a flavorful main dish.  Like this one.  Serves 6.

{What you need}

3 T butter

3/4 cup orzo

3/4 cup diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons store bought minced garlic)

3/4 cup uncooked rice (I used jasmine)

3 cups chicken broth (I used 3 cups water and 3 bouillon cubes)

Over Medium-low heat, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add the orzo and stir until orzo is browned.  Add the onion and stir until onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and stir for one minute.  Add the rice and chicken broth.  Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Cover and turn heat down to medium low and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20-25 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm.

(compliments of Sarah at allrecipes.com)

Yucatano Deliciosa

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This was a favorite on the mission.  Sister Chapman would sometimes make it when she and President would have the missionaries over to the mission home for some good home-cooking.  It is so easy and you can multiply it to make loads!  I had forgotten about this recipe until recently and was so excited when I happened upon it again!  I made a few variations, but this one is another Sister Chapman winner.  It looks intimidating with the list of ingredients, but most of them are ones you'd already have around the house.

{What you need}

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes

4 cups water

4 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 large onion, diced

3 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons oregano

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

Fritos

sour cream

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine all of the ingredients in a pot except the beef, onion, and 3 cans of beans.  Simmer with lid on for 20 minutes.  While that is cooking, brown the ground beef and onions.  Add the beans the last five minutes of simmer time.  When the rice is cooked add the beef and onion to the pot.  Serve hot on chips with sour cream and cheese.

Other topping ideas:

lettuce

chopped tomatoes

chopped green onions

chopped black olives

Ranch dressing

Easy Country Rice

So easy. So good.

{What you need}

3-5 cups cooked rice

1 can (10.5 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup sour cream

6 oz. cream cheese

Mix all wet ingredients together until smooth. Fold in hot rice. Serves great with any chicken dish or by itself. I like to mix in cooked shredded chicken.

Chinese Haystacks/Chinese Sundaes

This is not just any haystack recipe. This is a GOURMET haystack recipe. You could easily use this to entertain at a nicer shindig. Or you could use it at a less-formal one. It works both ways and will be a hit no matter where you serve it. The sweet and sour sauce makes all the difference.

{What you need}

6 cups cubed chicken

1 1/2 family sized cans (26 oz. each) Cream of Chicken Soup

1 pint sour cream

{Sweet and Sour sauce}

1 cup pineapple juice

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tbs cornstarch

{Topping ideas}

rice

chow mein noodles

pineapple

mandarin oranges

cheddar cheese

honeyed almonds (from salad section)

green onions

celery

diced tomatoes

shredded coconut

peas

olives

For the chicken I use Costco frozen chicken tenders. Cut them into cubes and simmer/boil until barely cooked. Combine soup and sour cream in a large sauce pan. Add chicken cubes and heat until bubbly. For the sweet and sour sauce, stir everything together with a whisk until there are no lumps. Bring to a boil and simmer 8-10 minutes until the vinegar isn't too strong smelling. The key is to cook out most of the vinegar smell, otherwise it won't be as tasty. Serve it with the toppings buffet style. Kids love it, dads love it--everyone loves it. Enjoy!

(Compliments of Carrie England)

Hawaiian Rice Salad

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This dish is perfect for lunch, or as side for any meal. I served it with the Ham and Swiss Sliders (recipe below). It is great for entertaining (showers, church functions, bbq's, etc.) and is easy to make large quantities of. I am so grateful to my mother-in-law, Erin, for sharing amazing recipes with me. She is such a phenomenal chef. This one comes from her.

{What you need}

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken

1 (13 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve liquid)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

(use pineapple liquid with water to cook rice)

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 cup cashew pieces (I used almonds)

--put these ingredients in a bowl; set aside--

--in separate bowl mix the following, then add to above--

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon grated onion

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

dash of pepper

Chill for 2 hours. Yields 7 cups.

John really enjoyed this dish. So did I. We have a ton left over since there are only two of us, and I pick at it all day long.  It would be great with shrimp, too.

(Compliments of Erin Henrie)

Easy and Delicious Chicken and Rice

This was a regular on the mission. It's so easy to throw together and it is sooo delicious. And you can make heaps at a time. I like it with homemade rolls and a spinach salad or something. This comes from my mission mom's mission cookbook that she made and distributed among all the missionaries:

{What you need}

4 chicken breasts

1 can Cambell's condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Cambell's condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Cup rice

1 1/2 cups milk

dry onion soup mix

Mix rice, soups, and milk together and pour in a baking pan. Place chicken breasts on top. Sprinkle desired amount of dry onion soup mix on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 300 for two hours. Yup, that's really all you have to do. SO EASY!! SO GOOD!!

(Compliments of Sister Chapman)