Monday, February 20, 2012

Jambalaya for the Virtual Mardi Gras Party

It's Time to let the Good Times Roll!!! We are quickly approaching Fat Tuesday!!!
What better way to Celebrate Fat Tuesday than with a Virtual Mardi Gras Party???
Michelle at LaBelle Cuisine is throwing a Virtual Mardi Gras Party and we're bringing Jambalaya!
Of Course we are doing it the Food is Love way...Jambalaya "Easy Style"!!
I am passing along a Weeknight 5 Ingredient Jambalaya that you can jump on the bandwagon and make in no time! This Jambalaya is one of the many recipes included in my Cookbook 5 Ingredient Solutions!
Stop by and take a peek at the Slideshow!



5 Ingredient Jambalaya


This is a way to bring the entire “flavor” of Louisiana Creole into your home in a quick and easy 
way. 
Webster‟s defines Jambala



ya as “rice, usually cooked with ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp, or 


oysters and seasoned with herbs”. Such a simple definition for what can be a complex recipe. I have paired it down to 5 Quality Ingredients that will allow a really flavorful experience, yet take advantage of some quality shortcuts. Any combination of Polish Sausage & Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage, Ham and Shrimp or anything of the like, will work here. Just remember to adjust stock flavors to compliment your choices. Ham stock, Seafood stock, Chicken stock etc…


Ingredients:

1 box Jambalaya Rice Mix or Fiesta Southwest Rice
2 lbs. Polish Sausage, cut on the bias to 2 inch pieces
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cubed)
1 (8 oz.) jar spicy Salsa or a 10 oz. can “Mexican style” tomatoes
16 oz. Chicken Stock

Instructions :

Prepare chicken Breast:
Dry Chicken Breast with paper towels.
Season with Salt & Pepper to both sides & Set aside

In a Large Skillet:
Heat 2-3 tbsp. Olive Oil to Medium High Heat.
Place chicken in skillet.
Brown chicken on both sides (Approximately 3 minutes then turn and cook additional 3 minutes)
After chicken is brown:
Add Sausage to skillet.
Brown Sausage and warm through
Add Salsa & Stock.
Check for seasoning. Add Salt and pepper if needed.
Once Mixture is at a boil,
Add Jambalaya Mix.
Bring to boil, then cover and simmer, on Medium/Medium-Low Heat 25-35 minutes.
Stir mixture about half through cooking time.
Adjust cooking temp to medium-low, if rice is sticking to bottom of skillet.

Once Rice has soaked up all the liquid and is soft, run a fork through the rice to “fluff”.
Serve.

**Note after Meat has been sautéed the remaining steps can be done in a rice cooker.
Add meat to rice cooker with remaining ingredients and set rice cooker to cook as per manufacturer directions.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

It's Chocolate Cherry Heaven

I know Valentine's Day was yesterday, but because we have a working household, we decided to delay "V" Day until we are both off. We will be celebrating tomorrow! So I had extra time to put together a most decadent little treat.
One of my favorite parts of a Box of Chocolates is the Chocolate Covered Cherry. I love when I bite into the hard candy shell and get all that cherry goodness leaking out. Then the fruity goodness of the cherry combined with the chocolate WOW!! It's absolutely Heaven. I wanted to get that sensation in a cookie and I think I have perfected it in this one. I give to you

Chocolate Cherry Heaven

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter (2 sticks, room temp)
2/3 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup White Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
2/3 cup Cocoa Powder
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup White Chocolate Chips
1 medium jar Maraschino Cherries (drained and kept whole)
1 cup Chopped Walnuts *optional

Instructions:
Preheat Oven to 350° f
Line Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper

Combine Sugars and Butter.
Beat until smooth
Add Eggs, Beat until frothy.
Add Vanilla, Combine
Add Dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Fold in Cherries, Chips and Nuts.

With a 2 oz Ice Cream Scoop, Scoop mounds of dough onto parchment.
May use tablespoon and form into balls.

Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes.
Cookies will be soft when removing from oven. Carefully move them to a cooling rack while still on parchment to avoid breakage. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Once cool, Cookies can be stored in covered container for 1 week.
Yields 3 doz cookies (depending on size)
ENJOY!!!