Food

My-my Jumbalaya

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 5 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1 red pepper (cored, chopped)
• 1 green pepper (ditto)
• 1 tbl cajun seasoning
• 2 cups rice (I use minute rice when I'm home. I'm lazy)
• 1 14oz can tomatoes (chopped. I like the pre sauteed ones with garlic)
• 3 to 4 cups cooked meat (almost anything will do here, I like andoulle or italian sausage)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 tsp salt

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan or roaster, add the onions, garlic (mmm... garlic), celery peppers and spice. Mix. Add rice (uncooked) and make sure to coat it all really well with the spices. Add tomatoes, stock and salt. Bring it to a boil (stirring well). cover and reduce heat to a simmer. you want to let it cook until your rice is tender. This of course varies with the type of rice you use. (See, it pays to buy the stuff folks. Time is money and minute rice is time.) Serve it while its warm and the veggies should still be crisp. Yummie!!!

Chicken and Broccoli with Risotto

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock (canned broth is ok)
• 3 cups broccoli florets cut to 1 1/2 inch bite size pieces
• 2 cups cooked chicken breast
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• one package (64 oz) risotto
• parmesan cheese (grated, doesnt have to be fresh)
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Ok, i'll admit, I had some skepticism about using risotto out of a package from the "health and organics" aisle, but its actually pretty good. If you prefer, you can use Minute Rice, just dont try frying it!!!

Boil up your stock in a large sauce pan or soup pot. Add the broccoli and cooked covered for about three minutes or until the broccoli is BRIGHT green. While your boiling your broccoli, take your package of Marrakesh Express Risotto (plug, plug, plug.)and toast it in a frying pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. You dont actually want it to brown, you just want it to "crackle". Back to your broccoli and stock. Add your chicken, little salt, a little pepper, the tomato paste, and your crackled risotto and cook uncovered until the risotto absorbs almost all the juice. Fluff with a fork and add your parmesan cheese and your butter(optional, I dont like to) And your ready to go.

Serves four, two if your inviting me.......

Chicken broccoli and wild rice

Ingredients

• one cup uncooked wild rice
• 4 (four) 8 oz. chicken breasts
• 3 cups broccoli florets (cut into bite size pieces)
• 10 cups white rice
• one can cream of mushroom soup
• one can cream of broccoli soup
• olive oil
• Chef Paul Prudhommes poutry magic
• Meat Seasoning

Prepare wild rice according to directions on package( should usually take about forty five minutes). While wild rice is simmering, cut raw chicken breasts into one inch cubes. Sautee chicken in olive oil(no more than one tablespoon)and add two tablespoons of Chef Paul's poultry magic. Cook till done, set aside. When your wild rice is done, drain the excess water from your pan and add the cooked chicken. Make sure not to over cook the wild rice, they should just be splitting but not mushy. Boil or steam your broccoli, add to wild rice and chicken. Prepare white rice. Add. Add two cans of soup, mix thoroughly. simmer on low for five minutes. Serve.

I'll try to add more recipe favs, so stay tuned!