Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, and my version

(This photo is from the link for the recipe)

http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2009/11/oven-baked-cajun-chicken-and-sausage.html

This is the recipe I used and so I'm posting the link here. But as usual , I change things around. I read the recipe and it sounded really good. I am able to "taste" a recipe by reading the ingredients. I know it sounds weird but I have a good palate and knew this would be yummy. And it was....however, the picture here from that site.......turned me off. I almost didn't make it. IT just looked so pale and unappetizing.

And so I'm going to post here the changes I did with the recipe. And in fact since I made this, I see a few more changes I might do in the future. First I cut the recipe in half because there's only two of us here.

But as I read it , I saw browning the meats in the oven and then I noticed them using another fry pan to do the onions and such. Now Im always looking for shortcuts. And this dish is a good one if you want a yummy, fast, ez meal you don't have to watch much. And so I decided to use my lg. cast iron fry pan. I turned the oven on to the temp. and then put the fry pan in the oven while I was assembling my ingredients. When I was ready to cook the meats I put the oil and butter in it right there in the oven to melt. It called for chicken with skin and bones and I didnt have anything but boneless, skinless breasts here. So I used one of those and cut it in 2 chunks to cook faster. I had about a half lb. of kielasa sausage too. It just didnt look like much meat so I got  a boneless pork chop too. I cut that in half also and then put the meats in the oil/butter mix in the pan, rolling them around to coat them. Then I let them brown forabout15-20min...checking them and turning them over to brown on the other side.
Ive decided next time to use whole chicken thighs and more sausage and no pork unless its a well marbled piece. This was too dry this time. It was tasty but just too dry for my own taste.

After the meats are brown , remove pan from oven and remove meats from pan. Toss in the onion and garlic. I used 1/2 red onion and two garlic cloves, minced. You don't even have to have heat under the cast iron pan since its so hot from the oven. Just stir so they don't stick and burn. Meanwhile cut the meat up into bite size pieces.

Once the onion/garlic mixture is almost done, toss in the spices. I used half the amt. since I was making half the recipe. Stir well to release some of the oils. Sure smells good about now too. I used one of my home canned qt. jars of chicken stock and poured that in. Now you can turn the heat back up to high. Stir a bit then add two c. of rice. When it comes to a boil, add the meats, stir and put in the oven and cover,  to bake for about a half hr.

 (This is what mine looked like, much darker than the original recipe. I like that much better)

I served this with an Italian salad and I'm glad I did. As I said this recipe is a bit dry. And so next time, I'm going to use fattier meats and ones that stay moist. Thighs I think would be much better for this than breasts, the dark meat doesn't dry out. And I didn't have enough sausage to make this but its really good with it. I also think I just might add a bit more chicken stock to this to make it a bit sloppy. But we did love this very much otherwise and doing it this way, the color was much improved. It took advantage of the meat juices that were in the bottom of the pan. If you did it the original way, those would be wasted.

You can buy Cajun spice if you wish but I make my own. Here's my recipe:

Cajun Spice Mix
2 1/2 tb. Paprika (I use Hungarian paprika)
2 tb. garlic powder
1 tb. ground black pepper
1 tb. crushed red pepper or cayenne
1 tb. dried thyme
1 tb. dried oregano
1 tb. dried onion flakes or powder ( I like flakes better)

Mix together and store.
I like to add some to my rib rub, and of course on blackened fish.

Easy Smoked Pork Chops

(Dinner: smoked pork chop, mixed veggies, caprese salad and mac and cheese---I know its in a lot of my pics but the man loveeeeee mac and cheese.)
We love smoked pork chops. In my family we made them with eggs for breakfast in the morning. They can be a bit pricey in the stores tho. I love smoked meats and pork is one of the better things to smoke but I don't have a smoker here. And so the other day while online, I noticed a friend mention making pork chops with a smoked paprika rub. I had an aha!!! moment then because I bought some and never used it. I always planned on experimenting with it and never got around to it.

And so I asked my online friend if she would share the recipe and she did. And in the process I told her I often use brown sugar for my rubs, I find the flavor more mellow. She liked that. I like that we can share ideas like this online. (Thank you Clarice!)   Storybook Woods

 So I took her recipe and cut it down to about 1/3 because I wasn't sure if we would like this or not. I tweaked it my way and added my favorite herb.....thyme.

I rubbed the pork chops (there is only two cuz there's just two of us) and let them sit till my other half got home. He grilled them while I made the rest of dinner. And I must say this is a rub Ill use often!! He loved the chop so much he picked it up in his fingers to get to the meat on the bone before he was done with it. He never does that. He also said it was so good I should make it again. And so I will.

Smoked Paprika Rub

1/4 c. smoked paprika
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. salt, I use kosher
a scant 1/4 c garlic powder or granulated
1/8 c. fresh ground pepper (I do mine in a mill, when I need it)
2 tsp. thyme or use your favorite herb

 Mix together in a small bowl. I store mine in small jars in my cabinet. Rub generously onto the meat you will be cooking and let sit awhile so it can season the meat. We grilled these, but the weather was getting wild and windy and I did consider baking them if we couldn't grill.

Its a good day for Chili......

The weather has been cooler here the last day or so and my bf and my son both love chili. I found some organic beef rump on sale at the store so I decided it was time to make some. My lil grandson helped make this too. The cans you see in the picture he dumped in and added the chili mix too and stirred it . He thought he was so cool doing that lol. He left to go visit his mommy this weekend before it was done so I told him Id save him some for when he got back. I told him he could even take some to school for his lunch and his eyes got so big and he said COOL!! Amazing what lil things make them happy. (BTW hes eating his share of banana bread too, he loves it!) hehehe


HOMEMADE CHILI

3-4 lbs. beef stew meat or chuck or rump roast cut up into 1/2in. pieces
2 cans beef broth
1 sm. can chopped green chilies or 1c. green chili salsa
2 cans (15oz each) diced tomatoes
3-4 TB. chili mix or to taste (recipe follows)
1 big can Bush's pork and beans
A couple TB. of cornmeal or cornbread mix



Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and a bit of oil and mix. I used olive oil, not alot because you will saute in more. Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of the pot, just a couple tbspfuls. Brown in a lg. pot in batches, do not crowd so it will brown.



As it browns keep sauteing, juices will form like you see above. Saute till the juices dry up, this will help add more flavor to the chili by caramelizing the juices and making them brown and the meat will brown more too.




The beef should look like this. Then remove to a bowl and do the other batches the same way. I browned this in an 8qt. pot, the same one Ill be making the chili in.




Add the broth, tomatoes, green chilies and chili mix and stir.



Cook until tender about 1 1/2hrs. uncovered. You want some evaporation so the juices will thicken a bit. When tender stir in the beans and taste. I do not add the chunk of pork that comes in them and I drain some of the liquid from them too before adding. Now stir in 3-4 TB. of cornmeal to thicken and continue to cook till its absorbed and chili is thick. How much depends on how thick you like your chili, this amt. makes a medium thickness. You can also use the same amt. from a cornbread mix if your making some to serve with it. If I don't have cornmeal on hand Ive done that and it comes out great.




You can top this with chopped onions, sour cream and cheddar and monterey jack cheese if you wish and serve it with a yummy honey cornbread too. My son just lovesssss this.

HOMEMADE CHILI MIX
2TB. chili powder
1TB. salt (or seasoned salt)
2TB. cumin
1TB. oregano
2TB. dried onion flakes
1TB. garlic powder
1/2-1 tsp. crushed dried red pepper or cayenne ( I use the lesser amt cuz I feed all ages with this)

Mix together and store in glass jar. In the picture above where you see a blue jar labeled chili mix..... I make this recipe X 3 to store in that jar so I have it on hand and don't have to make it all the time. I also use this with my Cajun spice mix I make to use as a rub on my ribs.