Man Pleasin' Jambalaya

I found this recipe over a year ago and the whole family LOVES it. I especially like this dish because it only uses one pot. I've always just given the link to the original recipe in my weekly menus. So here is my adaptation of this recipe.

• 2 skinless, large boneless chicken breasts - diced
• 6 cups chicken broth (I use the low sodium broth)
• 2 1/2 cups long grain white rice
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced (for a healthier option use smoked turkey sausage)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) can mushroom pieces, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 
• Hot sauce to taste 
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft. Add the chicken and garlic; continue cooking and stirring so that it does not stick. When the chicken is browned, add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, bell pepper and sausage.
2. Pour in the broth, and bring to a boil. Add the rice, and season with cayenne, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and broth has been absorbed.

Yield: 12 servings

I've also got an adaptation for the kiddos - Kid Pleasin' Jambalaya.
Original Recipe: Man Pleasin' Jambalaya on allrecipes.com

Menu: July 25-31

We are really trying to eat a little healthier right now so some of my recipes are going to be a little more along the low-fat side of things.

• Tacos (I make my own taco seasoning so that it's not as high in sodium and preservatives).
• Baked fish sticks (I take haddock and cut it into fish sticks, then light bread and bake it. I serve with homemade tartar sauce using light mayo, mustard, relish, salt, and pepper), baked potatoes with fresh herbs and light sour cream, and a side salad.*
• Chef Salad 
• Fajitas, spicy avocado sauce, and Mexican rice.
• Man-Pleasin' Jambalaya

* I made some changes to this menu - made fish sandwiches instead of sticks and baked potatoes. Also, went with steamed broccoli and corn on the cob instead of a side salad. 

Smoky BBQ Beans

I also got this recipe from Weight Watchers magazine and it turned out pretty good. I did add a couple of things to it.

• 2 (15 oz.) cans low-sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I substituted 1/2 cup dry small red beans, prepped according to package instructions).
• 1 (15 oz.) cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained (I substituted 1/2 cup dry black beans, prepped according to package instructions).
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/4 cup Sweet Baby Ray's honey chipotle bbq sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 slices crisp-cooked smoked turkey bacon, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch cayenne 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until onion is fork-tender, 2 hours on high or 4 ours on low.

Blueberry Mango Ice Cream

I recently got a subscription to Weight Watchers magazine. In a recent issue they had a recipe for Blackberry ice cream. I had purchased an old ice cream maker from a garage sale for a few bucks and decided to try my hand at this healthier homemade version of ice cream. I did make a couple of changes as noted below.

• 2 cups fresh blackberries (I used 2 large fresh mangoes instead and pureed them)
• 1/2 c. sugar (I only used 1/3 cup and it didn't seem to make a difference)
• pinch salt
• 1 pint fat free half-and-half
• 1/3 cup fat free sour cream
• 3/4 marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (stir into ice cream just before freezing)

Directions

1. Combine blackberries, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan. Mashing and stirring blackberries with fork, cook over medium heat until mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until blackberries are softened, 6-8 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. Puree black berry mixture and half-n-half in blender or food processor. Pour mixture through sieve set over bowl, pressing firmly on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Whisk in sour cream. Cover and refrigerate untl thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Whisk marshmallow creme into blackberry mixture. Pour mixture into ice-cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers' instructions. Transfer ice cream to freezer container. Cover and freeze up to 1 month. To serve, let ice cream soften slightly in refrigerator, about 15 minutes.

Zucchini Bread / Muffins

I love zucchini bread and it's a perfect way to use up that never ending supply of zucchini from your garden. You can also substitute grated summer squash for the grated zucchini. My sister has come up with a gluten free and sugar free variation, which I have listed at the bottom.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans or 2 muffin pans. Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
2. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes (Muffins) or 40-60 minutes (Bread), or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Variation - Summer Squash Pineapple Bread/Muffins

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated summer squash
• 16 oz crushed pineapple (I drained about 2/3 of the juice)

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans or 2 muffin pans. Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

2. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes (Muffins) or 40-60 minutes (Bread), or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Gluten-Free Variation (per my sister) 

"My husband is on a gluten-free and sugar-free diet right now and so I modified this recipe to suit his needs. They turned out great and we didn't miss the sugar at all, especially when you eat them with a little butter. This batch was my second try at making gluten-free and sugar-free; so if it doesn't come out right the first time try again."

• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/2 c. applesauce
• 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
• 1 1/2 c. zucchini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 c. Brown Rice flour 
• 1 1/2 c. Millet flour

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans or 2 muffin pans. Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

2. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes (Muffins) or 40-60 minutes (Bread), or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Menu: July 18-24

I know this is incredibly late coming out, but you could use some of these for planning your menus next week.

• Sunday was our church's Sunday School Fair so we ate lunch there.
• Monday - we had waffles with homemade triple berry syrup and egg bake.
• Tuesday - we were bad and did drivethru because we were running late for our family photo session.
• Wednesday - my MIL made a delicious tex-mex chicken and rice casserole (chicken, rice, salsa, etc.) with a side salad. See her comment below for the recipe.
• Thursday - tonight we are having Chicken BLT wraps and cucumber sticks. The cukes and tomato came out of my garden, YUMMY! I LOVE the fresh veggies from my garden and thoroughly missed them last year. If it weren't for my in-laws giving me extra veggies from their garden last year, I think I would have gone into some serious withdrawal!
• Friday - some friends invited us over for a cookout. I will be bringing a fresh fruit/melon salad (blueberries, red grapes, apples, and 2 kinds of melon) and dessert. I really want to try doing a new kind of cheesecake, maybe some kind of a fruit and chocolate swirled cheesecake similar to this one on allrecipes.
• Saturday - I'm thinking that tacos sound really good. Or maybe even a nice big Chef's Salad. Still deciding, whichever one I choose not to do will go on the menu next week.*

*Ended up grilling for the in-laws - Sirloin steaks with spicy avocado sauce and sautéed mushrooms-n-onions, side salad, bbq beans, carrot sticks, and blueberry mango ice cream. 

Egg Bake

I needed a side dish to go with my waffles the other day and didn't want the hassle of doing something stovetop, so I decided to come up with my own egg dish.

• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2-2/3 cup shredded colby cheese
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped herbs (basil, parsley, and oregano)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

I mixed everything together in a large bowl, then poured it into a greased 8x8xx2 Pyrex baking dish. I baked it at 350 for about 40 minutes until is was golden brown and "puffy".

Menu: July 11-17

Between the munchkins and myself someone was sick every day last week and I did not end up cooking a whole lot. With that in mind, I will be pulling a lot of the meals from the menus for the last two weeks.

• Roast chicken, slow cooker rice (I wouldn't make my rice this way again unless I was home to watch it as the slow cooker actually overcooks the rice), baby carrots, and French bread
• Sub sandwiches and fresh fruit (I make my own sub bread)
• Grilled Chicken Pizza (pesto sauce, leftover chicken, green onions, black olives, and cheese - parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella
• Chicken Burritos or Enchiladas (using the leftover chicken and rice from Sunday)
• We are taking our College/Career group to Medieval Times this weekend and I'm looking forward to seeing what the food is like. I've heard that you are not given utensils...

Spicy Avocado Sauce (for Meats)

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocados
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Roast the jalapeño, seed/core, and chopped it.
   (For a gas stove, holding the jalapeño over a medium flame with metal tongs until the outside is somewhat charred and you can really smell the aroma of the pepper, about 3-5 minutes. For an electric stove, place the jalapeño right on the burner, turning ever 2 minutes until the outside is somewhat charred and you can smell the aroma of the pepper.)
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the lime juice and olive oil; add avocado, garlic, onion, salt, and jalapeño. Puree.
3. You can add more lime juice and/or olive oil until the consistency is a little thinner than pudding.
4. Serve over grilled steak or chicken.

Grilled Pineapple

I love how refreshing this dish it when served as a dessert (you could also serve it as a snack or appetizer in bite-sized pieces with toothpicks). I top it with some whipped cream while the pineapple is hot and the cream just melts into it. Mmmmm, I get hungry just thinking about it. Grilled Pineapple is the perfect summer dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pineapple
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler (grill).
2. To make the marinade, combine all the ingredients except pineapple and whisk to blend. Set aside.
3. Cut off the crown of leaves and the base of the pineapple. Stand the pineapple upright and, using a large, sharp knife, pare off the skin, cutting downward just below the surface in long, vertical strips. Cut off any remaining small brown "eyes" on the fruit. Stand the peeled pineapple upright and cut it in half lengthwise. Place each pineapple half cut-side down and cut it lengthwise into four long wedges; slice away the core.
4. Place the pineapple in a container with a lid (preferably Tuperware), pour marinade over pineapple, cover and shake to coat the pineapple.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.
6. Place on the grill and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, basting once or twice with the remaining marinade. Grill until the pineapple is tender and golden, about 3 more minutes.
7. Remove the pineapple from the grill and place on a platter or individual serving plates. Serve hot or warm topped with fresh made whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cooking / Grilling for the Parents

The hubby and I are cooking supper tonight at my parents' house. We are feeding 8 adults and 6 kids for under $60. Here is the menu:

Grilled Steaks (both t-bone and sirloin) that the hubby marinated for about 4 hours (I'll try to get a "recipe" out of him to post later). We'll be serving it with some extra fixings - sautéed red peppers, onion, garlic, and mushrooms along with a spicy avocado sauce.

Red Beans and Rice - this is a Robert Irvine recipe and it was delicious! I can't wait to try it again.

Grilled Pineapple and whipped cream - I've made this dish before and absolutely loved it.

Orange Chicken

I LOVE Chinese food but the hubby got sick 3 times in row at different Chinese restaurants, so now we don't go to them anymore. :( I am also a huge fan of the orange chicken at Panda Express. Last week I decided that I was going to attempt to make my own (figured the hubby was less likely to get sick on Chinese if I was the one making it). I combined several different recipes and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped into 1/2" pieces (feeds 4)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 quarts Peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

Directions

1. In a large stock pot or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Coat chicken in batter. Fry until golden brown (chicken takes 4-5 minutes when oil is at 375 degree). As each batch finishes, place it on a paper towel lined cookie sheet in the oven (set to warm).
2. Pour sauce mixture (excluding cornstarch and water) in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. Let the sauce come to a boil and begin to reduce. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; which into sauce. Allow sauce to thicken and then remove from heat.
3. Once chicken is done frying, coat with sauce. I serve this over rice with a side of fresh steamed broccoli.

Tempura Batter

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup ice cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg

Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl; whisk together water and egg. Combine the to till only slightly lumpy.

Orange Sauce

• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice (be sure it is 100% juice with pulp)
• 4-6 teaspoons soy sauce (depending on what you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• dash of cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients, except cornstarch and water, ahead of time. This will make it easier to finish each part of the dish all at the same time.

Rice (optional)

• 1 1/2 cups white rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or you could substitute chicken stock for half the water)

Combine all in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Menu: June 27-July 10

I know that the week is almost over but I am posting this combined menu as we will be out and about till after the 4th.

June 27-July 3

• Cowboy Casserole - This is one of our "whatever we feel like making from what we have on hand" casseroles. This time around the casserole included 1 lb hamburger, 1 pound bow tie pasta (but rice would be a good option, too), Bush's Black Bean Fiesta Grillin' Beans, 1 can tomato soup, 1/2 c. chopped onion, 1/2 c. chopped peppers, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook it all together stovetop, then throw it in a 9x13 baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Pop it in the oven for 10-15 minutes et voila!
• Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn
• Pizza
• Spaghetti, side salad, and French bread.
• Sub Sandwiches

July 4-10

• Potato Salad - We will be spending the 4th with family and everyone is assigned a dish to bring. This is the dish that I plan to bring.
• Whole chicken (roast or grilled, haven't decided yet), corn on the cob, and grilled potatoes - if I do the grilled chicken, I won't use beer. I saw that one reviewer used Coke so I may try that instead.
• Taco Salad
• Grilled Chicken Pizza (pesto sauce, leftover chicken, green onions, black olives, and cheese - parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella)
• Chicken Fajitas