Jambalaya 2 - Freezer comfort food

This is Emeril's recipie, modified to my cooking style

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cajun-jambalaya-recipe2/index.html

1/2 - 1 LB medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1-2 frozen chicken breasts defrosted, diced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 med chopped onion
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
2 stalks chopped celery
2-4 chopped garlic cloves
1 can cup diced tomatoes
3-4 bay leaves
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce (red cock)
1 1/4 cup rice (basmati)
4 cups chicken stock
2-3 Andouille sausage links, sliced
Salt and pepper

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Emeril's ESSENCE ,Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Oven Roasted Herb Pork Loin

2 - 3 LB pork loin roast
handful fresh rosemary
handful fresh thyme
TBS grey poupon country style grained mustard
1 elephant garlic clove (abt 3-5 regular cloves)
fresh ground pepper
2 TBS Olive oil

1/2 C white wine
2 tbs flour + 1/2 c water mixed (shaken) in jar
2-4 TBS mustard
pepper to taste

preheat oven to 400

rub roast in olive oil
chop rosemary and thyme rub on roast
cut garlic into slivers and slit meat, insert slivers into slits
sprinkle roast with ground pepper
roast 30 minutes fat side down
flip and roast to 146
remove roast and tent for 15 min. before slicing

deglaze pan (iron skillet) with white wine
add water/flour mix wisking
add mustard
add pepper

wisk until simmering and serve

Beef Barley Soup with Mushrooms 2025 updated

Recipe Revision 15.NOV.2025

This is a leftovers / pantry recipe

1.5 Qts Stock (6 cups)

0.5 C Barley

1/2 Lb. +/- Diced Beef  

10-12 Oz sliced Mushrooms 

1 C +/- diced Onion 

1 C sliced Carrots

1/4 C Red Wine

2 cloves of Garlic 

2-4 Tbs Butter

1-2 Tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1/2 tsp Salt 

Pepper to taste (2-3 grinds)

Salt the Onions and sautee in butter / olive oil until tender, 

    add the garlic cook another minute and set aside

Sautee the Mushrooms, until browned, add thyme, half of red wine, cook down, set aside

Sautee the Beef adding oil as needed, sprinkle paprika and grind pepper

    If using leftover beef, coat and warm.  If using fresh beef, brown on all sides.  

    Add remainder of wine (deglaze) then set aside     

Add Barley to heated pot, add Broth, Carrots and remaining ingredients.

Bring to boil, skim if needed.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for ~45 to 60 min.

    It is done when the barley is fully plump.

Beef - needs more, cook at a higher temp for crispier
seasoning needs more, needs to go in sooner.
carrots - need to go in later
onions and garlic - needs to be chopped finer
barley - needs more, do not rinse, starch thickens

Oh it is tasty but this is a work in progress. The first time was delicious but had too much barley an became a barley dish in beef sauce. They absorbed all the broth.

Beef 1 - 1.5 lbs leftover or fresh uncooked of meat
4 qts broth
3-4 large carrots - sliced coarsley
2 sm onions copped FINE
2 cloves garlic
1 Cup pearled Barley
8 oz pack of fresh button mushrooms, quartered
1-2 tsp penzeys bouquet garni
4 tbs olive oil divided
1/4 cup red wine

heat 1/2 oil
sear and brown beef on all sides on high heat, remove, and set aside 5 min
add remaining oil and spices and saute onions 10 min
add garlic sautee 2 min
deglaze pot with wine
add beef, broth, carrots, barley then bring to boil open, cover and simmer 20 min
add mushrooms, simmer 20 minutes.
serve

Chicken Carcass Soup with Noodles or Rice

A roasted chicken carcass, be it from your own oven or a rotisserie chicken from the super market still has flavor and possibilities left in it. It's also a good way to utilize the older vegetables at the bottom of the drawer, that have lost their plate appeal. You should use the oldest vegetables in the drawer for the "stock," though it's not really stock, because you will be cooking the flavor out of them and into the base, and then discarding them with the carcass.

"Stock"
1 picked chicken carcass, set meat aside.
2-3 carrots
1 onion
1-2 stalks of celery
1-2 cloves garlic
peppercorns
rosemary sprigs
a bay leaf or two
Whatever you may have roasted in the chicken, we usually use apples and/or oranges
Other miscellaneous vegetables of dubious age: radishes, turnips, chives, mushrooms

Coarsely chop the vegetables, break up the chicken carcass and place the above ingredients in a stock pot and cover with Water.

Bring to a boil then simmer for at least one hour

Soup
2-4 carrots
1-2 stalks of celery
1-2 garlic cloves sliced
1-2 cups prepared noodles or rice
1-2 cups leftover chicken meat
2 TSP Chicken stock base, or 1 can chicken broth
salt an pepper to taste.

spices and herbs: There are a couple of options here, depending on what you have available and what flavor you are looking for:
a) 1-2 tsp Szeged Chicken rub - Garlicy and compliments chicken nicely
b) rosemary, sage, thyme. Add in that order a pinch at a time.
if I ever figure out measurements I will post them
c) 1 tsp Penzey's Bouquet Garni* - this is a magnificent & flavorful blend of herbs

Dice up fresh vegetables into bite size pieces

Using a collander strain the "stock" into a large bowl or another pot

Pick off any usable chicken meat and set aside, discard the boiled vegetables and bones.

Return stock to pot, add fresh vegetables. Alternatively, if you are throwing in last night's leftover vegetables, add them after 25 minutes with the rice/ noodles / meat, because they are already cooked.

Stir in chicken base

Add seasonings to taste.

Simmer 20-30 minutes until the vegetables have the desired crunchiness. This really is a personal preference. We like ours al-dente, not mushy like canned soup.

When the vegetables are "done", add the rice or noodles and chicken meat.

Give kids dinner warning, it will be ready in 5-10 minutes.



* Penzey's Bouquet Garni: Hand-mixed from: savory, rosemary, thyme, Turkish oregano, basil, dill weed, marjoram, sage and tarragon. http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysbouquet.html

2011

I didn't food blog much this year. I became gainfully employed, and between the commute and the long hours I was out of the house 50-60 hours a week. Things were settling down when Hurricane Irene wiped out my dad's village, 280 of 350 home deluged with 5 feet of muddy disgusting polluted water. I spend most of the fall going up to Schoharie (Sko- Hair - ee) on the weekends to help dig out my Dad and Anne and Tatiana (my step mom and step sister). Not much time for cooking or blogging, but I did keep some notes in a notebook, and now that things are easing up, I hope to find time to write some of it down. Today is my 3rd wedding anniversary and Kate is sewing and re-gluing an antique clock, that was a gift from Dad and Anne. And I am simmering chicken broth, which is always a good time to write. so on to my next food post...

German Potato Salad / Kartoffeln Salat

I love German potato salad and have been looking for a recipe for years. I finally found one on Food Network, that only needed minor adjustments (decreased the sugar.) I made this for a Memorial Picnic, and it nicely complemented the smoked brisket and Turkey that Chas made. Good stuff

5 lbs redskin potatoes.
1 LB Bacon
2/3 C Cider Vinegar
1 Onion diced fine
2 TBS white sugar
2.5 - 3 TBS Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 TBS diced fresh scallions
2 TBS dried scallions
1 Tsp salt

Partially peel potatoes, half lengthwise and cut into 1/8" slices. Cover potato slices with water, add 1/2 Tsp salt, bring to boil.
** Boil until JUST tender. (I always screw this up.)**
Remove from water and allow to cool at room temp.

Cut the bacon up in small bits, and pan fry on medium, until crispy. Do NOT drain the grease. Set aside the bacon, fry the onion until translucent.

Combine vinegar, mustard and sugar and whisk, pour into pan with bacon grease and onions, whisk over med heat until slightly thickened bubbly.

Return potatoes to pot in portions and add bacon and sauce in portions until done. Sprinkle with scallions and mix.

Best served warm.

Variations - Some recipes called for Thyme to taste.

Corned Beef on the Stovetop

One of my greatest frustrations is that I make food overly complex and difficult. I invest too much prep time for meals that are tasty, but not worth the extra hour or two it took me to pull it together. I'm not cooking for gourmets, nor am I one myself. So this year I will improve my ROI by blogging more simple meals. And remember to record the oven temperature.

3.5 LB Corned Beef Brisket ($1.88/Lb 2011)
1/2 bottle of Guinness (widget bottle)*
Cover Brisket with water.
Add flavor packet + pepper corns (bay leaf?)
Bring to a boil, Skim foam, then reduce to low and simmer for 50 min/lb.

1Hr before dinner (D-60)
Peel and quarter potatoes, peel and cut carrots, Slab the cabbage

d-45
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, boil the cabbage for 30 min drain and cover
Remove beef, ADD potatoes and carrots to the crockpot return to boil for 20-30 min.
BROIL the Beef for 5 min to crisp the top, Remove and let sit for 20-30 min

Serve with mustard.

* No honest Irishman would waste a whole bottle of Guinness cooking. half to the roast, half to the cook! The widget bottle and the widget can are not as bitter as the stubby bottles (aka Guinness Export).