Jambalaya

Ok, no cake this time. Because this cake deserves documentation, and my camera is not being friends with my computer right now. So we'll come back to the cake later, maybe after I work off the 5lbs I gained eating it!

I've mentioned before that I like to cook on Sunday afternoons. D and I like to try new things on those days too - we've made dumplings, gnocchi, all sorts of goodness for the first time on Sundays. A few weeks ago I asked D what he wanted to make and he had one word for me: jambalaya.

Side note: This is why I love this man.

Anyway, neither of us have very much experience with jambalaya, and our version is less-than-authentic. He doesn't eat pork and I don't eat seafood so our meats were chicken and turkey sausage. Louisiana, I apologize. However inauthentic, it was still quite tasty!

Jambalaya

2 chicken breasts (1lb)

3 sausages (1lb)
extra virgin olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
2 onions
2 green peppers
6 celery stalks
Garlic
1/2 can tomato paste
6 green onion
chicken stock
salt and pepper
paprika
italian seasoning
cajun seasoning
4 bay leaves
1 can kidney beans
1 can black eyed peas
tabasco
3c rice
 
 
Saute chicken and turkey sausage with olive oil in a large pot until cooked through. Remove and drain meat. Saute chopped onion, pepper, and celery with garlic until onion is translucent.
 
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chicken broth and seasoning to pot. Season to taste.
 
Add rice. Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is done.
 
Return meat to pot. Serve warm.

Cuban Dinner

The actual Cuban name for this is Picadillo, but in my family it is simply known as Cuban Dinner. My whole extended family goes on vacation together quite a bit, and every time we are all together we convince my grandmother to make this. Though, I won't lie, its not much work to convince her :) My grandmother grew up in Cuba - my great grandfather was in the CIA and was based at Guantanamo. This is her recipe, based on what she ate in her childhood. Nowadays picadillo can be quite fancy, with potatoes or olives or capers or all sorts of yummy things mixed in, but this recipe is nice and simple. Just like Cuba, in the 30's.

Gran's Picadillo

1 lb ground beef
2 peppers
2 onions
Garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Red Wine
Cumin
Oregano
Black Beans
Rice

Brown beef in a large pan - it does not need to be done all the way, you'll be cooking it again. Remove beef from pan and saute chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. When the onions are done, remove 1/3 of the veggies and mix into the black beans. Return the beef to the pan with the remaining veggies. Add tomato paste plus 1 can-full each of water and red wine. Season to taste with cumin and oregano.

Serve with rice and black beans. My gran also serves with crusty bread or crackers.