Natwerk Designs

recipe suggestions?

what's a good recipe for Jumbalaya? i have one that i got off of America's Test Kitchen, but it's not that great. I want one that will wow people. any suggestions?

Public Comments

1. INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced onion 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 1/2 cup diced celery 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic 1 cup converted long-grain white rice 4 ounces smoked sausage, cut into slices 4 ounces cooked ham, cut into bite-size pieces 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1 bay leaf 2 (15 ounce) cans ranch-style beans, undrained DIRECTIONS Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper and celery, until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, and cook another minute. Add rice, sausage and ham. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, to coat the rice with oil, stirring frequently. Pour in tomatoes with green chiles and chicken broth. Season with thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the beans, mix well and heat through. Or INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup butter 1 large onion, diced 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste 3 tablespoons Creole Seasoning Blend 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes 7 cups chicken stock 3 cups chopped cooked ham 3 cups cooked andouille sausage, sliced 3 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 3 cups frozen cooked shrimp 4 cups uncooked long-grain white rice DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in large stock pot. Saute onion, green pepper, celery and garlic until tender, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add tomato paste and cook to brown slightly, stirring constantly. Stir in Creole seasoning blend and Worcestershire sauce. Pour into a large roasting pan. Squeeze tomatoes to break up into pieces, and add to mixture in pan. Stir in juice from tomatoes, chicken stock, ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp and rice. Mix well. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, stirring once halfway through baking time.
2. 1 lb. boneless chicken, cubed; AND/OR 1 lb. shrimp, boiled in Zatarain's and peeled; OR 1 lb. leftover holiday turkey, cubed; OR 1 lb. of any kind of poultry or fish, cubed; OR Any combination of the above 1 lb. (hot) smoked sausage, andouille or chaurice, sliced on the bias; OR 1 lb. diced smoked ham 1 large onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 3 - 6 cloves garlic, minced (amount to taste; I like lots) 4 ribs celery, chopped 3 small cans tomato paste 4 large Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; OR 1 28-oz. can tomatoes 8 cups good dark homemade chicken stock Creole seasoning blend to taste (or 2 - 3 tablespoons); OR 2 teaspoons cayenne, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teapsoon thyme 2 bay leaves Salt to taste 4 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked (Some people like converted rice, others prefer good old Mahatma. I use Uncle Ben's converted, as the rice doesn't get sticky or lumpy that way.) In a sauté or frying pan, brown the chicken, sprinkling with Tony Chachere's seasoning if you've got it; a bit of salt, black pepper and red pepper otherwise. Don't brown if using leftover cooked bird, but you still might want to season the meat. Tear or cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Brown the sliced smoked sausage or andouille and pour off fat. In the pot, sauté the onions, garlic, peppers and celery in oil until onions begin to turn transparent. In the same pot, while you're sautéing the "trinity", add the tomato paste and let it pincé, meaning to let it brown a little. What we're going for here is an additional depth of flavor by browning the tomato paste a little; the sugar in the tomato paste begins to caramelize, deepening the flavor and color. Keep it moving so that it browns but doesn't burn. Some friends of mine hate this step, so you can skip it if you want, but then it won't be Chuck's jambalaya. :^) Once the vegetables are translucent and the tomato paste achives sort of a red mahogany color, deglaze the pan with the about 2 cups of the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix up any browned bits, and stir until smooth, making sure the sautéed vegetables, paste and stock are combined thoroughly. It should be fairly thick. Add the Creole seasoning, tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the meat and/or seafood and cook another 10 minutes; if you're using seafood, be careful not to overcook it. Add the rest of the stock, check seasonings, and stir in the rice, combining thoroughly. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is cooked through. If you haven't checked your seasonings before adding the rice, it's too late! It's much better for the rice to absorb the seasonings while it's cooking. Check seasoning anyway, then turn the heat down to low-medium and let the sauce thicken up a bit, with the pot uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients. When the jambalaya has thickened up a bit and has reached the "right" consistency (you'll know), it's done. Serve with salad and French bread.
3. Zatairans I brown the chicken and sausage and then make the Zatairans according to package. Simple and easy