Tag: green pepper
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
- 1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned
- 2 teaspoons bay seasoning
- Salt
- 1 pound andouille sausage, casing taken off
Sprinkle the bay seasoning and salt on the shrimp and keep in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ large green pepper, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh or frozen okra
- Salt
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook on medium heat to create a brownish red roux- it should take about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper, celery, thyme and bay. Saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the white wine, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Add the okra and sausage. Break the sausage with the back of spatula. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Place the cover and cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for another ten minutes. Check for seasonings. Add the shrimp and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with rice.
Chicken Paprikash
I saw Michael Symon make this recipe on some show and was reminded of a dish my Mom used to make for us… so I kind of blended the two and came up with my own version.. it is a great weekday, healthy meal to serve your family…
- 5 to 6 chicken drumsticks, with skin
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix the paprika, garlic, oil and salt in a small bowl. Rub all over the chicken and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 small green pepper, chopped
- 1 small red pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 14 ounces crushed tomato
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup dill, chopped
Heat a heavy saucepan with the butter and olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces on medium high heat on all sides. Take out of the pan and keep the chicken pieces aside. Add the thyme, onion, peppers and paprika. Saute on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the crushed tomato and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chicken back to the pan with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer on lower heat, covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Take the lid off the take the chicken pieces out to take off the bone (you can leave on the bone if desired). In the meantime, add the flour to the sour cream, mix well and add to the pan. Mix well and add salt if needed. Add the parsley and dill. Mix well and serve with egg noodles.
Hoppin John- A New Year’s Eve Tradition
I was doing an article for the patch for New Years. My editor told me something about a tradition in the South called Hoppin John. I had never heard to the dish or the tradition and decided to do some research.
Turns out it is a dish made with rice and beans. It is to be eaten at midnight, New Year’s eve to bring good luck. The idea is to eat poor that night and eat rich the rest of the year.
Sounded good to me. As I read a bit more, I noticed it is usually made with some pork product and is served with some Southern style greens. I started thinking and decided to make mine with pancetta. I added some onions, garlic and green peppers to that. I also added dried thyme and made it mine by adding- yes, you guessed it- smoked paprika. I sauteed the mixture and added a can of black eyed peas, the rice and chicken broth. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added a lot of baby spinach.
I decided to make this into a one pot meal and healthy. Since traditionally the dish is served with greens, I decided to add mine right into the rice and beans.
The result was a delicious and quick comforting dish. Definitely make this for New Year’s Eve to ensure good luck for the rest of the Year- and Happy New Year to you and your family!
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 1/2 ounce can of black eyed peas
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces baby spinach
Heat a saucepan with the pancetta and olive oil. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, onion, garlic and green pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and mix well. Add the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan half way. Simmer for 10 minutes and cover all the way and lower the heat. Cook for another ten minutes and turn the heat off. Let it sit for ten minutes and add the spinach, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.
Chicken Cheese Steak
I made this sandwich after I reviewed a local eatery in Maplewood- Maplewood Deli and Grille. My friend and I had a quick meal including a chicken cheese steak sandwich and an order of fries. I love eating fries but never end up ordering them- too much fat. These fries were incredible with some kind of a flour coating- oh my, talk about carb heaven!
The sandwich was delicious as well. One of the best things about it were the crispy potatoes topping the chicken and the green peppers.
As I thought of replicating this sandwich, I knew I would make it healthier, but how? I used white meat chicken pieces for the filling and paired fresh green peppers and onions for the sandwich. To replicate the potatoes I diced them up small and roasted them in a very hot oven with a bit of olive oil. You can also cook them on the stove in a skillet- as shown below. It resulted in really crispy potatoes- yum!
The sandwich was delicious- a whole meal. It had the meat, veggies and potatoes- what more do you want? It was fresh tasting and crispy and crunchy. I served it for dinner with beer for my husband and wine for me. That’s right, I had a glass of wine with the sandwich- I like my wine and it was delicious!
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Chicken Curry Pizza
This creation came about without any planning. I love using leftovers for things like pizza toppings, quesadilla fillings, etc.
I believe it was a Friday and I bought pizza dough from our local pizzeria. I didn’t have any specific toppings in mind. I had my homemade tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese in the fridge- so I wasn’t worried.
I knew my daughter would ask for a plain pizza. I made her a delicious pizza with the tomato sauce and shredded cheese with some lettuce leaves on the side- good, healthy meal.
I decided to do pizza carbonara for myself. Since it would be made without tomato sauce, I knew my husband would not be interested. He loves his tomato sauce. So, for him I added the tomato sauce and the cheese and looked for a topping in the fridge. That is when the chicken curry stood out. I also took out half a green pepper and some onion. I decide to saute the vegetables and add them to the pizza with the chicken chunks.
My husband’s pizza definitely passed the ‘look’ test- it was gorgeous with all the vibrant colors. Once it came out of the oven oozing with melted cheese, my husband was very excited. It was delicious. The crunchy green pepper and velvety onions went really well with the savory chicken pieces.
Overall it was a big success. So, the next time you have leftovers in the fridge- consider using them as a pizza topping.