Jambalaya Pasta

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Jambalaya Pasta

Now that school is back in session, and fall sports and activities are underway, on weeknights it can be hard to find time time to prepare a proper dinner in the kitchen on those evenings when you have a million things going on.

This quick Cajun-inspired pasta dish is just the ticket to get a delicious meal on the table fast, that the whole family will love. Kielbasa is sliced and sauteed with some garlic, onion, and green peppers. Then seasoned with a bit of my homemade Cajun seasoning. A quick pan sauce is made with the addition of tomato sauce and cream, and then it’s all tossed together with cooked pasta to make for one delicious meal. Dinner is done in twenty, you can’t beat it!

I like to serve it with something green on the side to bump up the veggie factor – something like a nice green salad or a side of steamed broccoli are great ideas. Add this to the menu soon for a night when you need something quick, but filling! You won’t be disappointed.

Jambalaya Pasta

12 oz Farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb Kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup heavy cream
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
3/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 (15) oz can tomato sauce
kosher salt
black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

In a large pot, boil water for pasta. Salt water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Add butter to large skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring occasionally until nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion and green pepper to the pan and saute until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken broth to skillet, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Let liquid reduce by half, about three minutes.

Stir in tomato sauce. Add cream and heat to almost bubbling, then reduce heat to low. Return the kielbasa to the sauce. Let sauce simmer for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta to the pan, as well as the parsley, and freshly grated Parmesan. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Source: adapted from Plain Chicken

Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry

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Mongolian Beef

Another take-out fake out favorite for you guys today! Mongolian beef is one of my favorite things on a Chinese menu, but I usually don’t order it because the beef is so tough and fatty. By making it at home you can choose the cut of beef that you want, ensuring a lean and tender bite.

In this case I used a sirloin that I cut down into thin strips. A quick stir fry with some garlic, ginger, and a quick sauce made up from things in the pantry. 10 minutes from start to finish! I served on a bed of white rice with some steamed broccoli on the side.

I really don’t think you could order out as quickly as you can have this on the table. And, it’s much better for your family, obviously. We love our fake-out take out nights around here!

Mongolian Beef

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound steak (sirloin or flank), sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 cup green onion, sliced (for garnish)

For the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Sriracha
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tsp sesame oil

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the beef and saute until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds more.

In a liquid measuring cup mix the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, cornstarch, beef broth, and sesame oil. Pour into the pan with the beef and cook until it thickens , about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Garnish with green onions before serving.

Source: adapted from Food Network Magazine, March 2010

 

Homemade Hamburger Helper

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Homemade Hamburger Helper

As the third-trimester winds down, and we get closer and closer to the due date – I’m getting tireder and tireder of just about everything, cooking included. So, a go-to easy meal like this one is a lifesaver on those nights when I’m just exhausted.

I’ve always secretly loved a bowl of Hamburger Helper, but hated the fact that I couldn’t pronounce half of the things on the ingredients label. Not to mention the astronomical sodium content…and, the fact that you feel like you have a lead pellet sitting in your stomach for hours afterwards. I knew I could do better at home!

So I set out to make a homemade version, and I tried a few before I finally settled on one that I really loved. It takes the same amount of time to bring together as the box you buy in the store, and is about a million times better – both on the health front as well as taste. Ingredients like basic spices in your pantry, milk, pasta, and lots of freshly shredded cheddar cheese are the only things on my ingredient list.

You could easily pre-mix a few batches of the spices and pasta together and store them in a resealable bag to have them ready to go – making this dinner even quicker and easier. It always feels great to kick yet another boxed processed mix to the curb!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

1 pound ground beef (I like 90/10)
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups elbow macaroni (or whatever pasta type you like)
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

For the spice mix:
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the spice mix. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Drain any rendered fat. Add hot water, milk, pasta and spice mix. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Remove cover and add the shredded cheese, stirring to combine until melted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary before serving.

Source: adapted from Food.com via Iowa Girl Eats

(Crockpot) Red Beans and Rice

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Red Beans & Rice (Slow Cooker)

I’m convinced that I was Cajun in a previous life. Maybe it’s just something about the land and the lifestyle that reminds me so much of my life here on the Eastern Shore – but I definitely feel a connection to those bayous in Louisiana. Even though I’ve never stepped foot in one…

I was shocked when I realized I’d never made red beans and rice. Sausage isn’t my favorite thing on the planet, but after feeding my three guys – who love it – for a couple of years, I’ve started to come around. The flavor that it gives to whatever it is you’re cooking it with can’t be attained by any other means, and it holds up well to cooking in a slow cooker. Yesterday I had a really busy day running errands and spent most of the afternoon in the dentist chair, so I threw this together in the morning before I left to head out the door. By 4:30 PM when I was finally heading home I was so thankful to know that dinner was ready and waiting for me when I returned.

I used andouille and kielbasa, for a double wallop of smokey porky flavor. Combined with tender and creamy red beans, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a thick tomato sauce – it was the perfect meal at the end of a long day. I served it over rice to soak up all of those delicious juices, but served it with a salad and homemade cornbread for good measure. The boys both wanted seconds, and I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest for lunch this week. With Mardi Gras coming up next Tuesday, it would be a perfect meal to put together in the Crockpot while you’re at work.

Giving you more time to pour yourself a Hurricane, and laissez-les bon temps rouler when you get home! This one is definitely a keeper in my book, I hope you guys enjoy it too.

(Crockpot) Red Beans and Rice

1 lb. dried small red beans, soaked overnight or use the quick-cook method
8 strips bacon, chopped
2 lbs. of sausage cut into 1 inch slices (I used 1 package andouille and 1 package of kielbasa)
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 (4 oz.) can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Worstershire sauce
1 Tbsp hot sauce
Additional hot sauce, for serving
Cooked rice, for serving
chopped green onions, for garnish (optional)

Cook bacon in a large frying pan, drain on paper towels and set aside. Add sausage to rendered bacon fat and cook until browned. Remove and place in crockpot.

Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook until veggies are starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and mash into the veggies to combine, letting cook in the skillet until starting to brown – about 5 minutes.

Carefully add the water and combine with tomato paste, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits that have accumulated. Pour mixture into slow cooker.

Add the beans, bacon, chicken broth, bay leaves, salt, pepper, Worstershire, and hot sauce to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the beans are soft and starting to break down.

Serve over rice. Garnish with green onions and serve with additional hot sauce, if desired.

Source: adapted from My Biscuits are Burning