Chicken & Seafood Jambalaya

This meal seems complicated, but since it all goes together in the end it's not too hard. The trick is to assemble all the ingredients before you start, so all the prep and chopping is done when you are ready to cook.
Add a loaf of warm fresh bread, and it makes a great meal for a cold day!


Chicken & Seafood Jambalaya

Seasoning Mix:
2 whole bay leaves
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1-1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.


2-1/2 Tbsp chicken fat or pork lard (for you sissies, oil will work...)
2/3 cup cubed smoked ham or tasso
1/2 cup smoked sausage, bite size
1-1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup uncooked chicken, bite size
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1-1/2 cup medium shrimp (1/2 lb)

In a 4-quart sauce pan, melt the fat over medium heat. Add the sausage and ham, saute 7-8 minutes.
Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, saute until tender, but firm, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken, raise heat to high and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, add the seasoning mix and minced garlic, cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add tomatoes and cook until the chicken is tender, about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the tomato sauce, cook 7 minutes, stirring fairly often. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Then stir in the green onions and cook 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and remove from heat.

Serve over rice.

Options: Add 10 oz. can oysters...
Also, the original recipe called for 2 cups of uncooked converted rice added to the mixture when you add the shrimp. Transfer to an ungreased 8x8 pan, cover snugly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve immediately, with more rice.

Fettuccini Alfredo - Sauce

Everybody loves Alfredo sauce on noodles, it is usually on fettuccine noodles (yumm) but, any noodles will do... sometimes I feel like a shell or gemelli so I don't get the sauce all over my chin! The second option is to add chicken or not. Either way is very tasty, but I admit since the movie Julie/Julia a piece of chicken sauteed in butter, with garlic and then sliced and placed on top of the fettuccine is a bonus. In fact the last time I made this dish, I sauteed sliced mushrooms with minced garlic in butter, and put a heaping spoonful on top of the noodles and sauce.
And don't forget the garlic bread and extra shaved fresh Parmesan!

Fettuccine Sauce

1- 8oz. package cream cheese
3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. cooked fettuccine noodles

In a saucepan, stir together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter and milk over low heat until smooth. Serve over noodles.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My favorite recipe for oatmeal cookies comes right off the Quaker Oatmeal cannister! It's found under the lid and it makes the best cookies!

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups Quaker Oats, old fashioed, uncooked
1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, mix well.
5. Stir in oats and raisins, mix well.
6. Drop by teaspoonsfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Cool 1 minute on a cookie sheet, remove to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen

Colonial Bread

I also baked colonial bread - it is white bread with honey, pecans and orange peel. I left out the orange peel on accident, and when I make it again I will leave out the pecans or chop them much finer. I do want to try it one more time with the orange peel... sounds like that yummy Italian bread you get at Christmas time! You can taste the honey, but the bread is not sweet. Definitely comfort food!

COLONIAL BREAD

1/2 cup hot water
1 cup milk (yep, fresh goats milk)
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp salt
1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
6 cups white flour
1/2 cup finely chopped candied orange peel
1 cup pecans, in coarse pieces

Mix 1/2 cup hot water with the milk, honey, and salt in a large bowl, cool to lukewarm.

In a separate container, stir the yeast into 1/2 cup warm water and let stand 5 minutes to dissolve.

Add the dissolved yeast and 3 cups of flour to the first mixture and beat vigorously.

Add 2 more cups of flour and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for a minute or two, and let rest for 10 minutes. Using the remaining flour only if the dough is too sticky to handle, resume kneading until smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl and let rise in a warm, draft free place until double in bulk. Punch down and knead in the candied orange peel and pecans.

Shape into two loaves, place in greased loaf pans, cover, and let rise until almost double in size. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 45-55 minutes, remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Homemade Bread

I baked bread yesterday - it was easier than I thought and very tasty!
To start with the basics, I made regular white bread. I find myself going back to the "Fannie Farmer Cookbook" a lot, it is full of old-fashioned traditional recipes, and I love it. The house smells really good too!



White Bread

2 Tbsp butter
2-1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup hot milk (of course I used fresh goats milk!)
1 cup hot water
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
6 cups white flour


Mix the butter, salt, and sugar in a large bowl, add the hot milk and hot water (one cup), and let cool to lukewarm.

In a small bowl or cup mix the yeast with 1/4 cup warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.

Add the dissolved yeast and 3 cups of flour to the first mixture, and beat until blended. Add 2 more cups of flour, mix, and turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead for a minute or two and then let rest for 10 minutes.

Adding just enough of the remaining flour so that the dough is not sticky, resume kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Put the dough into a large, greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until double in bulk. Punch down and shape into two loaves. Place in greased loaf pans, cover, and let double in bulk again.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes more. Remove from pans and cool on racks.


All you need now is soft butter and maybe some jam, homemade jam!