It has been a crazy week over here at Plum Pie. Work has been complete insanity and Miss G’s nap/sleep schedule has been a little off with daylight savings time. I mean, I can hardly complain but this mama really needs that extra 30 minutes to an hour of extra sleep in the am. So, for the past few days, I have been not been running at full capacity.
Sleep deprivation always makes me crave comfort food. Plus, it finally feels like Fall in Dallas! I picked up my trusty copy of Ina Garten’s Foolproof, dusted it off, and decided only jambalaya would do. Delicious, easy, relatively quick, and perfectly comforting. You can always count on Ina for a good meal. Plus, it is Andrew the H’s favorite. Brownie points for me!
This past weekend, we went to an awesome foodie event in Dallas called Chefs for Farmers. It was in the afternoon on Sunday, and the weather could not have been more perfect. We sat on the lawn at Lee Park and tasted lots of yummy bites from local restaurants and sampled way too much wine which made us extra chatty with the farmers there to showcase their products. Gracie loved hanging out in the sun, making new friends, and seeing old ones! We can’t wait for next year.
Jambalaya
Adapted from Ina Garten’s Foolproof
{Serves 8}
2 Tbl good olive oil
1.5 lbs andouille sausage
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 Tbl unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion (1.5 cups)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 cups celery, large-diced (3 large stalks)
2 cans Rotel OR 1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes plus 1 can diced green chiles
2 Tbl minced, seeded jalapeño peppers (2 peppers)
1 Tbl minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 Tbl tomato paste
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup beef consommé
2.5 cups long grain rice (such as Carolina, I use Texmati light brown rice)
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup sliced green onions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
pickled jalapenos, chopped for garnish
yellow mustard
Heat the olive oil in a very large (12-inch) Dutch oven. Add the sausage and brown on all sides. Remove the sausage and let cool. Cut sausage in half, then slice 1/2 inch thick.
Add the butter to the oil in the pot, then add the onions, bell peppers, celery, 1 Tbl salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over medium to medium high heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the rotel (or tomatoes and green chiles), jalapeños, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, cayenne, and 1.5 tsp smoked salt. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape the browned bits in the pot. Add the stock, rice, sausage, chicken, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the parsley, green onions, and lemon juice. Cover and allow to steam for 10-15 minutes, until the rice is tender. Discard the bay leaves and sprinkle with parsley and scallions. Serve hot with chopped pickled jalapeños and yellow mustard.
Enjoy!
