This recipe was another instant favorite. Lots of flavor with all of the Cajun seasonings, both the rice and shrimp have warm flavor with a little punch of heat too. I made my Cajun seasonings as listed below but you can certainly buy the seasoning already made in the spice aisle of the store to make the recipe even easier.
Robby has requested this recipe stay in our regular dinner rotation so that says it all!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups uncooked long grain white rice
2 2/3 cup chicken broth
1 pound large peeled, deveined and tail off shrimp
4 Tablespoons melted butter, divided (I used earth’s Balance)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
CAJUN SEASONING
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers
DIRECTIONS
Mix together all of the ingredients for the cajun seasoning.
Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stir in garlic, half of the Cajun seasoning and the rice. Mix to combine.
Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice in the minute time frame.
While the rice is cooking prepare the shrimp by stirring together The remaining 2 Tablespoons of melted butter and Cajun seasoning, pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Stir the shrimp into the rice then cover and cook until shrimp is pink and opaque.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
This dish got RAVE reviews from my family, BUT with that being said it’s a spicy dish. A really spicy dish, my guys love spice and even Robby asked me to tame it just slightly for next time! The recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of chili powder so I will back it down to 1/2 Tablespoon and go from there, I will also remove the seeds from the jalapeño. This is great served over rice but I decided I would give the boys the option of rice or mashed potatoes for a change of pace. Both guys said they preferred the dish with mashed potatoes.
I made this in the crockpot for an easy day of cooking!
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Jalapeño, sliced and seeds removed if desired
2 cloves of garlic , chopped
2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken, I used chicken breasts but thighs would be great too
16 ounce can of tomato sauce
7 ounce can of chipotle in adobo sauce
1/2 Tablespoon or up to 1 Tablespoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Season your chicken with salt and pepper and place them in your slow cooker.
Heat oil in a pan to medium heat and add the diced onion and jalapeño, cook them just until soft. About five minutes. Then add them into the slow cooker with the chicken.
Add the tomato sauce, the chipotle in Adobe sauce into a blender and blend until smooth, add the seasonings and mix again. Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 3 hours or high for 2 hours until the chicken is tender.
When the chicken is cooked through shred the chicken, this can be done right in the slow cooker with two forks.
Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
Enjoy!
For many, many years now I have been making my own Chinese food for New Years Eve. I keep it very simple but this year I added a couple new recipes to my usual fried rice and egg rolls. I added as Asian ginger salad dressing to a simple salad along with the recipe I’m sharing today the Boneless Chinese Ribs. When our daughter Amanda was little she would always call them the “red things” so anytime we got Chinese take out we always made sure to order the red things for her! I think she still calls them that to this day!
This was my first time making them at home and I did make a couple changes to keep them gluten free for Robby and I did NOT add the food coloring to the sauce that gives them that red color that we all know. I can say this was super simple to make and we all enjoyed them. They are not quite the same as what you get from your favorite take out place but a great at home option.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 pounds boneless pork loin or boneless spare ribs. I used the loin
1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce, I used gluten free but any will work
1/4 cup fry red wine
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice
2 drops natural red food coloring, optional
DIRECTIONS
Thinly slice the pork into strips about 3 inches long and place in a large disposable plastic bag.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined and pour the marinade into the bag with the pork and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least four hours or up-to over night.
When ready to cook pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil and top with a baking rack.
Place the pork slices on top reserving the marinade. Depending on the size of your pork slices bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
Add the reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat.
When the pork is cooked through remove the pan from the oven and pour the sauce over the pork. Move the oven rack to the top portion of the oven and turn the oven to broil.
Put the pan back into the oven for just a couple minutes to get some of those crispy edges and the sauce carmalized. Keep an eye on them during this part as they will burn quickly. Remove from oven and serve.
Enjoy!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday. The first recipe I am giving you for the New year became a family favorite Very quickly, so much so that both Jim and Robby have requested it again for next week! I’m not going to argue with them as I loved them as much as they did! The meatballs balls are light and the sauce is a party in your mouth. I was originally making these as an appetizer but then decided to serve them over rice as that has been one of Robbys favorite things lately. I don’t mind making rice anymore as I just bought a new little Black and Decker rice machine that I absolutely love. I bought it on Amazon for under $20.00 and I have gotten my money back on it already. If you serve them as an appetizer or main course I think your family will be just as happy as mine.
NOTE- I made this a second time using ground Turkey and the results are delicious! We loved this so much the first time so this time I doubled the meatball portion of the recipe BUT kept the sauce recipe as is. The sauce recipe makes plenty of sauce even when doubling the meatballs!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 rolled oats , I used Bob’s red mill Gluten free, any will work
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup Vidalia onion, chopped
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 barbecue sauce-I use a sweet BBQ sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
DIRECTIONS
Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the ground beef,oats, onions, egg, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until well combined but don’t over work the beef.
Using a small scoop or 2 Tablespoons at time roll the meat mixture into balls and place in a baking dish. Roll until all of the meat mixture has been used.
In a medium size bowl mix together all of the sauce ingredients until well combined. Pour over the meatballs and bake uncovered. Depending on the size of your meatballs cooking times can vary. My meatballs took 30 minutes. (I made about 20 meatballs) remove from oven when cooked through and serve as an appetizer or over cooked rice.
Enjoy!
This dish is from chef Michael Symon and let me just say it’s become one of Jim’s all time favorite recipes! I made this last week and he is still talking about it. This recipe does take some time and prep work but it’s well worth it. I rarely deep fry anymore but this recipe is a keeper and one I will be making again!
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage, I cheated and used pre shredded coleslaw
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 small jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Peanut oil for frying
1/4 cup rice flour
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons vodka
1/3 cup seltzer water
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl whisk to combine the vinegar, ginger, honey and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cabbage, carrot and jalapeño. Toss to combine refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
In a gallon size ziplock bag add 1/2 cup of cornstarch, one teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Shake to blend. Season both sides of the chicken with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the cornstarch making sure to coat all sides. Shake off excess. Place the chicken on a wire rack set on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered at least 2 hours upto over night. (I did this step for 4 hours)
Pour 4 inches of peanut oil in a heavy bottom pot. Set over medium high heat and heat oil to 360 degrees.
In a large bowl combine rice flour, turmeric, remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch, remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, the paprika and a pinch of salt. Whisk to blend. Add the vodka and seltzer. Stir until no lumps remain. Let stand for 1 minute.
When the oil is hot dip the chicken into the batter and allow the excess to drip off. Carefully add it to the oil and cook until lightly golden brown and crispy about 6 minutes. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate, season with a pinch of salt.
Serve immediately with the slaw.
Enjoy!