AMAZING GUMBO

Why is its perfect time for Gumbo? The weather is turning cooler and just about everything you'll need to make your dish complete just might be fresh out of the garden. Most important it's delicious comfort food any time! This recipe serves 6 with plenty of room for leftovers for tomorrows lunch.

6 chicken thighs

2 links spicy summer sausage  sliced

3 cups medium shrimp peeled and cleaned

3 large tomatoes

3 cups sliced okra

1 medium onion

2 cups chopped mushrooms

2 small jalapeno

3 large garlic cloves

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1tsp fresh cilantro

1tsp fresh basil

 1/2 cup chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 14oz package of white rice

Boil chicken thighs for one hour in a stock pot. Remove from pot and set aside to cool saving chicken broth.

Dice tomatoes and add to chicken broth. Slice okra and dice three remaining vegetables.  Add to chicken broth along with crushed garlic. Simmer on medium heat for at least 30 minutes or until okra is tender but not completely cooked and falling apart.

Remove chicken from bones and loosely shred the meat leaving large pieces. Add sliced sausage, tomato sauce, cilantro, basil. Chili powder, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer on low for an  additional 15 minutes. After fifteen minutes add cleaned shrimp. Simmer for 10 minutes.

GRILLED SQUASH CASSEROLE

Anything that I can cook on the grill will go on the grill.  I love keeping the outdoors where it belongs and minimizing the cleanup.  Sometimes it pays to get very creative.  But it will always turn out good, and worth the effort.  This tasty dish was so good I just know I will do it again.  Serves 4 to 6 depending on how much you are willing t share.



2 medium yellow squash
1 small white onion
2 tablespoons Fiesta Uncle Chris's Seasoning
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 Cup shredded Asiago Cheese

Slice squash and onion.  Alternate 2 separate layers of each in a grill safe pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray.  Sprinkle the top of each layer with Uncle Chris's Seasoning and garlic powder.  Whisk together sour cream, water and corn starch in a bowl.  Pour liquid over squash and top with bread crumbs.  Place on the top shelf of a medium grill for approximately one hour.  Open and test squash.  If tender top with cheese (if not cook a little longer).   Sprinkle with cheese and cook uncovered for an additional five minutes.  Let cool for ten minutes before serving (allowing the brother to fully set).

BREAKFAST QUESADILLA

1 large white potato

8 slices of bacon
10 oz spicy pork sausage
4 large eggs
¼ cup milk
 Kosher salt and Ground pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt

2 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese

4 burrito size flour tortillas

Salsa and Sour Cream

 

Dice potato into bite size pieces and place in large skillet with one teaspoon of oil.  Cook on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes until they begin to turn golden brown.  Slice bacon into pieces and cook with potatoes until crisp.  Remove from skillet and drain but do not discard bacon grease.  Brown sausage in same skillet.  Once sausage is brown return potato and bacon to skillet and remove from stove.  Whisk egg, milk, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic together in a mixing bowl.  Return about 1/8 cup of bacon grease to skillet with potato and meat.   Pour egg mixture in skillet and turn heat to medium.  Once egg begins to set rotate a spatula around the edges lifting slightly allowing liquid to drain beneath the cooking egg.  This allows the egg to become fluffier.   Once as much egg as possible has been rotated gently kneed the egg over several times, flipping when possible.  When egg is done and no more liquid is visible remove from stove.

Heat a griddle (I use my breakfast griddle) on high.  Let warm for at least 5 minutes and turn to a medium heat.  Place one tortilla on the hot griddle.  Layer ½ of the shell with shredded cheese, covering generously.  Place ¼ of the egg mixture on top of the cheese and cover with another generous portion of shredded cheese.  Place the other ½ of the tortilla over the egg and cheese.  With a spatula flatten quesadilla as much as possible without losing any of the filling.  Once bottom of shell has become brown and crisp flip and allow other side to become brown and crisp.  Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes so cheese is slightly cooled.  Cut into four pieces.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Repeat process for remaining three tortillas.

DOUBLE PLEASURE MAC'N CHEESE

If you find Mac'N Cheese to be one ultimate comfort dish you"ll enfoy this version. I'm not a big fan of a backed take on the dish, but why not?  I wanted something that wasn't part of the normal menu. I call this  Double Pleasure because of the creamy cheese and crunchy topping.

1 16oz pkg large shell noodle
1 cup milk
1 cup french onon dip
1/2 cup butter
2 cups diced Velveeta cheese
1 1/2 cup diced pepper jack cheese
1 1/2 cup colby jack chees
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup crispy onion toppers crumbed

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking warm milk, french onion and butter  in a 3 quart sauce pan on medium heat. Add velveete and whisk until completley blended. Add remaining cheese small amounts at a time and stir until completley melted.
Remove pasta from heat once done and drain. Do not rinse. Pour into a 9 x 9 baking dish that has beem coated with cooking spray. Pour cheese sauce over pasta Top with bread crumbs, and than onion toppers. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden brown.

VEGAN SPAGHETTI BAKE

Just to be clear (and proper) all vegan recipes posted here belong to my daughter who shares credit for this blog with me. I've tried her dishes before and I can't wait to try this one. I love italian!


1 16 oz pkg Spaghetti
1 14 oz Tofurkey Italian Sausage
1 8 oz pkg Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
1 pkg Daiya Prvolone slices
3 Cups Marinara Sauce (see recipe below)
Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper to taste

Cook speghatti according to package directions and drain. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking process. Dice and gently saute sausage seasoned with Salt and Pepper. Stir constantly to avoid burning.  Seat sausage aside for later use.

I used the following fresh marinara sauce (made in advance):

Four large beefstake hothouse tomatoes
1/2 cup diced Onion
3 large Garlic Cloves minced
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tbs Oregano
2 Basil leaves
1 Tbs Thyme
1 Tbs Rosemary
1 Tbs Cilantro
Kosher Salt to taste

Quarter 4 Tomatoes and place in a medium pot of boiling water.
Saute onion and garlic in saucepan with heated olive oil.  Saute for three minutes and remove setting aside. Once tomatoe skins have seperated from the tomatoe lift from boiling water.  Remove skins from tomatoe with a fork by gently placing fork under skin and lifting.  Puree tomatoes in blender and add to onion/garlic.  Stir in all herbs with salt and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Any can sauce will due. Just be sure to chech the ingredients.

Brush a 4 X 6 baking dish with olive oil. Layer bottom with 1/3 of noodles, sausage, and sauce in order. Top with mozerella cheese and  provolne cheese.  Complete layers 2 more times. Bake uncovered in a 350° preheated oven for 30 minutes.