One Pot Cajun Style Red Beans and Rice

I posted this recipe about two years ago and referenced today to make dinner.  I realized as I was making it that I could make some minor adjustments to make it better.  So... here is the new and improved version of my red beans and rice.  Now in an easy one pot recipe.

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm all about easy meals.  What choice do I have?  I have other obligations that keep me from being in the kitchen all day (darn!).  So here I have an easy way for you to make red beans and rice without compromising your cooking integrity by using a box (also, less sodium than the box).

I should also mention that my family does not do spicy very well, but I know that many of you out there love to have your mouth on fire.  For you, I will include some spicy alternatives.  You're welcome.

What you'll need:

• 1 can of red beans (undrained) [spicy alt: creole cream style red beans: New Orleans spicy]
• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (undrained) [spicy alt: Rotel]
• roll of sausage (regular, green onion, or jalapeno)
• 1 cup rice (uncooked)
• 1 T Tony's creole seasoning
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 T parsley (because I put parsley in everything)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• 1 cup water
• pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper (optional)

**Salt is not necessary for this recipe.**

What to do:

Slice up sausage and put in a medium to large pot.  Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until it starts to brown.  

Add garlic and let cook an additional 30 seconds.  Add everything else.  If you do use salt, be careful to only use a tiny amount since the sausage and Tony's are already salty.

Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover.  Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately with cornbread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: About 45 minutes

Serves: 5-6

How to Make Delicious Mushroom Chicken from Frozen Chicken

Fun fact: I am notorious for not having anything thawed out when it comes time to start dinner.  It's kind of awful, really.  So a lot of the times I end up baking frozen chicken.  If you have ever done that, you have found that is it quite difficult to do without it drying out.

Well, I am here to tell you that I rarely ever thaw my chicken out ahead of time, and it always ends up juicy and tender.  In fact, dinner tonight was completely thrown together.  Something I have never made, but it sounded like it would all work out.

It did.  And it was not only yummy, but super easy. I even had a bag of mushrooms in the freezer that I had previously chopped up (from the Shepherd's Pie!), so that cut a few minutes off of my prep time.  Actually, it was so unplanned, I didn't even think to take a picture until I had my plate made.  Whoops.  You'll get the idea, though.

Side note: I have yet to research the benefits of using avocado oil instead of olive oil, but I have been using it a lot lately. You can still use olive oil where I call for avocado.

What you'll need:

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is okay)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 can (10,5 oz) cream of mushroom
• 1/4 can of water
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 T rosemary
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• avocado oil
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange chicken breasts in a square baking pan.  Drizzle with avocado oil, making sure to get some on the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle all seasonings over the chicken, then the minced onions.

Heat oil in the bottom of a skillet over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and cook until brown, about 4 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add cream of mushroom soup.  Put a tiny bit of water in the can, about 1/4 of the way full, and add it to the skillet.  Stir and let warm completely through until the entire mixture is an even consistency.

Pour mushroom sauce evenly over and in between the chicken.  Bake for 40-45 minutes if you used frozen chicken (25 minutes if thawed), or until cooked through.  (According to the USDA, the safe internal temperature for poultry is 165°F.  I think it is perfect around 145-153°F because I absolutely hate dry chicken.  White meat is always so dry.  If you feel iffy about it, cut it in half to see how done it is, and make your own call.)

The pan will be full of juices that would be great for making a gravy.  Remove chicken from the juice and serve hot.

Enjoy.

Prep time: About 5 minutes

Cook time: 40-60 minutes (depending on if you use thawed or frozen chicken)

Serves: 4

Shrimp Pasta in Tomato Herb Sauce

If you're in an Italian mood but don't really want spaghetti or alfredo, I have a recipe for you.  This was something I threw together when I discovered I had no tomato sauce in my pantry (that's when you know it's time for me to go grocery shopping).


What you'll need:

• 12-16 oz medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 large tomatoes, diced (keep all of the juices with it)
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 tbs parsley
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano 
• lemon juice from half a lemon (or a capful of the bottled stuff)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 box (8oz.) small shells
• grated parmesan

What to do:

Combine tomatoes (and juice), olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and herbs and spices into a large skillet. Bring to a low boil. Cover and let simmer on medium low heat for about 5-6 minutes*.  While this is happening, start the water for your pasta.

Add shrimp and re-cover.  Continue to simmer on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until shrimp is bright pink (about 10 minutes).

Add shrimp and sauce to cooked pasta.

Sprinkle with some parmesan and enjoy!

Total cook time: About 25 minutes

Serves: 4

*If you want a more fresh taste, you can skip this step. I strongly dislike the taste of raw tomatoes, so I let them cook a little longer.  If you're not sure, you can cook the shrimp in the sauce first and taste it when the shrimp are done.  If you don't think the tomatoes are cooked enough, remove the shrimp and cook the sauce for an extra 5-6 minutes.