You Ever Eaten New Orleans Style?

New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice

After browsing through my William Sonoma Catalog a few days ago, I was intrigued by the recipes that were featured, they were all New Orleans inspired, in honor of Mardi Gras celebrated February 5th. I've only seen bits of Mardi Gras celebrations on tv (which looks completely out of my element), but the recipes I've tried have been terrific, including these Red Beans and Rice.

This recipe caught my attention when I saw it uses a pressure cooker. I use mine all the time and am always looking for more recipes for it. You can certainly make this recipe without a pressure cooker, it will just take longer to cook the beans. My family loved this southern style dinner. Lots of great flavor with the sauteed ham, sausage and veggis! I highly recommend trying it!

You've also got to try the Muffulettas in my last post, they are warm, crispy and delicious. They are also a New Orleans style favorite. My family went nuts for them Superbowl night. I'll be making them again soon.

New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice

^{(recipe adapted from William Sonoma Catalog)
1lb smoked beef sausage cut into 1/2” slices
1lb ham, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 anaheim chili pepper, finely diced
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts water
1 lb small red beans
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Steamed white rice for serving
Hot sauce for serving}

^{1. In a dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat, warm oil. Add sausage and ham; cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Add onion, chili peppers and parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and reduce heat to low.}

^{2. If using a pressure cooker, place water and beans into cooker; cover and pressure cook for 33-35 minutes, until beans are softened. If using a pot, follow directions on package to cook the beans.}

^{3. Transfer beans with liquid to ham/sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with white rice and top with hot sauce if desired.}

Quick Weeknight Pineapple Sesame Chicken

I hesitated posting this because I didn't like how my picture turned out, but my family loved this dinner so why not pass it on. I first saw the recipe on the blog called Closet Cooking.

Please note, I was supposed to marinate the chicken. However, when everyone's hungry sometimes marinating just doesn't happen in my house. If you make this in advance, follow the directions! It looks so much prettier!

I added a little more pineapple than the original recipe and added broccoli over the rice. This is a great dish I highly recommend trying. Enjoy!

Closet Cooking's Sesame Chicken

4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons ginger (grated)
1 pound chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 teaspoon peanut oil
4 servings cooked rice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
green onions to garnish

Directions:
1. Mix the soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, sugar, ginger and chicken in a ziplock bag and marinate in the fridge for about an hour.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the chicken and marinade to the pan and saute until the chicken is cooked and the sauce begins to thicken. (This is where I started the recipe and it tasted delish, if you don't feel like marinating)
4. Serve on cooked rice and garnish with the sesame seeds and green onion.

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

Phew, what a crazy last few weeks it's been. I hope I'm not the only one who feels like a chicken with her head cut off!

I still haven't made part 2 of my holiday plates, I hope to get to that soon. In the meantime, I managed to whip this up for our Sunday dinner and my family loved it. It's quick, easy and everyone loved it, you would have thought I spent all day on it. It's so nice to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning, and it's done for dinner. I seriously need to use my crockpot more!

Steam some rice and pour the chicken and broccoli over top. It's really tasty and kid friendly! Happy Holidays everyone!! I can't believe we've got just a week left!!

Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 14oz can cream of chicken soup
1 14 oz can cheddar soup
1 14 oz can chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I used Emeril’s brand)
¼ teaspoon garlic salt seasoning (Lawrys)
1 Cup sour cream
6 Cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed, just fork tender ( I cook it in boiling water for 3-4 minutes)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place soups, chicken broth, salt, Cajun and garlic seasoning into a crockpot over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Place chicken in, pressing to the bottom. Cover lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

2. When chicken is cooked, use 2 forks to shred into bite size pieces. Stir in sour cream and broccoli.

3. Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese.

4-6 servings