Learning to Cook

I have always been surrounded by wonderful cooks and bakers. While this has been delightful for my taste buds, I always wondered if I would ever be able to cook like them. When I lived in Brazil, I was forced to learn how to cook because the ingredients at my disposal were so different. The experience was, at first, frustrating. But, once I began to experiment, the world of cooking opened up to me. My recipe box is now brimming, and I thought others might be interested in trying some of the recipes I have found. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I plan to in the future! I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to add your own suggestions/comments.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Jambalaya Jubilee!


INGREDIENTS:

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - diced
* 3 cups chicken broth
* 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
* 1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
* 2 tablespoons vegetable/sunflower(from kansas yeah!)/peanut oil
* 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 2 carrots, thinly sliced
* 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
* 1/2 (8 ounce) can mushroom pieces, drained
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
* salt and pepper to taste
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 orange habanero, finely chopped (the most important ingredient)
* 1 16oz can of diced tomatoes (our’s were in cilantro and lime)
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* bag of frozen shimp

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft. Add the chicken and continue cooking and stirring so that it does not stick. When the chicken is browned, add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, bell pepper and sausage and shrimp.
2. Pour in the broth, and bring to a boil. Add the rice, and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until rice is tender and broth has been absorbed.

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