Jambalaya, a Warm, Feel-Good Recipe for Cold Weather

Wow, almost two months between blogs this time - much too long. As to why, the answer is the same one I use when people ask me why it took close to twenty years to write Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket: Life got in the way.

Although it took a lot to get me to Florida this year, I am now happily enjoying the sunshine as I work on my travel memoir. 

While I am basking in the warm weather, because of my strong ties to Connecticut, I am also aware of the brutually cold weather that has overtaken that state. So, this month's blog is devoted to a recipe from my book that, although it is surely made all over the country during tailgating, is also a warm, feel-good dish for cold weather.

Joe's Jambalaya

Joe Cahn, Commissioner of Tailgating, says “This is my favorite recipe because you

can put just about anything in it. If it walks, crawls, swims or flies, it can be thrown into
Jambalaya. Everything goes into one pot so clean-up’s a breeze."
(12—15 servings)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
salt and ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs. sausage cut in 1/4-inch slices
4 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
5 cups chicken stock or water flavored with chicken bouillon
1 tbs. minced garlic
4 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet (browning agent)
2 tbsp. seasoning salt
2 cups chopped green onions
* Season chicken with salt and pepper; brown in hot oil in 8 quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat.
* Add sausage; cook 5-to-7 minutes.
* Remove chicken and sausage from pan; set aside.
* Add onions, celery, green peppers and garlic; cook, stirring 7-10 minutes or until vegetables begin to wilt.
* Stir in chicken stock, reserved chicken and sausage, seasoning salt and Kitchen Bouquet. Bring to a boil.
* Add rice and return to a boil.
* Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
* Cook 10 minutes; remove cover and quickly turn rice from top to bottom completely.
* Replace cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
* Stir in green onions.

For brown jambalaya, add 1 heaping tbsp. brown sugar to hot oil and caramelize, or

make a roux, or use Kitchen Bouquet. For red jambalaya, add approximately 1/4 cup
paprika or use 1/2 stock and 1/2 tomato juice or V-8 for your liquid. For seafood
jambalaya, add cooked seafood when rice is cooked.

If using an electric stove, reduce cooking time by 3-4 minutes.

Four Tips:

Use 1 cup of rice for every 2 cups of vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper.)

Use 1 1/4 cups of liquid for every 1 cup of uncooked rice.
1 cup of uncooked rice will make 3 cups of cooked rice, season accordingly.
Cook jambalaya for a total of 25 to 30 minutes, stirring well after 10 minutes.

Check out Joe's website at: www.tailgating.com

Recipe for Labor Day Parties

Labor Day Weekend originated as a way to honor the everyday working people, and I guess it still does so today. After all, we have a three-day weekend, a last hurrah for the end of one season and the start of another. What will you do to celebrate? If you fall into the majority, at some point during the weekend you will have a cookout or a picnic.

Here is one recipe that is fun to make and easy to serve for an at-home picnic but with a little planning can be prepared ahead, carried to your picnic in a cooler and assembled at the picnic site. Either way, it’s sure to wow anyone who gazes upon its colorful bounty. Oh, and it’s tasty too!!

Jan's Antipasto Platter (taken from Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket)

I start with a 24X16 inch platter, although any size will do depending on the number of people you plan to serve. Here is what I place on the platter:

First, the bottom is spread with lettuce leaves (I use Boston lettuce because the leaves are flat.) Then, I take one each of a green, orange, and yellow whole pepper, carefully shaving off the bottom if necessary to keep them standing straight, then hollow out the inside and arrange in opposite corners and middle of tray. They hold carrot sticks, burgundy olives and stuffed green olives. In the opposite corners of the tray I place two short ice cream dishes, one holding cherry tomatoes and the other, marinated mushroom caps. Somewhere in the middle of the tray sits a pile of sweet roasted red peppers and a tiny fork.

Now that the color palate is complete it is time to think about heartier fare. This is where the rolling, stabbing, stacking and threading begins, followed by the creative placement of each item in between the peppers and bowls.

First, one pound of ham and one pound of Swiss cheese are rolled up together, slice by slice, the ham on the outside and the cheese on the inside, held together with toothpicks. Each one in cut in half or thirds. A pound of hard salami is simply folded over, piece by piece, piled in two stacks and fanned out. Next, a stick of pepperoni is sliced into one-quarter to one-half inch slices, and a block of cheddar cheese is cut into cubes. Then they are threaded on colored plastic picks, first a pepperoni slice, then a cube of cheddar cheese, then another pepperoni. When I get tired of threading, I simply scatter the rest around to fill up empty spaces. Cheese twists (mozzarella and soft cheddar) are partially separated at the top pulling each of the three or four pieces down about 2 inches to form a curly top. These are placed in two separate piles on the tray, although I decide they would also look smashing standing up in something.

Finally, I add springs of fresh parsley here and there and a clear container of colorful plastic toothpicks.

This Antipasto Platter can be modified in dozens of exciting ways. Just have fun with it but don’t forget, it’s not only about filling up the platter with favorite foods, it’s also about the presentation. For your platter to be the attention-grabber it longs to be, there needs to be a variety of shapes and lots and lots of color.

Happy Labor Day.

National Banana Bread Day

February 23 was National Banana Bread Day, and although my schedule for yesterday was carefully planned so I would have time to post my incredible recipe for Banana Bread, it was not to be.

First, I had to make an emergency visit to the car dealer, and when I finally got to the library around mid-afternoon, I found I couldn't get on the internet because my wireless adapter had broken. Off to the store for a replacement and back again to discover the library was getting ready to close.

So, I am a day late. Nevertheless, in honor of National Banana Bread Day, here is one of my favorite recipes from my book, Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket. I hope you enjoy it.

BEST EVER BANANA NUT BREAD
(My Aunt Madeline's recipe dates back more than 75 years. If you like your bread sweet and moist, you will probably agree this really is the best.)

3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream, mixing well. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add this mix to creamed mixture alternately with the bananas. Stir in vanilla and nuts.
* Pour into greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pan.
* Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and bread breaks away slightly from the edge of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.

Greetings From a Happy Snowbird!

It has been almost one year since I started my blog, and this is the longest I have gone without posting an entry ~ over three weeks. For many reasons which are unimportant, it has taken me longer than usual to get here and settle in to the Florida life which I will enjoy for the next several weeks. And, how exciting it is to see sunny skies, sunsets, green grass, and flowers! I love it, and I wish I could have packed up all my friends and family and brought them along to share it with me, especially with the blustery weather back home.

I've even gone on two picnics so far. One was at Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, a 350-acre park with scenic drives, wildlife observation areas, and airboat and tram tours to search for wildlife. The other was at The Rookery in Venice, a small island for the protection of the wading and nesting birds that I love to photograph, including both the snowy and great egret and the great blue heron.

Both times I made Wild Rice and Ham Salad, simply because of its ease and simplicity, and because everyone who tastes it loves it. The rest of the suggested menu items are tortilla chips and Salsa, pumpkin or zucchini bread and watermelon, but any bread or fruit will do. I also like cherry tomatoes with this salad.

This recipe is from my book, Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket, 2nd Edition, and I am happy to share it with folks who are lucky enough to be in a climate suitable for picnicking in February; for everyone else, keep this on hand for all your spring and summer picnics. Not that there aren't places for hearty folks to enjoy a February picnic in Connecticut, such as The White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, but in that case, I rather think my chili recipe would be a better choice!

WILD RICE & HAM SALAD
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 pound lean ham, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup pecan halves

1. In small shallow pan spread pecan halves in a single layer. Bake in 350-degree preheated oven until toasted, approximately 5 minutes. Watch closely. Cool. (I personally like smaller pieces so I cut them in half again.)
2. In large bowl, stir together rice, ham, raisins, and scallions. Add salt and pepper.
3. In small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar together until well blended. Slowly pour over rice and ham mixture until the salad contains the amount that suits you. (I almost never use the entire amount.) Toss.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Just before serving, garnish with pecans. Serve on lettuce leaves.
Serves 4-6

Travel Tip: Refrigerate salad overnight, or at least two hours before packing in cooler.

Enjoy!

Great Thanksgiving Recipe

If you are like me, the three days prior to Thanksgiving will be spent planning the menu, looking for recipes, the old favorites as well as interesting new ones, shopping for ingredients, and cooking and baking. All for one day, but so worth it, especially if we get to spend it with the important people in our life. I hope however you choose to spend Thanksgiving, it is filled with peace and joy.

This recipe for Banana Nut Bread is from my book, Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket. It has also been a Thanksgiving Day staple in our family for more than 75 years. If you like your bread sweet and moist, you will probably agree this really is the best.

Best Ever Banana Nut Bread

3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream, mixing well. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add this mix to creamed mixture alternately with the bananas. Stir in vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour into greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and bread breaks away slightly from the edge of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.
5. Enjoy!

Apple Harvest Cake

The best thing about October, well, right next to viewing the fall foliage, is apple picking, and then getting together with my daughter Holly to make holiday pies. But, there are also cakes, cobblers, muffins, salads, or simply biting into a crisp, juicy apple straight from the fruit bowl. Yum!

This Apple Harvest Cake recipe is an old family favorite and also one of the recipes in Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket. Enjoy.

Apple Harvest Cake

5 apples
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Peel and pare apples. Cut into thin slices. Combine sugar and cinnamon and mix into apples. Put to one side.

4 eggs
2-1/3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

* With electric mixer, blend eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice, and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to liquid ingredients and blend with mixer. Continue mixing at medium speed until thick and lemon colored.
* Grease and flour bundt pan. Batter and apples are added to pan in layers, 3 for batter and 2 for apples. Begin and end with batter.
* Bake for 1-1/2 hours. Place on rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down on cooling rack, allowing cake to drop out of pan.

Bake in 350 degree preheated oven.