crawfish etouffee

recipe from chad

3 sticks butter
1/3 c flour
2 small yellow onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2/3 c bell pepper, diced
1/4 c green onion bottoms
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp garlic, diced
3 tbsp chicken boullion
1 lb crawfish tails
2 tbsp parsley
1/2 c green onion tops

1. make roux with one stick of butter and flour. cook for three minutes.
2. in large pot, melt 1 stick of butter and add all seasonings except green onion tops and parsley. cook until veggies are soft.
3. add 1 quart of water. bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
4. stir in roux. cook on medium for 3 minutes.
5. add crawfish, onion tops and parsley.
6. add last of butter and cook on low until ready to serve. serve over rice.

notes: this is de-li-cious! we always serve it over zataran's rice (it's an extra long grain and always cooks up perfectly).

slow cooker: vegetable curry

recipe from slow cooker cookbook shared by friend, a.

prep time: 15 min; 8-10 servings

ingredients:
16oz package baby carrots
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
15oz garbanzo beans, drained
28oz canned crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp minute tapioca
3 tsp curry powder
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup boiling water
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules (or 2 cubes)
1 lb green beans (if canned add towards end)
basmati rice

1. combine veggies in large bowl. stir in tapioca, curry and salt.
2. dissolve bouillon in boiling water. pour over veggies. mix well.
3. spoon into large cooker. cover. cook on low 8-10 hours or high 3-4 hours.
4. serve over basmati rice.

notes: this recipe makes tons so either 1/2 it or plan on enough to freeze. i usually do the latter. this is a great way to get the veggies in and the kids can't seem to get enough. it's not at all spicy (i think some curry dishes can be?)...and not terribly ethnic tasting (my taste buds are pretty simple)...mostly just a tomato vegetable dish served over fragrant rice.

tonight's meal: wild rice turkey bake

recipe courtesy of busycooks.about.com via friend, b.

prep 20-30 min; baking time 40-50 min.

ingredients:

3 cups wild rice (i use one box of uncle ben's wild rice)

3 cups shredded cooked turkey (or chicken) (i cook then shred in food processor)

16oz. pkg frozen french cut green beans, thawed

17oz. jar alfredo sauce (i find this is the minimum amt of sauce needed to keep it moist...i usually use 1.5 jars, maybe because i never measure out the rice or turkey)

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (3-4 slices ww bread chopped in food processor)

1. preheat oven to 350. mix turkey, rice, green beans and alfredo sauce in large bowl.

2. place in 12x8 glass dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

3. bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until casserole bubbles at edges and bread crumbs are browned.

notes: the girl's like her mom and not a fan of her food all mixed up (however, mom likes this dish a lot). flavor of this dish is great, though. it's super easy and freezes well, too.

a new recipe: chicken, broccoli, and brown rice

(adapted from campbell's)

appx 25-30 min from start to finish

ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

4 chicken breasts

1 can (10.75 oz) campbell's healthy request condensed cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice (i used an uncle ben's brown and wild rice ready rice packet...lazy, i know).

2 cups fresh (or frozen) broccoli flowerets

1. heat oil in skillet over med-high. salt and pepper both sides of chicken. add chicken and cook until well browned on both sides. i also butterflied mine midway through (i think it's easier (and way less yucky) to do when it's already mostly cooked). remove chicken from skillet.

2. stir soup and water into skillet. bring to a boil

3. stir rice and broccoli in skillet. reduce heat to low. return chicken to skillet. cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and rice and broccoli are tender.

review:

this was a big hit with the boys in the family. i thought it was pretty good, maybe just a bit too salty. using plain brown rice would have probably helped with that, but i was more about the quick and easy tonight. the girl wasn't really into the look of the meal. i'll give her that. maybe not the best eye candy. there was plenty for jamie's lunch tomorrow and i froze a complete serving, too. overall, pretty good and i'd make it again.

tonight's meal...a new recipe: maple apple pork tenderloin, wild rice, fresh green beans

ready from start to finish in appx 1 hour. plenty for lunch the next day and another meal during the week.

grilled maple apple pork tenderloin (recipe adapted from Uncle Ben's box)

ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin, salt and peppered on all sides
1 green apple, diced
1/4 cup maple syrup
2tbsp walnuts, chopped (optional...we didn't use...no tree nuts in this home!)

grill the tenderloin; sear on all sides on high; cook on med/med-high appx 10 min on each side, coat with maple apple mixture and continue to cook until meat thermometer reads 170. let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

maple apple mixture: in a small saucepan, cook diced apples over medium heat for 10 min, stirring constantly. add walnuts and maple syrup and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. remove from heat and let stand until needed. this concoction looks a bit unappetizing...just so you know.

while tenderloin is cooking, prepare sides.


wild rice

ingredients:
box o' uncle ben's wild rice, original recipe

follow directions from Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice original recipe box


fresh (the only way to eat) green beans

ingredients:
piles of fresh green beans

snap ends, steam on stovetop. i like my green beans bright green and still a bit crunchy (although my picture is not representative).
add a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. toss well.


*review:the boy and the girl gobbled it all gone (especially after i told the girl i covered the meat in apples and maple syrup)!! of course hubby loved it...it's meat! he said it makes great sandwiches, too.