Cajun Sausage and Chicken Gumbo – This is a Cajun-style gumbo made with a seasoned roux, a classic from the bayous of south Louisiana. I revised the recipe after many, many trials. Serve it hot over cooked rice or with potato salad.
Origin. Scholars agree that gumbo originated in Louisiana in the early 18th century, but its uncertain etymology makes it difficult to pinpoint the origins of the food.
1lbandouille or smoked sausagesliced 1/4 inch thick
4clovesgarlicminced
salt and pepper to taste
creole seasoning to taste
6cupchicken broth
1bay leaf
1rotisserie chicken boned and shredded
Instructions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of chocolate milk, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. If you see black specks in the mixture, start over.
Stir onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; blend thoroughly. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken, and simmer 1 hour more. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.
Creamy Ritz Chicken Casserole – We love it for how good it tastes and the fact that it’s a breeze to make – does it get any better than that after a long day?
In the early 1900s, the Jackson Cracker company of Jackson, Michigan, developed a small, round cracker called the Jaxon. The company was bought out by Nabisco in 1919. Nabisco introduced the Ritz Cracker in 1934.
Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 8×8-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
Combine soup and sour cream in a large bowl, then stir in shredded chicken.
Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in Italian seasoning, paprika and red pepper flakes.
Pour mixture into greased baking dish, then top with crushed ritz crackers.
Evenly pour melted butter over the crushed crackers, then place baking dish in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dish is heated through and crackers are golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Cheesy Enchilada Meatball Casserole – This meal is super easy to throw together – literally, you just mix your ingredient together and put it all in the oven – and then you’re left with an incredibly flavorful, well-rounded meal that’s perfect for bringing the family together on busy nights.
Many sources say the first meatball was made in ancient Persia, but this is debated by food scholars. Nevertheless, these meatballs, called kofta, caught on and inspired new recipes as the Persians traded with neighboring countries and exchanged goods and knowledge.
This meal is super easy to throw together – literally, you just mix your ingredient together and put it all in the oven – and then you’re left with an incredibly flavorful, well-rounded meal that’s perfect for bringing the family together on busy nights.
Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
Place rice, black beans, onion, 1 cup cheese and meatballs in a large bowl, then pour enchilada sauce on top, mixing until everything is thoroughly coated.
Transfer mixture to baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
Place baking dish in oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from oven and top with cilantro. Serve hot and enjoy.
Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken – The whole concept of stuffing chicken breasts with your favorite fillings and having a complete dinner is just too good to pass up. All the flavors cook inside the chicken breasts and make the chicken super juicy and flavor-packed!
The classification of today’s chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) recognizes its primary origin, the Red Junglefowl. Domestication probably occurred 7,000-10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and Oceana.
The whole concept of stuffing chicken breasts with your favorite fillings and having a complete dinner is just too good to pass up. All the flavors cook inside the chicken breasts and make the chicken super juicy and flavor-packed!
Chop the broccoli florets into small pieces. Put all the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl and about 2 tablespoons water. add water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Use a sharp knife to slice each chicken breasts horizontally to form a pocket. Be sure not stop cutting about 1/2 inch from the ends and sides. Season chicken breasts with a generous sprinkle of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the steam and chopped broccoli, bell pepper, garlic, cheeses and salt & Pepper; set aside. Spoon the mixture into each chicken breast evenly. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron or oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
Meatball Soup – We love a hearty bowl of soup just about any time of year! This pasta meatball soup is definitely a new favorite. Ready in under 30 minutes.
20,000 BC. In Xianrendong Cave, Jiangxi Province, China, the first example of a soup bowl was discovered and thought to date back to 20,000 BC. The ancient pottery showed scorch marks, which would suggest the user was making a hot soup of some kind.
Add crushed tomatoes, marinara, chicken broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and seasonings to a large skillet. Heat on medium high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add meatballs to the skillet, cover, and cook for 8 minutes.
Add pasta to the skillet and cook for 10-12 minutes.
Remove the skillet from heat, discard bay leaf, and stir in parmesan cheese and milk.
Serve up hot with extra cheese and fresh parsley for garnish!
Wor Wonton Soup – Chinese dumpling classic, whether in soup or fried, wontons will always bring you that mysteriously delicious taste of the Far East! Garnish with fresh scallions.
Wontons originate from China, with evidence of its existence going as far back as the Qing Dynasty (1644). Wonton soup was enjoyed by the rich, upper class families but after World War II, it became more widespread. As the economy improved after the war, the dish moved to Hong Kong, where many hawker stalls opened up to serve the dish to the working class. Due to it’s popularity, some variations of wonton include medicinal ingredients as a way to serve it to those who may not enjoy the strong taste of medicine. In Cantonese, ‘wonton’ roughly translates to ‘clouds’ – as the wontons look like clouds floating in the soup.
Wor Wonton Soup
This is really easy to make and you can make this your entire meal.
In a large bowl, combine pork, shrimp, sugar, wine, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chopped green onion and ginger. Blend well, and let stand for 25 to 30 minutes.
Place about one teaspoon of the filling at the center of each wonton skin. Moisten all 4 edges of wonton wrapper with water, then pull the top corner down to the bottom, folding the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle. Press edges firmly to make a seal. Bring left and right corners together above the filling. Overlap the tips of these corners, moisten with water and press together. Continue until all wrappers are used.
FOR SOUP: Bring the chicken stock to a rolling boil. Drop wontons in, and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion, and serve.
Notes
Uncooked wontons will keep in freezer for a good 2 months if well wrapped. Thaw before frying, but they can be boiled straight from frozen and cooked 2 minutes longer.)
TO FRY: Heat 2 to 3 cups of oil in a wok until hot. Deep-fry wontons in batches until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain. Serve with dipping sauce or duck sauce, also called plum sauce.
