Tomatoey Jambalaya

Taking stock of pantry supplies it has been decided this week is clean out the fridge/freezer/pantry week. Meals are going to have to be creative and require little supplies from the grocery store. First recipe up to bat was Vegetarian Jambalaya where the picture did not match the ingredients list. Like did not match at all! Knowing then there were going to be issues with this recipe, pantry dinner #1 was already interesting and it was not even tasted yet.

Modifications Made:

Not basing the picture to the ingredients list, this meal was cooked based upon experience and gut feeling. With exception to the tomato paste, all ingredients seemed a likely combination in proportional measurements. Therefore only method of cooking was modified, not quantities. However, vegetarian meat substitute was replaced with four links of Eckrich smoked sausage because that's what was in the freezer.

Onion, celery, and bell peppers were cooked until al dente. Canned tomato, tomato paste, and chicken broth were added and stirred until bubbly. Frozen zucchini, frozen okra, two tablespoons of sweet paprika, one teaspoon of basil/oregano/thyme, two tablespoons of diced garlic (the kind from the jar), and sausage were added and stirred until mixture bubbly. Rice was added and well stirred to incorporate. Mixture was cooked until desired consistency of rice was reached, adding water if needed.

Scaled for Likeness: Good

Gumbo vs Jambalaya vs Etouffee. Depending upon where you are when making it, eating it, discussing it, the three will vary drastically or be all the same. Where I am from none of these include tomato paste as a base but when making the recipe I decided to give it a whirl as that is kinda the point of this whole year long experiment. Right? Tomato paste was not bad in the jambalaya it was just too much. Instead of 6 ounces, the recipe should have had around 2-3 ounces instead. All counterparts of the table agreed more okra and more rice was needed on the next go around.

All in all, I would make this recipe again as it was super simple and made a mountain of food.

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add po...

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almos...

Cold Corn Bean Salsa

Nothing says junk food like chips and salsa, chips and cheese dip, chips and guacamole. Over the years I have perfected my salsa. It's good on tacos, on nachos, on enchiladas, and of course on chips. Just because I have the best salsa doesn't mean I don't like to try new salsa's like this Best Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Modifications Made: Shoepeg corn was replaced with one can of standard yellow corn with no salt added. Petite diced tomatoes were reduced by half. Italian dressing was swapped for half teaspoon comino, half teaspoon of chili powder, and two tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Salsa was made and let rest for two hours before eating. Scaled for Likability: Good Salsa this was not. Good it was however. It was too much for chips by themselves but was great served over a soft beef taco.

Eating Waffles

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