Made-up Gumbo

I love southern food. I especially love spicy Cajun food. I have a jar of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning that, even after 10 years, still has quite the kick to it. We had some spicy sausage in the freezer just aching to be combined with some fresh veggies, a little rice, and some appropriate spices. Here's what we got.

Ingredients:
10 sausage links cut into 1/2 inch rounds (use your favorite flavor -- but they need to be brat-sized)
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 medium onions, chopped
3 Tbs olive oil
5 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 qt stewed tomatoes
3/4 C uncooked rice
1 Tbl Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (or similar Cajun spices)
2 medium zucchini, chopped

In a large, deep fry pan or stock pot, saute garlic and onions in the oil over medium high heat.

Add chopped tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, rice, and sausage.

Add Mix well and bring to a boil.

Reduce to low heat, add the cajun spices, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Chop zucchini and add to pan.

Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve hot.

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Vegetable and Pesto Sauce

After making a wonderful batch of pesto, we decided to try it with some fresh vegetables and some leftover grilled steak.

Ingredients:

8 oz. grilled steak, cut into bit-sized pieces

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 C sliced mushrooms

1 C sliced zucchini

1 C sliced yellow squash

olive oil

garlic salt

Homemade pesto

In large skillet, heat oil and garlic salt. Add mushroom and saute until tender. Add all other vegetables and saute until slightly soft. Add meat and two large spoonfuls of pesto. Heat another 3-4 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

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Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots with Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs
1 Tbl olive oil
Ground black pepper to taste
3-4 dashes onion powder
3-4 dashes paprika
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 C sour cream
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill weed
3-4 sliced potatoes
3 large cubed carrots
1/2 lbs. sliced fresh mushrooms

Brown chicken in oil over medium heat.

While meat is browning, cut up potatoes and carrots.

Place browned chicken in 9x13" greased baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper, onion powder, and paprika to taste. Cover with potatoes and carrots.

Combine mushroom soup, sour cream, onion soup mix, lemon juice, and dill weed. Add mushrooms.

Pour over chicken and vegetables.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until chicken is tender and sauce is brown.

One Crazy Girl's notes: Next time, I won't brown the meat first. It was good, but I think the meat will be more tender if it isn't browned.

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Chicken Thigh