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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Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

A friend posted this on her Facebook profile, and I had to try it. We had a large family dinner party and a 7 lbs. pork tenderloin roast. I doubled the sauce recipe, and it turned out beautifully. The meat was tender and juicy, a feat difficult to accomplish with a pork roast.

Ingredients
2 lbs. pork tenderloin
1/4 C soy sauce
1 Tbl yellow mustard
2-3 Tbl maple syrup
2 Tbl olive oil
2 tbl diced dried onions
1-1/2 large garlic cloves, minced

Place the roast in your crockpot, fat side up.

Mix all other ingredients together.

Pour over Tenderloin in the crock pot, cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Enjoy!

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Fresh Applesauce

As I begin writing up this recipe, all I hear in my head is Peter Brady quoting "Pork chopsh and appleshauce; ain't that shwell." If you don't know the iconic show The Brady Bunch or missed this particular episode, I hope you enjoy the clip.

Ingredients:

4 large Fuji apples, washed/cored/quartered
1 C water
1/3 C lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup (or more, to taste) maple syrup

Place all ingredients in blender and pulse until it's the consistency you want.

Serve with your favorite meal (it's really good with pork chops) or just eat as a snack.

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Romaine and Chicken Salad

We love fresh salads. My husband and I fell in love over the salads I made while we were dating. We try to have a salad at almost every meal. We also like having salads as the meal.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 heads of romaine lettuce hearts, broken up for salad
1 C blackberries, whole
1 large apple, sliced
1 medium pear, sliced
1 15-oz. can of cooked chicken breast, drained

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in your favorite salad bowl. Using a fork, break up the chicken while still in the can until it is completely shredded. Cover salad with chicken.

Serve with your favorite dressing.

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Egg Salad Sandwiches

I know that Easter is long past, but I enjoy a good egg salad sandwich any time of the year.

Ingredients:
1 hard boiled egg
1 Tbl mayonnaise
1 tsp spicy brown mustard
2 baby dill pickles, diced
1 piece whole wheat bread

Peel the egg. In a small bowl, mash the egg. Add mayo and mustard and mix thoroughly. Mix in pickles.

Spread over bread.

Eat

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