What's for Dinner ~ Friday August 9th
Last edited Fri Aug 9, 2013, 06:37 PM - Edit history (3)
I will be making Bill's Thursday night dinner in a couple of hours, and I'll have the leftovers on Friday. 
I'm making a really ugly, but very tasty, one pot kielbassa dish, with onions, garlic, jasmine rice and beans.
You?
♥
Editing to add the recipe:
Kielbassa with Rice and Beans
~ Olive Oil (1 or 2 tablespoons)
~ Butter (3 or 4 tablespoons) (Err on the side of more butter than less, it makes the stock sooo much better)
~ 1 Large Onion
~ Fresh garlic (if I have it - otherwise garlic powder alone is fine)
~ Cajun Seasoning
~ Garlic and Onion Powder
~ Tumeric (optional)
~ Black Pepper
~ Half of a packaged kielbassa (works out to a 6-8oz section - depending on the brand)
~ 2 cans of beans undrained (15 oz each) - I like using one can of pintos and one of northern (you can use fresh, but I like canned for this)
~ 1-2 cups chicken stock (or water) ~ This depends
~ 1/2 cup Jasmine Rice
~ Bay Leaves (3 or 4)
Using a large saucepan:
1.Add olive oil and butter to saucepan - medium heat
2. Chop onion and add to saucepan and let fry for a few minutes to soften, then add black pepper, tumeric to onions and let fry while you cut kielbassa
3. Add bite sized pieces of kielbassa to saucepan and let cook a few minutes while you open beans - You want the onions to continue to soften and to get a little color on the kielbassa at this stage.
4. Add garlic, onion powder, and cajun seasoning
5. Add both cans of undrained beans to the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Continue to cook a few more minutes to let beans warm, and taste to adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Add chicken stock (or water) and bay leaves. I like less stock, but Bill likes his soupy - either way a minimum of 1 cup stock should be added so the rice will cook.
7. Turn up heat a bit and bring to a simmer - then add rice. (You can also add rice with stock, but keep stirring if you do so it doesn't settle and stick.)
8. Turn down to the lowest point that you stove will go and still keep a low simmer and let rice cook in stock. Cook for about 20 minutes.
9. Check to make sure rice is done and adjust seasoning one more time.
The dish can be as thick or as soupy as you like, depending on the amount of rice and stock you add.
This will thicken as it cools and reheats really well. If it has become too thick after storing, add more stock to reheat.
You could also add red bell peppers etc to get some more color into the dish. It's sort of a uniformly golden mass as it is. Not too pretty, but yummy.
Editing a 2nd time to say that I also add Liquid Smoke sometimes.... it depends on the type of kielbassa that I'm using. It gives it a great smoky aroma.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Herbed grilled chicken for Tommy and I will probably have a bit of both. 
A little bit of this, a little bit of that....
I haven't made pork chops in a loooong time. But I self edited myself. 
Last edited Fri Aug 9, 2013, 06:41 PM - Edit history (1)
With buttermilk-garlic dressing.
It has layers of lettuce, red pepper, peas, scallions, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, etc. It is a very pretty salad.
It's supposed to be topped with fried onions, which I may do, but I think I'll also add some chopped turkey bacon.
In addition, I have some naan to go along with it.
Cher
edited to add: Welcome, Galileo--I love peach salsa!
I've been watching videos on all sorts of flat breads lately. It's my new kitchen project after I sort out my lemon curd.
need to prepare one supper and they came totally prepared!
They are making something Persian (I think that's what they said) and I am really happy to have someone else cook for a change.
Hahah, guess what happened to me? I was making salad when a friend walked in and said, "I am going to cook your dinner!" He wanted to try his own version of a dish we'd had a few months ago at another friend's--chicken liver pasta.
Well, let me tell you, it turned out so well. Was perfect with red wine.
Sometimes I have to wonder: does it get any better than this? Good food, good friends, good wine.
All I need.
Hope you enjoyed your Persian food!
Cher
We also had a wonderful night. Drank some wine, talked, looked at the stars.
And everyone got to bed relatively early and in good spirits.
Glad you had a wonderful night as well, cher.
