Better-Than-Boxed Jambalaya

A few years ago I had the privilege of visiting my aunt in Cajun country, where mealtime is an important part of the culture and community. I enjoyed the food immensely, and I remember the sense of belonging as people of all ages and abilities joined each other on the restaurant's dance floor to traditional live Cajun music.

I have been thinking about Cajun food since a friend of mine mentioned jambalaya a few days ago. We've had boxed jambalaya before, but the processed food contained a soy ingredient. Another option crossed off our list unless perhaps we made it from scratch.

My husband and I both love to cook. Before eating allergy free, cooking was something we did for fun-- when we felt like it, when we didn't go out, when we didn't fix a quick boxed or frozen meal. At first, cooking allergy free made home cooking a necessity, but now it is a lifestyle that I wish to continue and model for Siena. Home cooking is so much healthier and richer in flavor and community than processed food!

So what better than a good Cajun recipe to celebrate the community and flavor-- even health-- of a good home cooked meal? If your family doesn't cook together, invite someone over. They can help chop vegetables and watch as a great meal comes together. This one-pot dish serves as a great comfort food as the cold weather sets in. It's not much more difficult or time consuming than the boxed stuff. Make a big pot and save yourself the effort of cooking the next night. And it's all allergy free!

Better-Than-Boxed Jambalaya
(adapted from http://southernfood.about.com/od/jambalayarecipes/r/bl10727m.htm?p=1)

1 c chopped yellow onion
1 c chopped sweet green pepper
3/4 c finely diced celery
(these three ingredients are the "Holy Trinity" of Cajun cooking)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tb olive oil
3 tb minced parsley
1 lg bay leaf; crumbled
1/2 ts crumbled leaf thyme
1/4 ts cayenne pepper
1 1/2 ts salt (or to taste)
1 cn tomatoes (1 lb, 14-oz)
1 cn tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 3/4 c cold water
1 3/4 c uncooked Basmati rice
2 pounds of meat (optional): some combination of

• sliced andouille (or similar) sausage: add with vegetables
• cubed chicken: add with vegetables
  
• cubed ham: add after vegetables, before tomatoes
  
• raw, peeled, deveined shrimp: stir in at the very end and cook until pink

In a large pot over moderate heat, sweat the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic in the olive oil until they become soft and the onions turn clear. Add the seasonings, tomato ingredients, and water and simmer for several minutes. Add the rice and simmer, covered, for 40-50 minutes or until rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Serve with chopped parsley and your favorite Louisiana hot sauce.

YumNum indeed!

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

With fall here in force (read: rain and soggy leaves), the autumn cravings have hit hard. Anything to do with apples, pumpkins, cranberries, kale, squash, and mushrooms have been dominating my thoughts this week. I even ran into a lady in the grocery store who shared my craving for mushrooms-- who'd have thought?

In my quest for delicious fall food, I tinkered with the apple spice cake I made for Siena's birthday (also delicious this time of year) to create the perfect pumpkin cranberry muffins. I've already had three fresh out of the oven, and Siena has had her fair share as well.

Because sugar pumpkins are abundant this time of year, I cook my own and keep pumpkin in the refrigerator for use on a whim. Line a baking sheet with foil, halve the pumpkin, lay on the pan cut-side down, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Scoop out the flesh, and voila! There's something satisfying about doing it yourself, and I love showing Siena how raw ingredients are transformed into our meals. But canned pumpkin would work as well.

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup oat flour
1 cup barley flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the first oil, syrup, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin. Sift all of the dry ingredients into the mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in the cranberries. Fill lightly oiled muffin pan 3/4 full with batter and cook 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Makes about 12. (Adapted from http://www.mothering.com/recipes/applesauce-cake)

Enjoy!

Super Simple Taco Soup

Ahh, fall. It's always a little sad saying goodbye to all the joys of summer, but on these beautiful, crisp fall days, I am reminded how much I love this time of year. Fog. The color show of the leaves. Playing outside with coats on and cold noses. Then I find I'm really in the mood for soup! And once I realize it's soup season, I hardly miss summer anymore. Instead I get cooking.

Tonight we got home later than expected, so we whipped up a quick taco soup for dinner. We've never made this before but were happily surprised by the results, especially considering the minimal effort. It could also be altered to suit your taste, your pantry/refrigerator supply, or the amount you want to cook. Thus, it is worthy of a post!

First, we had some chips and salsa as an appetizer. Yum! Then we were satisfied enough to get busy cooking. Here's what we did:

Super Simple Taco Soup

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 yellow bell pepper
garlic to taste
chili powder (about 2 T)
cumin (about 1 t)
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 small can sliced olives
bouillon
water
a pinch or two of dried oregano
a couple T of coarsely chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
avocado

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add garlic, onions, and pepper and cook on medium high heat until onions start to turn clear. Sprinkle the chili powder and cumin over the mixture and stir. Add the can of tomatoes (ours had green chilies in it, but you could add those separately) with their juice and bouillon and water. Add the other canned ingredients, drained, and adjust water if necessary for a thick soup consistency. Stir in the oregano and parsley, salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes or so to allow flavors to mingle. Serve with sliced avocado.

You could use more or less of anything I listed, any kinds of beans, add or subtract vegetables-- maybe jalapeno or crushed red pepper would be good for some heat. Dairy eaters could, of course, add cheese and sour cream. I would have added cilantro if I had some on hand.

Have fun trying it and perfecting it to suit your taste! I know we will be making this again, but I have to say I don't think we'll change it all that much. Enjoy!

The Big Day

Today my baby turned one. What a significant day for a mother! I spent the week organizing photos from this past year, which has really put things in perspective. Yes, it flew by, but I'm happy to say I really have savored my time with Siena. She has come so far this year and we have done so much, and I was by her side. I'm one proud mama!

We celebrated the occasion with a low key party with people who have been present in Siena's life. We provided an allergy-free lunch and cake. All dishes were healthy, easy to prepare, and tasty, too-- even to people without allergy-free palates!

Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta with a
Hearty Vegetable Marinara Sauce
and optional Italian Sausage

Mixed Spring Greens with a
Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Allergy-Free Applesauce Spice Cupcakes with
Powdered Sugar Glaze

We cooked brown rice fusilli pasta according to package instructions. We prepared the sauce by sauteing garlic, onions, and sliced crimini mushrooms. We added shredded zucchini, shredded carrots, and canned marinara to make a thick, hearty sauce and simmered it to blend the flavors, adding salt and pepper to taste. We sliced and cooked spicy Italian sausages in a separate pan in order to accommodate vegetarians. The sausage could have been cooked with the onion and garlic if desired, in which case sausage adds flavor throughout the sauce.

For the salad we used packaged mixed greens and added sliced Persian cucumbers (like English cucumbers but smaller) and largely diced red and yellow bell pepper. We made our own dressing by adding a splash of lemon juice, some chopped basil and garlic, and salt and pepper to balsamic vinegar. We then whisked in the olive oil and tossed the dressing throughout the salad.

I recently came across this recipe from Mothering Magazine for Applesauce Cake: http://www.mothering.com/recipes/applesauce-cake. It sounded like a good idea for Siena's birthday cake, so I decided to alter it to be allergy-free. I made the recipe three times, all of which were good. In my favorite version, and the one Siena ultimately enjoyed, I substituted one cup oat flour and one cup barley flour for the two cups wheat flour, and I doubled the baking soda. I found that maple syrup added great flavor that was lacking with agave nectar. Raisins and nuts are optional; I eliminated them both for Siena's consumption. I used cupcake pans and cooked them for 21 minutes. I drizzled zigzags of glaze, made from mixing powdered sugar and rice milk, to decorate.

Good food, good friends and family, and an amazing one-year-old daughter. What more could a woman want?