• Creole Mustard Dip
• Sweet and Tangy Creole-Style Wings
• Spicy Mardi Gras Shrimp
• Jambalaya with Duck and Sausage

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking back to the party as I was planning my weekly menus, and I decided that there was no way I was going to wait until next February to evoke the fun and energy of Mardi Gras. I had a package of Jambalaya on hand but wanted to do something more with it. After a bit of contemplation I realized it would make a great stuffing for pork tenderloin (or pork chops, chicken breasts, or even beef tenderloin). I played around with the idea a bit and decided to add in a bit of apple for some sweetness and balance as well as a few green onions for a bright, crisp crunch. The result was beautifully stuffed tenderloin that I was able to put together on a weeknight. The stove and oven do most of the heavy lifting, so I helped with some homework and got a few chores done around the house while the jambalaya was simmering and the tenderloin was baking. I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe next time you’re in the mood for a little New Orleans-inspired fun.

Recipe: Jambalaya-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 20 minutes total
• Cook Time: 75 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 box Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix
• ½ lb. smoked sausage (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium apple, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• 3 green onions, white and light green parts only, sliced.
• 1 pork tenderloin, butterflied (see Recipe for Success)
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. Zatarain’s Creole Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare the jambalaya mix according to package directions using only ½ of a pound of sausage (or none at all) instead of the full pound called for on the package.
3. While the jambalaya cooks, heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat for two minutes. Add the apple and sauté until it just begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
4. When the jambalaya is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, gently fold in the apples and the green onions, and set the mixture aside for five to ten minutes to cool.
5. Season the inside of the pork tenderloin with half of the salt and all of the Creole Seasoning. Spread the jambalaya, apple, and green onion mixture evenly over the tenderloin, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides.
6. Roll the tenderloin jelly-roll style into a neat spiral. Secure it with kitchen twine or tooth picks. Season the outside of the tenderloin with the remaining salt.
7. Place the rolled tenderloin in a greased glass baking dish. Cook for 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the roll registers 155 degrees. Allow the tenderloin to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe for Success

• If you have a few extra minutes at the grocery store, ask your butcher to butterfly the pork tenderloin for you because they can do it quickly with a great result. If the butcher isn’t an option, you’ll find it’s very easy to butterfly the pork tenderloin yourself. Culinate has a great visual tutorial that walks you step-by-step through the process if you haven’t done it before.
  
• You’ll most likely have leftover jambalaya and apple mixture but not to worry – it makes for a great lunch. You can also use it to stuff a second pork tenderloin if you are serving a bigger crowd. Conversely, you can use leftover jambalaya from a previous dinner in this recipe.
• You can make the jambalaya up to a day before you plan to stuff and serve the pork tenderloin and you can prep the tenderloin up to four hours before you plan to roast it. Cover the stuffed tenderloin with plastic wrap and stash it in the fridge. Set it out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you plan to put it in the oven to take the chill off.
• To borrow a phrase from Emeril, you can kick this recipe up a notch by substituting duck breast for the smoked sausage in the jambalaya. You can also substitute Zatarain’s new Spicy Jambalaya Mix for the traditional recipe. If you do, I’d go a little easier on the Creole Seasoning.

Many an afternoon as I’m driving home from work I have this conversation with myself:

“Self, I’m tired but I know I should make dinner. I can make a dinner that tastes better and is better for us than we’ll get in any take-out situation.”

“Why don’t you go out?”

“Again? That would be three times this week and there are better ways to spend that money, say on a new pair of shoes, or I suppose a college fund.”

“So cook something – just make it a quick something.”

“But I’m tired.” [insert whiney rant here] “We’re going out.”

This scenario is often self-induced because I love to spend a lot of time in my kitchen cooking up really fun dishes. It’s my creative outlet and well, I often let my creativity get the best of me which results in dishes that take much to long to prepare. I’m also very much against using packaged products and processed food with any regularity, so “convenience” foods don’t do me much good. Even so, I know that it’s possible to cook a great meal made from (mostly) whole foods in a reasonable amount of time and without a ton of effort (or dirty dishes).

Dinner in a Dash: Quick, Easy, and Uber-Tasty

I am on a mission. I’m going to create a collection of meals that I (and you) can make in 20 minutes, 30 minutes max, that are so easy and tasty they’ll cry out “Cook me!” and will overcome the knee-jerk reaction to just go out when I’m tired and cranky. These will all also be healthy and not rely solely on big carbs like pasta and rice for bulk and speed. Veggies will play a big role and they will be (for the most part) Weight Watchers points friendly. Finally, they will also be family friendly. I’m sure I’ll learn more lessons as I put the collection together, but my current thinking is the following trends will emerge:

• Ingredient quality will be critical. The fastest path I know to great flavor is to start with great ingredients. Fresh mozzarella, handmade sausage, in-season produce, and grass-fed beef are just a few of the foods I expect to use.
• Lean, quick-cooking cuts of meat are my friend. Pork tenderloin, flank steak, chicken breasts and thighs, and lamb t-bones all fit this bill. Not only are they some of the healthiest options, they are some of the quickest to prepare. For many of these I can also source from local ranchers and farmers, which helps my overall goal to use more ingredients from local sources but also contributes to the “big flavors” trend.
• A freezer full of pre-prepped food is a good thing. I’m a big fan of making extras of slow-cooking foods like braised chicken thighs and chile to have more for later. To keep the family from getting too tired of these though, I’ll plan to use them in new and interesting ways.
• Fewer ingredients are better. This is often true for many dishes because too many ingredients can over-complicate the flavor profile. When you’re trying to prep and cook a meal quickly, the fewer ingredients to fetch and produce the better.
• Select pre-prepared foods very carefully. I’m not against using every prepared food, although I do try to stay away from the center aisles of the grocery store as much as I practically can. However, I’ve found that quality prepared foods like whole wheat pitas, chorizo, and of fish crusts can be made it the same ways I would make them and save me quite a bit of time. I’m also lucky enough to have access to Central Market and Whole Foods locally, both of which offer a great collection of fresh pre-prepped food. If you’re not local to Austin, I’d recommend hunting around your own town to find places the offer similar fresh pre-prepped food.
  

Friday Night Test Drive

If I looked back through my credit card receipts I’d find that we eat out more on Friday nights than any other, largely because the “I’m tired” conversation is further compounded by the fact that it’s the end of the week and I’m ready for some R&R. I’m not alone of course, so barring smart planning, getting a table on a Friday night can be beyond difficult. I decided last Friday night that I would test out the theory that I could whip up something so great yet so easy that I wouldn’t be tempted to just give up the ghost and call for reservations.

It’s been raining in Austin, a steady downpour that we very desperately need, and it’s September, so I found myself thinking of comfort food. I wanted a meal with deep, rich flavors and a bit of heft. My freezer is currently bereft of chili, a common comfort food I could easily turn into a frito pie or an inventive pizza, and foods like meatloaf and pot roast take much too long. I decided instead to take advantage of the freshly made sausage at my local Central Market. They regularly have 10-20 different flavors hand-made by the butchers every day using seasonal meats and ingredients. I’ve found that SAMs Club has similar sausages although not in quite the variety, but barring access to freshly made sausages, these might be a good solution. After initially thinking of doing sausage, peppers, and onions, I remembered instead that I had a whole slew o’ broccolini in my fridge and I had my dish. The sausages bring huge flavor to the party and the broccolini is hearty and healthy. I had the whole dish ready in 20 minutes and it was a hit. An auspicious start to my mission, if I do say so myself.

Recipe: Broccoli and Sausage Sauté

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Weight Watchers™ Points: 5*

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 links fresh sausage (approximately 1 lb.)
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1 lb. broccolini, tough ends removed.
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, diced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Shaved parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Spray a non-stick pan with a tight fitting lid with the cooking spray. Heat over medium-high until very hot. Brown the sausages on all sides.
2. Add the chicken broth to the pan, cover, and reduce to simmer. Poach until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
3. While the sausage cooks, put the broccoli in a glass baking dish with a splash of water (1 – 2 Tbsp.) and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until crisp tender.
4. When the sausages are cooked, move them to a cutting board and slice into 1 inch circles.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high-heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 30 seconds until soft.
6. Add the steamed broccoli, season lightly with salt and pepper, add the red pepper flakes, and toss to combine. Sautee for 1 minute longer.
7. Add the sliced sausage and toss one last time to combine.
8. Dish into 4 serving bowls and top with a few shavings of cheese.
9. Serve with crusty bread or foccacia.

Recipe for Success

• For this recipe I used mild Italian pork sausage and a chicken sausage with basil and parmesan. You could use a combination of hot and mild Italian sausage, or even go in a completely different direction and use a smoked sausage or light chicken and apple sausage.
• I used broccolini which is milder than broccoli for this dish. You could easily use regularly broccoli or even broccoli rabe instead.
• You can easily stir some cooked pasta into this recipe to make it a bit bulkier and even stretch the base ingredients to serve 6, as with this Giada De Laurentiis recipe. This will add to the Weight Watchers points by a couple or three, but you could mitigate that a bit by using whole wheat pasta and using turkey sausage instead of pork sausage.
• I poached the sausage in chicken broth, but you could just as easily use white wine or even a hearty red wine for beef or pork sausage.

*Points Details

• The final points tally on this recipe depends largely on the sausage that you use. I calculated the points for this recipe using the “low-fat sausage, less than 1 g. fat per ounce” option in the points calculator. You may want to recalculate the points based on the sausage that you can get.

More about broccoli varieties

A few weeks back I made a Striped Bass with Corn and Jumbo Lump Crab Sauté that was just lovely and a great way to eat more fish. Interestingly enough, the best part of the dish was the corn and crab sauté that forms the base of for the fish. It’s a great combination of crisp, bright, and rich flavors that’s just right for a warm evening. After that meal I had this idea that the sauté would be a great base for other types of seafood like scallops and shrimp, and with a few more veggies thrown in it could be a veritable smorgasbord of seafood and veggie goodness. As I contemplated modifying the original recipe I was further inspired by another favorite recipe, Shrimp Boil Hobo Packs, which incorporates sausage into the fray with seafood and corn. The end result is this new dish that showcases fresh seafood and vegetables in a quick and healthy dinner just perfect for al-fresco dining.

Recipe: Spring Seafood Sauté

Details

• Difficulty: Medium
• Serves: 2 (double to serve four)
• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Weight Watchers™ Points: 9

Ingredients

• 4 large (U/10) scallops (about 6 oz.)
• 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 2.5 oz. light smoked sausage, thinly sliced
• 2 ears fresh corn cut from the cob
• ½ c. diced red onion
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini squash, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 2 Tbsp. diced poblano pepper
• ½ c. white wine
• 4 oz. jumbo lump crab, picked through
• 2 Tbsp. minced chives
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ¾ c. chicken stock
• 2 tsp. cold butter
• 12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Season both sides of the scallops and the shrimp with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a sauté pan over high heat and add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil to the pan. The pan should be very hot. Heat the oil until it smokes.
3. Add the scallops to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook without moving for 2-3 minutes until caramelized. Flip the scallops and cook for another 1-3 minutes until slightly firm to the touch. Move the scallops to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Add the sausage to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until lightly brown. Move the sausage to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
5. Add the corn, onion, shallots, zucchini, and red and poblano peppers to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 – 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
6. Deglaze the pan with white wine and boil for 1 minute, scrapping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits.
7. Add the crab meat, chives, thyme, and zest to the pan, stirring just to blend.
8. Add the chicken stock to the pan and stir to combine. Whisk in the butter. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
9. Add the shrimp and reserved sausage to the pan and stir to combine.
10. Raise the heat back to high and boil until the broth reduces by half, the mixture is a sauce consistency, and the shrimp are cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Check for seasoning one last time and adjust as necessary.
11. To plate, arrange the seafood and vegetable mixture in a shallow bowl. Top with the reserved scallops.

Recipe for Success

• Take some extra time to cut the onion, zucchini, and peppers into a nice, even dice. Not only will they cook more evenly, the final presentation will be prettier.
• I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen corn but it will probably do if you can’t get fresh. The sauté will be a little less crunchy and it may take a little longer for the final sauce to reduce because of the extra water from the frozen corn.
• Be sure your pan and oil are smoking hot when you put the scallops in for the first sear. If the pan isn’t hot enough they will stick to the pan.