Sir Mix-a-Lot "lite"....

I was at lunch at work last week and one of my colleagues had red beans and rice for lunch.  Everyone was discussing it because it really smelled delicious.  I decided at that moment that I really wanted some red beans and rice AND I didn’t want it from a box.  I knew there had to be a good recipe out there that wouldn’t require hours to make that would stand up to the delicious (and not good for you) Zatarain’s® that really is quick and easy to put together.  

Well, of course you know where I looked and, lo and behold, I found a Cooking Light recipe!  Cooking Light magazine often has a section where they make a good recipe better (and lighter) or they compare their version with a popular boxed or frozen meal.  This recipe happened to be in one of those sections where I could actually see the difference.  The Cooking Light version of red beans and rice cut almost a hundred calories and lopped off a HUGE 2,000 (yes, 2,000!) mg of sodium.  The fat content is a little higher but that comes from the olive oil which is not awful.  Besides, olive oil (the good stuff) really adds depth and amazing flavor to sautéed vegetables. J

Anyway, I planned our meals, to include leftovers, for about a week and a half and knocked out all my shopping on Saturday.  Of course, it then proceeded to rain the ENTIRE weekend and we were all bored and nearly ate ALL the food I bought.  Thank goodness the red beans and sausage survived!  Although, I must admit, I almost didn’t make it tonight.  I had planned on it – even re-read the recipe this morning so I knew what was in store when I got home from work – but, today….well…today was a long day.  The first words Thing 2 said to us when we got home was “you guys ­­even ­­sound tired.”  Yes, it was true – we were both tired.  During the drive home, I had been trying to come up with a quick alternative to my plans – you know that’s when hot dogs or pizza sounds REALLY good.  But then, Thing 2 said….”are we having that recipe for dinner that the cookbook is opened up to,” (ahem…red beans and rice) “cuz that looks REALLY good!”  Well, that sealed it.  AND, not only that, but she cleaned the kitchen for me – including washing the stack of Tupperware® containers that had been multiplying in the sink.  At that point, I probably would have given her whatever she wanted!  Thank goodness she only asked for red beans and rice! Phew! J

So, I’m so glad I did make this dish for dinner because it really was delish and we all pulled together in making it.  Hey, family fun in the kitchen!  The recipe calls for an 8 ounce container of prechopped onion, bell pepper and celery mix – now, I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen anything like that in my grocery store so we had to make this the old-fashioned way and do all the chopping on our own.  Anyway, that was the most difficult part and it really wasn’t that bad.  Yes, I’m aware I didn’t do the chopping – that’s what made it not that bad! J  Hey, maybe that’s what made it taste that much better….  Those restaurants really have the right idea – food always tastes better when someone else makes it for you!

The final result?  YUM and easy and fairly quick so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal.  AND, if you can find one of those mythical prechopped onion, bell pepper and celery mixes, I would definitely grab one because that will cut down on the prep time.  Seriously, all you’ll have to chop is the sausage and garlic (unless you buy bottled garlic and then, you’re pretty much set).  Life’s too short to wait for delicious and healthy red beans and rice.  Try this recipe and spend some time enjoying it with your family. 

Happy drinking, cooking and eating!

dinner!

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 (3-ounce) chicken andouille sausage link, chopped

1 (8-ounce) container prechopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mix

1 ½ teaspoons salt-free Cajun seasoning

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can red beans, rinsed and drained

¼ cup water

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and onion mix to pan; sauté 4 minutes.  Add Cajun seasoning, salt, oregano, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Partially mash beans with a fork.  Add beans, ¼ cup water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat, stir in pepper.  Serve over rice.

Yield: 5 servings (serving: about ¾ cup bean mixture and about ¾ cup rice)

Calories 336; Fat 8.4g (sat 1.8g, mono 5.1g, poly 1.3g); Protein 12.7g; Carb 51.6g; Fiber 5.9g; Cholesterol 36mg; Iron 3.3mg; Sodium 698mg; Calcium 90mg

My kitchen smells like bacon and chocolate....intrigued?

You won’t believe what I made today.  Make sure you’re sitting down.  I'm not kidding.  SIT!  Okay, thank you. (For those of you still standing, don't come back and yell at me after you fall over and conk your head.  I warned you.)

Three words.  Bacon.  Bourbon.  Chocolate.  All in one dish.  Seriously.  Thank you Food and Wine Magazine!  Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans.  Boy, is that fun to say, or what?!  Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans.  Mmmm…..what more could a girl ask for?  (Okay, the nerd in me wishes pecans were instead named something that started with the letter “b” – alliteration is so much fun!)

This recipe is from the August 2011 issue of the magazine.  Yep, I’ve had this magazine for maybe 4 days and I’m already making recipes out of it!  It is seriously packed with delicious sounding grub, this recipe topping the list!  AND, you know how we LOVE bacon so it HAD to be done!  After all, everything’s better with bacon.

            Sidebar – there’s an Amish Farmer’s market in Maryland that has some really awesome stuff including chocolate-covered bacon.  All my Maryland friends – you know who you are – go there and try it if you have not already.  It is YUMMY! Trust me.

The best thing about these brownies – except for the bacon and bourbon, of course, is that they are from scratch.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  There are some seriously awesome brownie mixes available in your local grocery store – hello Ghirardelli! – but brownies from scratch are just so amazing.  They tend to be rich, dense and decadent.  Basically, they’re everything a brownie SHOULD be!  And these definitely meet that criteria.  The bacon adds a saltiness that contrasts the chocolate and the pecans add a crunch that compliments the smooth density of the brownie itself.  Really, this is HEAVEN in a bite!  Okay, more than one bite and I’ve definitely had more than one brownie so far.  Don’t judge me.

Normally we use turkey bacon in this house but for these brownies, I wanted the good, salty stuff so I bought some applewood smoked bacon.  YUM!  Plus, you have to reserve nearly ¼ cup of bacon grease to add to the recipe and turkey bacon just doesn’t produce that.  No, don’t be grossed out – it really adds to the richness of the brownie.  And no, this is NOT low-fat.  It’s a brownie, for goodness sakes! J 

Let’s talk about the bourbon.  If you like to lick the beaters, you will definitely taste the bourbon in the mix.  Mmmmm….just enough to add to the flavor but not enough to make you tipsy.  I used Bulleit – a delicious frontier bourbon whiskey in an old-school glass bottle recommended to us by my brother-in-law – thanks Monte!  Hope you’re not mad I used two shots for other than drinking!  Um, and no, don’t ask me why it’s a “bourbon whiskey”.  I used to think they were two different things but, apparently not.  And, while we’re on that subject, why the heck is scotch a “scotch whiskey?”  Seriously, could alcohol BE any more confusing?!  Oh wait….don’t answer that.  You, of course, can use the bourbon (whiskey) of your choice.  

The bottom line is... bacon, bourbon and chocolate are a divine combination that EVERYONE – especially chocoholics – should try.  Recipe’s down there.  You’re welcome. J

Happy drinking (bourbon), cooking and eating!

Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans

½ cup pecans

½ pound sliced bacon

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons bourbon

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1.  Preheat the oven to 350̊.  Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on 2 opposite sides.  Spray the paper with vegetable spray.  Spread the pecans in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes.  Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.

2.  In a skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and let cool; reserve 3 tablespoons of the fat.  Finely chop the bacon.

3.  In a saucepan, combine both chocolates with the butter and stir over very low heat, until melted; scrape into a large bowl.  Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in both sugars with the reserved 3 tablespoons bacon fat.  Beat in the bourbon.  Add the eggs and salt and beat until smooth.  Sift the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl and beat until blended.

4.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the bacon and pecans on top.  Bake for about 50 minutes, until the brownies are set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center; a toothpick inserted into the center should have some batter clinging to it.  Transfer the pan to a rack and let the brownies cool completely.  Lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment paper.  Cut into squares or rectangles, serve and do a happy dance.