Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Jambalaya is known as the most versatile Creole dish. I still remember my first jambalaya was from the chain restaurant Cheesecake Factory, it was chicken and shrimp jambalaya and it was served with rice. Some other place also serve it with pasta. 

Couple days ago, I was really craving for jambalaya and found a really easy slow cooker jambalaya recipe. Delicious food that would cook on its own (on slow cooker)...perfect!! I love the idea of throwing all the ingredients on the slow cooker, then take a nap and woke up to delicious food...yumm!!

I gather the ingredients I have at home and improvise adding other ingredients to replace the stuff that I don't have. I use 2 different type of bell pepper just because I like more color on the food...I only have half of the canned dice tomato and have to chopped some fresh tomato and made some tomato paste using ketchup...I also replace the unknown red pepper sauce with red pepper flakes + cajun sauce. 

After all, cooking is about creativity and fun...adding more ingredients, omit the ingredients that you don't like and so on. And I always double up the meat portion because my hubby is a big eater and he love meats! 

The jambalaya was a big hit, hubby loved it, and even my 16 months son loved it too!

This recipe was adapted from Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Jambalaya. 

Ingredients,

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped crosswise

5 garlic, crush and finely chopped

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 fresh tomato, diced

1/3 can of water + 2 tbs tomato ketchup

2 pack (total 26 oz) of smoked sausage, sliced

1.5 tbs parsley flakes

1/2 tbs dried thyme leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp cajun powder

1 lb uncook prawn, peeled and deveined.

hot cooked rice

Cooking Method,

1. Mix all the ingredients EXEPT shrimp and rice.

2. Cook in high heat setting 3 to 4 hours. You can also opt for low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours.

3. After it finished cooking, add the shrimp, lower the heat setting, cover and cook for another one hour or until the shrimp turn red, firm and cook.

4. Serve the delicious jambalaya with white fluffy rice.

Bebe's dindin

Butter Sauteed Clam in Pear Sake

Butter sauteed clam featured in many many happy hours menus in fancy restaurants everywhere, and it got to be one of my favorite happy hour menu to choose.
Now that I'm a mom and I got no nanny, it seems impossible for me to go enjoying fancy happy hours anymore. Oh well, if I can't go to the happy hours, why don't I bring my favorite happy hours dish to my own kitchen :)
This dish is very easy and delicious, everyone can create their happy hours at home now!

Ps. I use the Asian Pear Sake because I had an open bottle already, you can use any sake that you like.

Ingredients,
1,5 lb clams
4 garlic
1 tbs salted butter
sake

Cooking Method,
1. Wash the clam clean, then put them in a bowl and steam them. This way, you'll get some clam broth.
2. Heat a pan, melt the butter.
3. Lower the heat to medium, add garlic, do not let them turn brown,
4. Add the steamed clam and the clam broth,
5. Drizzle some sake to the pan, close the lid for 3 minutes.
6. Enjoy your delicious butter sauteed clam, dip some bread to the delicious broth.