Posts Tagged ‘peas’

Chicken Fried Rice in a jiffy & a side of Roasted Veggies

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

I am always mindful how fast pace many people’s lives are these days.  However, I think it is vital we have wholesome food in our diets.  Especially, those of you raising children.  The importance of feeding them food not handed to them from a take out window or ordered by number should be every parent’s responsibility.  Also, take the time to ask them to stir in your pot or add an ingredient to “help” you.  Their little minds will begin to learn basic steps of cooking and feel ownership in the meal the family is about to consume.  I grew up standing on a stool, stirring in my mom’s pot almost every meal.

So you are not a culinary master?  Well, you don’t have to be with this recipe.  Who doesn’t like fried rice these days?  Having trouble getting the kids and/or adults to eat their veggies?  By roasting them in the oven, they become sweet and toasty.  Start with some basic favorites like potato and then start adding in one new veggie at a time and watch their palate grow…and maybe yours at the same time.   Enjoy this easy rice dish at your table today!

Tony’s Creole Roasted Vegetables

Veggies, Tony's and a little olive oil, GREAT combo!

1 yellow squash, chunked

1 zucchini, chunked

1/2 red onion, chunked

1/2 bunch of asparagus, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning

Beautiful veggies are ready for a little roast

Heat oven to 450.  Toss vegetables in olive oil and seasoning.  On a cookie sheet, sprayed w/ non stick spray, spread out vegetables.  Place in oven for 20 minutes. Give vegetables a good toss and return to the oven to finish browning up, about 10 more minutes.

veggies cook up tender and sweet with a little Tony's kick!

Chicken Fried Rice

By the looks of this, you know its gonna be good!

By the looks of this, you know its gonna be good!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 lb. chicken breast, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 (8 oz.) box Tony Chachere’s Chicken Rice

2 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed

3 eggs, cooked scrambled soft

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

In a large skillet, heat oil.  Cook onion until edges start to brown.  Add chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through.

keep cooking the chicken until lightly brown

Add butter and rice mix, toss until rice is coated.  Add water, soy sauce and water.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Add peas and carrots, stir gently and recover.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes.  Add eggs and green onions, stir well.  Serve warm with roasted vegetables for a well rounded meal.

Such a comforting bowl of yumminess!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s

Petite Pois in a Roux, that’s Peas to You!

Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Hey, that's me cooking for our company Thanksgiving Feast!

Hey, that's me cooking for our company Thanksgiving Feast!

If you happen to have picky eaters who just love to say what they will not eat before they taste a dish (Oh, can I tell  you how this is my pet peeve!…that just did not happen in my home growing up, but I digress) this recipe will turn those non-peas eaters to scoop these up by the spoon full.  The roots of this recipe goes back to a much simpler time.

As I decided to share this recipe with you, I really started thinking, I know of no other family that prepares a dish like this and if you happen to have a similar family recipe, I would love to know.  Around 1950, when my mother was a little girl, every winter my grandfather would load up the family and head back to the swamp for 3 months to trap muskrat, nutria, raccoon and basically whatever else swam around that he could skin to earn money.

Everyone was expected to help skin the animals when Pop returned back to the camp.  My grandmother would always prepare a hearty lunch as this was hard work and the camp had absolutely no plumbing or heating.  Eating a filling and well rounded meal was essential to survival.  The original version of this recipe (which I still make) is served as a main course over hot rice.  It starts with a homemade roux and includes everything in this recipe minus the sugar, plus hard boiled eggs.  I’m going to share with you my adapted version which is a little sweeter and meant to be a side dish.

Petite Pois in a Roux

Here are your ingredients you will need to create my family favorite:

I present another simple board of ingredients

I present another simple board of ingredients

1 lb. fresh sausage, any variety

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 (15 oz.) cans petite pois (very young peas), my favorite brand is Dubon

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup Tony Chachere’s Instant Roux Mix

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning to taste

In a skillet, brown sausage on both sides.  Remove from pan and drain. Chop sausage in chunky slices (it will not be cooked through).  In a large saucepan, heat oil. Brown onions.  Add remaining ingredients including sausage.  Slowly bring up to a slow simmer.  Keep heat at this level and cook until potatoes are tender and sausage has finished cooking through (approximately, 30 minutes).  *Please note, keep stirring to a minimum as to not break up peas or potatoes.

Here is a shot of the finished dish!

Savory and sweet, these peas are aimed to please!

Savory and sweet, these peas are aimed to please!

Being this is a holiday week, I would like to wish everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving.  I personally feel so fortunate to have this blog to share with you stories of my life growing up in Louisiana, specifically Bayou Lafourche.  My blog has brought back memories of my childhood and enlightened me to stories just as this one to my unique and special family.  I love all them so much and miss my grandparents (Reed and Mirza Plaisance) terribly.  So, if you make this recipe for your family, share with them the story of this humble meal.

Come back and visit again, because my husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our camp.  I have a fresh turkey on order from a local meat market in town.  My mom and I are going to open the back up and brine the beast.  Thanksgiving morning my hubby will start a fire.  Mr. Turkey will get injected and go into a Cajun Microwave to cook up.  Now, you know there is a blog coming of this event with photo evidence!  Have I told you lately I LOVE my life!  Talk to you next week!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s