Gumbo!!

2 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1/4 cup brown rice 

1 large onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 tablespoons white flour 

3 cups vegetable stock 

1 (28 ounce / 796 ml) can diced tomatoes 

1 (540 ml) can mixed beans 

1/2 cup zucchini, diced 

1/2 cup bell pepper, diced 

2 stalk celery, diced 

Salt, pepper, hot sauce, to taste. Maybe a shake of your standard Cajun spice mix. 
 

Cook the brown rice according to package directions, and set to the side.

In a large sauce pan, sauté the onion in the vegetable oil for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté 1 more minute.

Add the flour and stir until it is fully mixed with the oil.

Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, beans, brown rice, zucchini, bell pepper, and celery. Let this simmer for 15 minutes or so until the bell peppers are completely cooked.

The original recipe calls for okra, but I normally use zucchini because we are far more likely to have it on hand. One of these days I'll try it.

I can't make gumbo without thinking of this guy that I saw at Bluesfest years ago, making gumbo during his concert.  This isn't from that show, but you'll get the idea. He still tours, so maybe one day I'll get to try his version!

Italian Veggie Casserole

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 medium zucchini, sliced into thin half circles

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of basil

1 teaspoon of parsley

500 grams package of Rotini pasta

1 can of diced tomatoes (28 oz / 796 ml)

Bread Crumbs

Mozzarella, grated


Prepare rotini as directed on the package. 

While the pasta is cooking, start to sauté zucchini, onion, garlic, and spices in the olive oil in a large pan for 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes in the last minute or two. 

Drain the pasta well, then place in a baking dish. 

Pour the vegetable mixture in with the pasta and mix well.

Sprinkle the cheese over the entire mixture, then and the bread crumbs.

Broil until cheese melts and the bread crumbs begin to brown.

The part I find challenging with this one is keeping the pasta and veggies warm. I've had the cheese/crumb crust start to burn, yet the pasta is cool.

So you can't have your pasta sit while you're still messing with your veggies. It should still be warm when you add your vegetables to the dish, then when it comes to adding the cheese and crumbs, you need to haul ass. 

 

Creole Seasoning

Recording this for future reference, but also to keep track of where I am in creating it, hence the checkmarks. I was missing a couple of ingredients and didn't realize it until I got into putting it together. 


5 tablespoons paprika ✅

2 tablespoons salt ✅

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder ✅

2 tablespoons dried oregano ✅

2 tablespoons dried basil ✅

1 tablespoon dried thyme ✅

1 tablespoon black pepper ✅

1 tablespoon white pepper ✅

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper ✅

BBQ Chickpea Casserole

When mentioning this recipe to others, I'm often told "Oh! It's just like making beans!"

I guess? I've never made beans, but if that provides a helpful point of reference, great! 😀

1 can (19 ounces / 540 ml) chickpeas

1/2 bottle barbecue sauce

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons of bacon bits

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2-3 cgood shakes cajun seasoning

Black pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350.

In a casserole dish, mix all ingredients until well combined.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Let casserole sit covered for about 15 minutes.

I serve this over rice, which I prepare during the 15-minute period directly above, using the package instructions.

The BBQ sauce I've found to be the best "fit" is Bull's Eye's Old West Hickory. It's probably a safe one if you're making it for several people. I may experiment a bit there in the future though.