I also have a Jambalaya recipe that I concocted several years ago at a family gathering. I think there were 20 some people there, so the recipe as I've recorded it is rather large. (with nearly 7 lbs of meat!) I prefer it done this way, with the rice prepared separately, rather than cooking the rice with the rest of the dish, since if there are leftovers the rice absorbs all of the liquid, making the rice gluey and the rest of the dish dry. Also since several members of the group didn't want it too spicy, the amount of red pepper, cayenne pepper and tobasco were much less than I would otherwise have used, but adding tobasco after it is served works very well. JAMBALAYA 2 lb Chicken Breast (3/4" cubes) 1 lb Honey Ham (1/2" dice) 1 lb Hot-Italian Sausage (de-skinned and broken into pieces) 2/3 lb Andouille-style smoked sausage 2 lb uncooked shrimp (cleaned, de-shelled, and de-tailed, cut into thirds) 2 large sweet yellow onions chopped into 3/4" square pieces 2 red bell peppers (remove stems, seeds and membranes and cut into 1" by 1" pieces) 2 yellow bell peppers 4 cups of rice 2 large cans diced tomatoes 1 15 oz can tomato paste Olive oil 10 cloves garlic 2 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp black pepper blend (ground) 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 4 shakes Tobasco sauce 1 tsp thyme 1 tbsp chopped parsley In one large pan, cook onion in olive oil, add thyme and 3 cloves of garlic (chopped) until onion starts to turn translucent, then add bell peppers and cook another 10 minutes or so. In a different large pan, cook chicken and hot Italian sausage until both are lightly browned and mostly cooked. Empty both pans into large pot. Stir in tomatoes (including water from tomato cans) and the tomato paste. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to a simmer and stir well. In the chicken pan, cook Andouille and ham over medium heat for 10 minutes, then add to large pot. Crush remaining garlic and other spices except parsley into large pot to suit taste. Cook rice separately while continuing to simmer large pot. When rice is done, remove large pot from heat and add shrimp stirring until it is cooked. Serve over rice, adding tobasco to taste, top with a pinch of parsley.

Haven't made these yet but every time I see a picture of them on Pinterest, I want one! Glazed Donut Muffins (Sweet Pea's Kitchen) For the Muffins: 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup milk For the Glaze: 3 tablespoons butter; melted 1 cup confectionersâ sugar; sifted 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons hot water Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With the mixer on low speed, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla until just combined. Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing until just combined. Do not overmix! Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing. To make the glaze, In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, confectionersâ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time and allow to harden then serve.

I made Ina's Apple Crostata the other nite. It's our favourite apple pie, by far. I thought of taking a pic, after we'd already had our pieces. Apple Crostata (Ina Garten) Pastry: 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced 2 tablespoons ice water For the filling: 1 1/2 pounds Macintosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large) 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate one for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet. For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into eighths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle. Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the appl

A while ago I got a library book from Readers Digest called Magic Foods. It's all about foods with healthy GL, which raises blood sugar slowly. The recipes focus on good GL foods such as fruit, bran, broccoli, garlic, olive oil, vinegars, sweet potatoes, onions, brown rice etc etc. Last nite we had a sirloin tip in a marinade, which incorporated a lot of the GL foods. It was good, but it might have had a touch too much balsamic, I was tasting a "bite" so I think cut back, would be better. Sliced the steak in think slices with steamed carrots and potatoes. Flank Steak with Balsamic Sauce (Readers Digest Magic Foods) A zesty marinade is transformed into a rich-tasting sauce. Use a ridged grill pan or skillet, or indoor grill. 1/3 cup orange juice 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tsp worcestershire sauce 1 tsp dried thyme 2 garlic cloves, minced salt and pepper 1 1/2 lb flank steak, trimmed 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot 1 tsp olive oil 2 tsp unsalted butter Whisk the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, worcestershire, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Place the steak in a shallow glass dish, pour the marinade over and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2-8 hours, turning several times. Remove steak from marinade and pour marinade into a small saucepan. Add the shallots and set aside. Brush a ridged grill pan or heavy skillet with oil and place over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook 6-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Bring marinade to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until reduced to 1/3 cup; 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the butter and whisk until melted. Slice steak thinly across the grain, add any accumulated juices to the sauce, and serve with the steak.