Jambalaya

Sunday is my lazy day and one of my favorite things is to make a nice home cooked meal. I love taking my time, sipping some wine as afternoon fades into evening while I prepare my ingredients. I chop, mince and measure until I have a perfect mise en place set up. When I see that neat row of ingredients ready and waiting I feel invincible, whatever is on the menu, it’s going to come out great.

As the leaves start to change and the climate gets cooler, we turn toward comfort foods. We crave baked pastas and hearty stews to warm us up from the inside out. While paging through my recipes I wanted something a little different than the norm. When I came across this Jambalaya, I absolutely knew it would hit the spot. Such a simple list of ingredients and minimal effort rewards you with a creamy, spicy dish chock full of plump, juicy shrimp and flavorful smoky sausage. Every bite has a depth of harmonious flavor and pleasant textures. It’s decadent and delicious and worth every bite.

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Big Mac Salad

If you know me, and since about 3 people read this blog I’m assuming you do. You’re probably staring at this post title in horror. Chrystie, the self-professed “I wouldn’t eat a salad if you paid me” salad hater making a salad post!?! Relax and please take note of the “Big Mac.” This is taste bud fun disguised as a salad.

I’ve always considered myself a healthy eater, subscribing to the thought of everything in moderation and splurging rather that sacrificing. But, when I eat something healthy I want to eat something good. I’d rather eat less of something fulfilling, than more of something masquerading and ultimately leaving me unsatisfied. It’s hard to find something that fits both criteria but this salad does it. Oh and it falls in at under 500 calories, if you’re into that sort of thing.

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Italian Style Meatballs

Growing up in an Italian household, pasta was frequently on the menu. I consider myself to be an anomaly, a non-pasta loving Italian who would rather dunk a loaf of bread into sauce than dig into a bowl of spaghetti or linguine.

The Italians among us are probably thinking disgrazia! and you’d be right. For me, pasta night was always about the lure of the moist and flavorful meatballs my mom would serve and how little pasta I could get away with eating.

To this day, the ratio of meatballs to pasta is still severely skewed. Some things never change. But with meatballs this good, who could blame me?

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