Jambalaya

 https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/jambalaya-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 small bell peppers, cored and diced (I used a yellow, red and green bell pepper)
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3–4 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup thinly-sliced okra*
• Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
• optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a stock pot (or a very large, deep sauté pan) over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and sausage and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned.  Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the stock pot.  Add bell peppers, celery, jalapeño, onion and garlic. Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes or so along the way so that the rice does not burn.
4. Add the shrimp, okra, and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. Stir in the chicken and sausage, and remove and discard the bay leaf.
5. Taste season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if needed.  (I typically add about 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.)  Remove from heat.
6. Serve warm with your desired garnishes.  Or refrigerate and store in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Baked Spanish Rice with Chorizo

 https://food52.com/recipes/75260-spanish-baked-rice-with-chorizo-and-chickpeas

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
  
• 10 ounces chorizo, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (fully-cooked Spanish or smoked, Spanish-style chorizo)
  
• 1 whole head of garlic, rinsed but not peeled
  
• 1/2 cup currants (raisins can be substituted)
  
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes, including juice
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (smoked or regular)
  
• 1 16-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or double the chickpeas if you like them!)
  
• 2 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice (or Carnaroli rice or Spanish paella rice)
  
• 5 cups chicken stock (ideally homemade; unsalted or reduced sodium if purchasing)

1. Heat oven to 400° F. 
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, ovenproof braiser or cazuela with at least a 3 1/2–quart capacity. (Alternatively, use a Dutch oven with an equivalent capacity, or start the dish in a large pot and transfer to a baking dish that holds at least 3 1/2 quarts). Add the onions, season with a pinch of salt, and saute until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook until it starts to brown and render a bit of its fat, stirring occasionally, another 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Stir in the whole head of garlic and currants, stirring well to integrate and coat in the fat, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paprika, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and chickpeas, and cook until the tomatoes start to gently simmer. Add the rice, stirring well to evenly coat, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to toast the grains. Add the chicken stock and position the garlic in the center of the rice. Bring the stock to a boil, then put the pan (uncovered) in the oven.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and all of the stock has been absorbed. (Check at 25 minutes.) If using a Dutch oven, the cook time will be closer to 40 to 50 minutes.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature, making sure everyone gets a few garlic cloves.

—— skipped the chickpeas, measured nothing, added corn

Caramel Brown Butter Rice Pudding

https://food52.com/recipes/2338-caramel-rice-pudding-with-brown-butter-and-creme-fraiche

• 2tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2tablespoons creme fraiche, plus more for serving
• 6cups whole milk
• Seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean
• 1/4teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4cup arborio rice
  
  
  
  Directions
  1. 1. Put the butter in a 3 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter stops foaming, and you see orangey brown specks start to appear, stir gently with a wooden spoon. After a minute or two, when the specks are nut brown and the butter smells nice and toasty, sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar over the butter and stir to combine. (It will clump up a little, but don’t worry!)
  2. 2. Switch to a whisk, and cook the butter and sugar, whisking all the time, until the sugar has melted and the mixture becomes a smooth, rich brown caramel, about 5 minutes. (Early on, the butter and sugar will separate, and the butter will pool around the edges of the sugar, but never fear! Once the sugar has fully melted, the two will start to come together again, and you’ll have a nice smooth caramel.)
  3. 3. When the caramel is a rich nut brown and starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat and quickly and carefully whisk in the crème fraiche and about 1/2 a cup of the milk. Don’t worry if the mixture bubbles up when you do this – it’ll settle down again quickly. (This step cools off the caramel and keeps it from cooking further.) Return the pan to the heat and whisk in the rest of the milk, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, the vanilla seeds and the salt. If the caramel seizes a little, just keep whisking until the mixture becomes smooth again. 
  4. 4. Switch back to the wooden spoon and stir in the rice. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the milk is simmering steadily and cook the rice pudding uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, especially towards the end. The rice should be tender but not mushy, and the pudding should thicken but still be quite loose – remember that it will thicken a lot more while it’s cooling. Transfer the pudding to a container, cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of crème fraiche.

Fake Fried Rice

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Here’s an amazing Asian-inspired recipe where grated low-carb cauliflower masquerades as rice. This dish delivers all the flavour of real fried rice but with a fraction of the carbohydrates, plus the cauliflower contains vitamin C, folate and disease-fighting phytonutrients. This recipe serves four as a side dish.

2 Tbsp. (30 mL) olive oil
3 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 ½ cups (875 mL) raw cauliflower, grated (about ½ head)
3 Tbsp. (45 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) fresh ginger, peeled and grated
½ cup (125 mL) diced cooked chicken or baby shrimp (optional)
3 eggs (beaten)

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Fry white part of green onions and garlic for 1 minute.
2. Add grated cauliflower. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add soy sauce, ginger, diced green onion tops and cooked chicken or baby shrimp (if using). Mix well and brown for 1 minute, and then push the mixture to one side of the pan.
4. Scramble eggs in open side of pan until done but moist (add more oil if necessary).
5. Stir eggs into cauliflower rice mix, remove from heat and serve.

Per serving (not including chicken or shrimp):
150 calories; 7.4 g carbohydrate; 7.4 g protein;
11 g fat; 2 g fibre; 503 mg sodium

--> no green onions, a few extra sauces - decent