Chicken Creole with Turkey Kielbasa

It feels like forever since I blogged, but in reality it's been less than a week! I think it's because this week I actually skipped out on post! I'm so ashamed by this this that it borders on ridiculousity.

Wednesday afternoon, my fiance and I decided, completely out of the blue, to drive to Pennsylvania to go to Borders. As in, the bookstore. Now, we have not one but TWO bookstores within a half hour drive of our apartment. But it went like this: while we were out running errands, we decided to swing by a local bookstore that we knew was going out of business. However, when we pulled into the parking lot, we were just in time to see a bunch of dudes loading shelves into the back of a truck. Well, crap. 

So, we decided that we were going to just go to Borders in the mall in the next town over. But, after driving for about 20 minutes, I found out there was no Borders in that mall. Where's the closest one, from where we are now? Pennsylvania. Alrighty, then. 

What I totally forgot about was dinner - Sloppy Joes for "Face Off" night. The recipe I had took a whopping 6 to 8 hours in the crock pot. We have a terrible habit of eating very late at night on "Face Off" night. If we were going to eat by a decent hour, everything had to be in the crock pot by 1:30, at the latest, and only if I cooked it for 6 hours instead of 8. But where was I at 1:30? Pennsylvania. 

Okay, I thought. I think I can fudge this a little. If I can make it by 3:30, it will still be okay. This was not the case. We didn't get home until after 4pm, and by that time I was so frazzled and stressed about getting everything done on time that I just wanted to bang it out and get it in the crock pot. We didn't eat until a quarter after 10, by the way.

The Sloppy Joes came out awesome, though. Just saying. Despite the fact that it was an undeniably easy recipe, I just didn't have the patience to photograph and post. I'll make sure to post a similar recipe in the future.

This recipe was definitely not the easiest one I have attempted. Not because it was difficult - it wasn't. However, it involves a lot of time-consuming chopping that makes this a little bit more of a weekend type recipe, one that you prepare on a Saturday or Sunday morning so that you can enjoy the day out with your family or friends or significant others and come home to a relaxing dinner!

I'm making this recipe in honor of my recent trip to St. Lucia, where the Caribbean cuisine is heavily influenced by Creole culture. Lots of spices and stews! The original title of this recipe, from the "Crock Pot Recipe Collection", is "Cajun Chicken & Shrimp Creole". However, I was strapped for cash and did not want to spend money on buying the amount of shrimp the recipe requires. So, while I will provide the recipe as it is printed (don't I always?), I'll show you how to make proper substitutions that are good for you and your wallet!

CHICKEN CREOLE WITH TURKEY KIELBASA

(or, Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Creole) 

Makes about 6 servings

YOU WILL NEED:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped 

1 stalk celery, chopped 

1 (15oz) can stewed tomatoes, un-drained and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

Louisiana-style hot sauce, to taste 

Hot cooked rice 

mise en place

So...many...ingredients.

The only equipment you will need is at least a 4.5-quart crock pot. However: if you have a 5-, 6-, or 7-quart crock pot, you must double all your ingredients. My crock pot happens to be 6 quarts, so I had to double. See why I didn't want to use shrimp? Two pounds of it would easily cost me about $20. 

This is something I learned from my mom: when cooking in a crock pot, if you omit something (like how I omitted the shrimp), you must make up for it. Otherwise, your liquid-to-solid ratio is going to be off, and the recipe might not come out as good. 

You do not have to replace the shrimp with turkey kielbasa. You can use regular kielbasa, or andouille sausage, or even sub an extra pound (or two) of chicken. Make sure you buy the kielbasa already fully cooked. As long as you have 2 or 4 pounds of meat/protein (depending on if you're doubling), the possibilities are limitless and delicious. In this recipe, I used three pounds of chicken and one pound of kielbasa.

Here is the recipe as written, with my comments/substitutions in italics.

1. Place the chicken thighs at the bottom of the crock pot

2. Add chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, diced celery, tomatoes with the juice, minced garlic, sugar, paprika, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Cover; cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours or HIGH 3 to 4 hours (the longer the cook, the more tender your chicken will be).

give it a good mix to evenly distribute spices.

3. Add shrimp (or kielbasa, if using), lemon juice and hot sauce. Cover; cook on LOW 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until shrimp are done).

4. Serve over hot cooked rice!

A beautiful dish, if I do say so myself! The recipe says that it feeds 6, but when doubled it could easily feed at least 8. It could quite possibly feed up to 12 people! Therefore, I am labeling this Pot-Luck, because it is a perfect dish to bring to a dinner party or any type of gathering where food would be welcomed and appreciated. Don't forget to bring some extra hot sauce for those who love the spice. 

I love very savory foods, and the finished dish didn't have enough "kick" for me. So, instead of two tablespoons of lemon juice, I added as much juice as I could squeeze out of the thing. Also, I added extra sprinklings of salt, pepper and lots more Cholula - which isn't exactly Louisiana-style hot sauce, but it did the trick. Of course, you are free to adjust the spices and flavors as you wish and make it truly your own!

Upcoming recipes are TBD...short way of saying "I have to freaking clue". But until next time - eat, drink and be merry!!

PS: Guess what I saw a commercial for today? McCormick Recipe Inspirations!!! Remember, I used them here and here? Finally, some recognition for an awesome product!

PPS: New tag for this and other recipes: Lots of Leftovers! Meaning, this dish will not only feed you for one meal, but it guarantees more.

PPPS: I've added ads to the site to help me generate a bit of revenue. So if you love me, click on some ads and help me make a little extra money! =)