Pot & Cover

it was time to see what was in the fridge to make for dinner ez etoufee was the thing we had ing. for pilaf, didn't use my usual sushi rice...as I was out and had regular long grain rice...used about 4 oz broken capellini (super thin) and 1.5 cups rice (not rinsed) 1/2 stick butter and several TBS oil...water with chix base (the good kind & 3.5 cups water)...superb!...and ingred for etouffee...at least ez etouffee...3 earl campbell, 1 slice bacon, 4 or 5 thin center cut pork loin...seasoned with s&p and floured...browned off the bacon/sausage...sauteed one onion and 1/2 red bell pepper(skinned)...2 roma tomatoes skinned, seeded and diced...made a roux (added extra olive oil as needed)...1:1 fat:flour...everything set aside as it browns...then make sauce with roux and 1.5-2 cups chix broth...add all back in with zest of one lemon, (oh, nutmeg, cayenne too) and juice of half lemon...simmer with lid on till tender...and add fresh basil and fresh chopped maters at end...soooooo...

I've made a version of this a few times, but not lately...I've made it with bacon/pancetta instead of sausage...and sometimes with mushrooms and even mushroom soup. I was on a roll yesterday, inspired by the Christmas spirit...wanting to get the apt cleaned up so I could decorate. I changed out my potted garden on the patio...planting pansies, crocus bulbs & a few ornamental cabbages...the purple and green ones. I couldn't bring myself to buy the big ones, so I got little 99 cent ones and we'll see how much they grow. I worked on laundry, and a little organizing in the kitchen...which inspired cooking...beans to begin with. Scott went to the store for me to get chicken breasts...sausages were in the freezer. We had red and yellow bell peppers that needed to be used...so they seasoned the beans and the etouffee. ez etouffee 2 sausage links, already cooked like Earl Campbell, cut into chunks 2 chicken breasts, sliced into large chunks (like small chix fingers) 1...