Let the good times roll

First post in my new "Today's Menu" blog

This blog is going to be about what my wife (Ronda) and I (Dave) are cooking on a given day. We both like to cook a lot, I myself (Dave) dream of being a chef, for now I enjoy working the culinary arts at home. Ronda and I are both very good cooks and we love trying out new recipes all the time. Sometimes we find some really good ones that are worth repeating... and sharing.

This post is about a new spin on jambalaya, taking it in a casual direction by rolling it all up in tortilla's for two. All the tastes and spices in a package that can be taken on the go or chowed down at the dinner table with a nice side of fried okra.

I've noticed there's been a new trend of using tortilla's in more dishes ever since NASA announced they use tortilla's instead of bread because they don't make messy crumbs.

With today's society always on the go, people wanting a convenient grub grab are eating more and more from drive thru's these days to help them keep up with their busy lives. IMO, that's not exactly healthy but it is happening more and more.

Enough rambling about drive thru's... .this recipe was found in August's "Cuisine at Home" issue, and like every recipe from this subscription, its a really good one.

This is my first post in my new "Today's Menu" blog so I don't have photos for the first few stories, but I will be sure to add lots of nice photos to my future blogs on food.

Jumbalaya Wraps
Makes 2 servings (actually it makes almost 3-4 if you throw in a few more shrimp)
Total Time 40 minutes (there is a lot of slicing and dicing)

1/4 cup dry converted rice
1/2 cup hot water
3 oz. andouille or kielbasa sausage, sliced thinly on the bias (this is good to do)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (add more if you like shrimp, I suggest cutting them in half - make 'em easier to eat in the burrito)
2 tsp. chopped garlic (or more if you're a garlic maniac like me)
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken (boil the chicken, then shred with a fork)
1/3 cup quartered cherry tomatos (these taste great, we also have used heirlooms)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
kosher salt to taste
2 burrito-size flour tortillas (10 inch)

Cook rice in hot water according to method on package, keep rice warm
Brown andouille sausage in oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat about 3 minutes
Stir In onion, celery, and bell pepper; saute about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and garlic; cook, stirring constantly until shrimp turns opaque, about 3 minutes.
Add chicken, tomatoes, and rice; cook just to heat through, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsely and Tabasco; season to taste.
Divide jambalaya evenly between tortillas; roll to wrap

Enjoy these jumbalaya burrito's with a side of Fried Okra, read on for the recipe

Fried Okra
Fresh okra is best, but if you can't find any, frozen will work almost as well. Thaw and dry frozen okra before tossing it with cornmeal for frying

Combine 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper in a bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of sliced okra and toss to coat
Pour vegetable oil into a saute pan to a depth of 1/2 inch; heat to 350 degrees. Add okra and fry until golden, about 5 minutes.
Remove okra with slotted spoon; drain on a paper-towel-lined pate. Season okra with kosher salt and black pepper to taste

ENJOY!