Destination # 1 - New Orleans, LA.

I should start by saying that we have no pre-planned map of how we're going to approach which states we tackle and when. We're flying by the seat of our pants but as long as we can check off one unique state a week for the next 50 weeks we should be on track to completing our challenge within a year. Choosing New Orleans, Louisiana to kick off our project was an easy and obvious choice for us. For starters, it's Mardi Gras Season. Whoop Whoop! Sadly, neither Drake nor I have ever been to New Orleans, which always comes as a shock to most people who know us as such things as Jazz Fest, loud and crazy hats/outfits, amazing food and partying until the cows come stumbling sideways home is sorta-kinda right up our alley. Hell, our figurative "alley" runs smack down the middle of Bourbon street. Not only should we visit New Orleans, we should probably MOVE to New Orleans. I mean, they even have a main drag named after booze!! Who does that? New Orleans, that's who! But alas, it's still an item on the "bucket list" yet to be checked off. I can't wait to see it; or rather "do" it. As I understand it, one does not merely "see" New Orleans as much as one "does" New Orleans. And so it came to be that New Orleans was the first place we chose for our "Culinary Road Trip" Geography challenge. Known for their Cajun, Creole, fiery spices and bold flavors, it was frankly difficult to chose just one dish to make because OMG THEY ARE ALL SO DAMN TASTY!!! Slow Cooker Jambalaya with Dirty Rice ultimately won out. We got the recipe off Allrecipes.com website, a user-driven interactive recipe site and hands-down our favorite online venue to browse new recipes. The meal turned out AWESOME!

Colleen's Slow Cooker Jambalaya
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without tails

Directions

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

Serve over your favorite rice.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 233 | Total Fat: 13.5g | Cholesterol: 98mg

As a bonus, we went to Toulouse Petit for brunch this weekend, a restaurant geared entirely toward New Orleans Cuisine, and had classic French Quarter style Beignets and Cajun Hashes. I took one for the team and had an AM cocktail, The Hurricane, for the sole purpose of providing a photo op for this blog entry, of course. Kids, I would not recommend drinking boozy bevvies before noon at home, unless of course it is loaded with nutritional juices, which this happened to be, so as far as I'm concerned it was health food and I've done my part in staving off scurvy for the week.

Photos courtesy of Ms. Drakey (the D-Dog) Reilly K.

What's your favorite Jambalaya recipe or New Orleans inspired cuisine?