Elevating the Ordinary

Sandra Lee has a show on Food Network called Semi-Homemade. Sometimes that is how I cook myself.  It will really speed things along for when you're busy. But by adding your own touches, and some fresh ingredients, you can really elevate an ordinary pre-fab meal.

I started by dicing onion and green pepper.  I also sliced a (turkey) polish sausage.  Heat up a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a little olive oil.  The turkey sausage is leaner, so there is less fat.  Then layer the sausage across the bottom of the pan and top it with the peppers & onions.  I seasoned it with parsley, cajun seasoning, salt & pepper and put the lid on.

I wanted to leave the sausage stationary so it would caramelize and get a nice brown crispy edge to it.  But I had the lid on top so the vegetables would get cooked by steam.

You can sort of see here that the meat is starting to brown, and the vegetables softened nicely.  After that has cooked to your liking, add two cups of hot water to deglaze the bottom of the pan (that's where all the flavor is).  And add a packet of red beans & rice.  Stir everything together, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for 7 minutes.

That's the semi-homemade part.  Let it rest for 2 minutes, then plate it with some cilantro, sliced tomato, green onions, and hot sauce.

I could have easily just heated up the dry packet and called it a day.  But by adding the fresh ingredients, seasoning, and garnishes you can really take a dish to the next level.  It was still really easy to do; and dinner was probably ready in about 20 minutes.