Hi Everyone,
I’m back with another inspired recipe from my trip to Baton Rouge. One of the stops along the way was to Red Stick Spice Company, a foodie’s paradise. I’m telling you when I walked in that store my eyes lite up and I couldn’t wait to go shopping. They had every spice imaginable including the biggest selection of pepper spices I have ever seen. I think I bought everyone. But they not only carry spices, but they also carry extract, salts, teas, oils and vinegar’s, just to name a few.
I met Anne Milneck, the owner of Red Stick Spice Company and she is a woman who loves what she does. You can see the passion in her eyes when she was talking spices and food. Not only did she helps us out in the store, but she also gave us a wonderful food demo, explaining the different spices and preparation of the meal. She served us up Peach Salad with Apricot Pepper Vinaigrette. It was amazing!! Nice, light, refreshing and a sure treat from all the fried foods I have been eating. Plus she also served us a One-Pot, 15 Minute Pastalaya, which was just as yummy. Here’s a picture of the salad that Anne made.
I thought I would show you my basket that was filled with all my spices. Please note this was only part of it. I ended up with two bags full of spices. He he Christy of Go Baton Rouge, said we can always count on you to shop. lol
With all of my fun spices that I bought I thought I would give a try and make Dirty Rice. Remember when I had it with the Blackened Shrimp? Well instead of using Zantarain’s, why not try homemade? Oh my gosh! Amazing! I am impressed by my Dirty Rice recipe. It’s very filling, slightly spicy and has the perfect Cajun flavoring. I of course used Creole Seasoning that I bought at Red Stick Spice Co.
I got the recipe from Emeril Lagasse, but I changed it up a quite a bit to simplify it. He had you using 3 pots to make this dish and I hate using multiple pots so I made it my way, one pot deal and it turned out delish. The recipe in general is pretty easy, but it takes about an hour to make it. But well worth the time.
I started out by making a roux with vegetable oil and flour, once it turned a pretty amber color, I added my ground pork. Cooked it until it was no longer pink and added my veggies. I cooked for about another 5 minutes, then added chicken broth and seasonings. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, then I added my cooked rice, parsley and scallions. Perfect! I had to modify the measurements from the original recipe, and I was crossing my fingers it would turn out and thank goodness that it did.
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 11/2 tbsp.Creole seasoning
- ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup finely-chopped green onions
- 5 cups rice, cooked (I used basmati rice)
- In a large skillet with a high sides, over medium heat add vegetable oil and whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until roux thickens and darkens to a mahogany color; do not let burn.
- In a same skillet as the roux, add ground pork and cook until pork is fully cooked. Add onions, bell pepper, and celery; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, smoked paprika and creole seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste test it to see if you need to add salt and pepper.
- Just before serving add parsley, green onions and rice. Carefully stir well; and cook until rice is warmed.
Calories per heaping cup: 277, Fat: 9, Sodium: 56, Potassium: 128, Carbs: 29, Fiber: 2, Sugar: .06, Protein: 19
When I made this recipe, I cooked my rice while I was cutting up my vegetables. By the time I was done cutting, the rice was pretty close to being done. The measurements are about 1 cup basmati rice to 2 1/4 cups of water. You can use any rice you would like, just follow the directions on the package.
The Dirty Rice makes for a great alone dish or serve it as a side to shrimp, chicken, fish or whatever you desire. I simply love it and shall be making this again.
To get more information on Red Sticks Spice Company, you can go to their website. You can even order online if you desire. I will be ordering the mango chipotle spice rub. It was out of stock when I was in the store. Anyway, here is there website address.
Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a $100 git card for Red Stick Spice Co, Just go here.
For more information on Baton Rouge you can check out the following social media sites.
Visit Baton Rouge on Intsagram
Have a great day!
Toodles,
Jennifer
