Plated Meals Week of February 10th and Promo Code

I had some Plated credits, and thought since I was going to be at B's apartment for all of Valentine's Day week for San Francisco Beer Week, I thought it might be nice to have some home cooked meals to offset the cost of V-Day dinner and all the beer! Much to B's disappointment, I wanted the Roasted Salmon with Cauliflower, White Beans, and Arugula, so we got 2 plates of that (B doesn't like seafood), and he picked out 2 plates of the Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cheesy Twice-Baked Potatoes.

Plated in the San Francisco area now offers delivery on Monday, Tuesday, or Friday. We opted for Monday delivery to give us enough time to eat all our meals before our Valentine's Day dinner reservations at Piccino! I would like to mention that they just started the Monday deliveries and are still getting the hang of it. It was delivered by courier, but ours didn't arrive until after 7:30PM since we were their last stop of the night. So, if you're planning on having it that night, be warned you may not get yours until after dinnertime. We actually ended up going out because we were tired of waiting and didn't want to cook anymore.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

I finally had a night at home, and my usually my mom gives me a recipe she wants me to make. Tonight, it was Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi with Orzo. I just used frozen shrimp, rinsed it under cold water, and then peeled it. Drain it on some paper towels, then use for the recipe.

*Don't worry, I'm posting this the same night I made it, but I will be getting to past posts I have saved up in iPhoto.

Fried Shrimp Flatbreads with Spicy Cardamom Sauce

I found this recipe in the Food and Wine magazine (which I subscribe to, and recommend you also do if you're a foodie and love to cook). It's a recreation of something in a restaurant in L.A. and I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, there are so many strong flavors in this recipe, including some strong Indian spices. But once it's all put together, it all balances out, and enhances each flavor. I loved it, and it's one of my favorite things I've made. It is quite time consuming though, and there's a lot of prep, so be prepared for that.

Mustard Roasted Fish and Breakfast Potatoes

My mom bought some red snapper and wanted me to cook it, so I found this recipe and decided I also wanted breakfast potatoes with it. This mustard roasted fish recipe seems weird and kind of gross, but it tasted delicious! And super easy too, you just have to be careful of any bones that are in the fish, and eat your way around them.

I've always wanted to find a way to make breakfast potatoes that made them taste like you get at a restaurant, and I believe I've found the perfect recipe. So check these out if you love breakfast potatoes!

Mustard Roasted Fish
Here's the recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

• 2 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces creme fraiche (I used sour cream instead, it does make the sauce a little watery after it comes out of the oven, but it tastes fine)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 teaspoons drained capers
• Few springs of fresh dill, to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

3. Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Breakfast Potatoes

Here's the recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
3-4 whole Large Russet Potatoes
1/2 whole Onion
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Or Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter (plus more to add throughout cooking)
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes on a cutting board and dice them into 1-inch pieces. Then place potatoes in a large pot and cover entirely with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender.

2. Next cut up an onion into a large, rough dice.

3. In a large skillet heat oil and butter over medium-low heat. Put the onions in the skillet and sauté until they start to turn brown.

4. Next, throw in the diced potatoes. Stir well and then slightly press/pack then. Now you will cook them without stirring for several minutes. You want the pan to be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not hot enough to char them. Cook for several minutes and then flip them with a spatula, and add a tablespoon or a few of butter throughout the cooking process. Salt and Pepper them as they cook. Cook until desired brownness.

Monterey Trip - Day 2

Day 2 consisted of attempting to hike out in Carmel Valley after eating breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast places, Katy's Place. This restaurant is in Carmel and has all the breakfast staples, including omelets, eggs benedict in every flavor you can imagine, and all kinds of pancake and waffle flavors. Normally, I order the chocolate chip pancakes with bananas on top...and I probably should have stuck with that instinct, but instead I decided to be adventurous.

My mom ordered the Huevos Rancheros, it's like her favorite breakfast meal. I tried it and it was pretty good.

So, at first I was going to order the Crab Cakes Benedict, but our server recommended going with the Dungeness Benedict, which had spinach and better quality lump crab meat. I went with his recommendation, but I think I probably would have liked the crab cake benedict better. The one I ordered was good, and it was good quality crab, but I picked out the spinach and I was kind of craving that fried crab cake texture more than lump crab meat texture. I guess I should have just gone with my gut, but it turned out ok. 

After our crappy hike out in the Carmel Valley (it was an ugly trail, out in the hot sun, and extremely short), we stopped by the Earthbound Farms Cafe Stand for something to munch on. They had frozen yogurt, so we each got the raspberry-honey swirl they had for the day. We walked through their gardens and throughly debated getting something else to eat, but we decided to save our appetites for dinner.

After much searching, we finally decided to try the Old Fisherman's Grotto out on the wharf. We've tried several places out on the wharf that were just ok, but what finally sealed the deal on this restaurant was that they had the ever elusive fried artichoke hearts on their menu! We got there and immediately ordered some before they ran out too! They were delicious, and served with a creamy ranch dip. We somehow managed to finish the whole plate of them, and still have room for dinner and dessert.

My mom ordered the Sand Dabs, which we had seen on many menus, but theirs was delicious. It was served over a caramelized onion risotto, which was almost better than the fish itself!

I decided to order a special appetizer they had for my dinner, because I couldn't choose between the coconut shrimp and the crab cakes. The appetizer was the best of both worlds, and I asked for some tartar sauce to dip the shrimp in, which turned out to be a good idea. The crab cake had a tropical fruit salsa on top, and a delicious sauce. I mopped up my whole dinner. 

For the piece de la resistance, we ordered the chocolate creme brûlée for dessert. It was amazing and the sauce on the plate was the perfect complement to the brûlée. The sugar top was thick and extremely crunchy, and the creme below was a thick, cold, pudding-like consistency, which I loved.

This turned out to be by far my favorite meal of the trip, and I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling to Monterey, or anyone looking for a good place to eat on Fisherman's Wharf. It is a little pricey, but no more so than other places on the wharf that are half as good.

Monterey Trip with Mom - Day 1

My mom had some time off, and we haven't done a vacation together in a while. We decided to go to our family favorite, Monterey, CA and spend a couple days hiking and eating! We stayed at the Sunset Inn in Pacific Grove. We'd never stayed here before, but it was very nice and a reasonable price. We like staying in Pacific Grove because it's cheaper than Monterey, and most hotels there are close enough to the beach to walk there, and there's a nice trail to walk along the ocean. We were doing this whole vacation on a budget of $500 for the 2 of us, for 3 days and 2 nights. That included gas, food, things to do, and hotel. We ended up making it just under budget.


We got into town, and started looking for a place for lunch. I had gotten some restaurant recommendations from a friend who lives there, so we had lunch at one of the recommendations; Vivolo's Chowder House.


I decided I had to order some type of seafood, since it is Monterey. I finally decided on the fish and chips, which was an excellent choice! The fish was perfectly fried, and the tartar sauce that came with it was delicious and tangy, and went great with the fish and even the fries. 

My mom ordered their famous clam chowder bowl, and she said it was good, but not the best she'd ever had.

After going to the hotel to check in, we went out to dinner at another recommendation I had, which was Peter B's Brewpub. We had a heck of a time trying to find this place, but if you go through the hotel lobby that's there, it's behind that tucked away behind some trees. You can't see it from the street. We were told about their famous Fried Artichoke Hearts, which we knew we had to order. We also got a Raspberry Wheat beer, which was very good. As we're ordering, we find out they ran out of the artichoke hearts, and they had only been open an hour or two. We couldn't believe they hadn't thought this through and gotten more artichoke hearts for the night, as they were in season. 

So we decided on all appetizers, since it was happy hour and appetizers were cheap. We got the fried calamari...

The nachos...

And the buffalo wings...

Honestly, this meal wasn't that memorable. I don't care too much for calamari, and that was mostly for my mom. The nachos weren't that great either. The wings were my favorite of all the things we ordered. Maybe, we should have stuck with entrees instead of appetizers, because these were mostly just ordinary and kind of boring. I was worried that my favorite meal would be the fish and chips by the end of the trip, but luckily we went to a delicious restaurant the next day...

Eggs Benedict with Jalapeño Hollandaise and Red Snapper en Papillote

After having eggs benedict in Napa that had jalapeños in the hollandaise, I wanted to try and attempt making it myself at home. So, I found a basic eggs benedict recipe and made it my own, by adding pickled jalapeños! Scroll down for the recipe!

Here's the recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped fine
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt
• • EGGS BENEDICT:
  • 8 slices Canadian bacon
  • 4 English muffins, split
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 8 eggs
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Hollandaise sauce, recipe above
  • Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
  Directions:
  Hollandaise: Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Whisk in jalapeños. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
  
  
  Eggs Benedict: 
  1. Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler.
  2. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley.

  
  

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  For dinner, I made a red snapper steamed with couscous in a parchment bag. It was a very easy and simple recipe, and although I would change a few things, it was very good. Perfectly cooked, and the steamed package is easy to clean up as well.

  

  
  

  Here's the recipe adapted from Alton Brown

  
  

  Ingredients:

  
  

  • 1 cup couscous (I used Israeli couscous, I find it to be a little better than the regular kind)
  • 1 (2-pound) whole red snapper, cleaned, head on
  • 2 teaspoons salt, plus pinch for couscous
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small bunch fresh oregano
  • 1 small bunch fresh parsley
  • 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 cup drained and quartered artichoke hearts
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon butter

  Directions:

  
  

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  
  

  2. Rinse couscous in fine mesh strainer, under cold water, lay out on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with pinch of salt (make sure to rinse it no matter what! I didn't and ended up with some crispy couscous). Set aside. Cut parchment paper into 15 by 48-inch sheet. Fold in 1/2 and lay on baking/cookie sheet. Unfold and lay snapper diagonally on sheet pan on top of 1 layer of parchment. Salt and pepper fish, inside and out. Place herbs inside cavity of fish along with 1/2 of lemon, and 1/2 of red onion. Arrange couscous next to fish on all sides. Put garlic, and remaining lemon and red onion on fish and lay tomatoes and artichoke hearts around outside of couscous, creating somewhat of a wall. Pour wine over fish and dot with butter. Fold over edges of parchment paper, stapling if necessary, to create and almost airtight seal. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Carefully open and serve (be aware of bones in the fish).

Pre-Birthday Dinner: Sienna Restaurant

Since I was going to be out of town on my actual birthday, I did my birthday dinner with my parents a day early. I decided on Sienna Restaurant, because I had heard it was good food, and it was! I ordered a drink, which was the Sweet Serrano Chilitini. It was tart and a little spicy, although I liked my mom's drink a little better which was sweeter. 

Sweet Serrano Chilitini

My mom ordered the Seared Scallop Risotto, which I tried and it was quite delicious. I don't even like mushrooms that much, and they were in this dish. 

Seared Scallop Risotto

My dad ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak, which I didn't get a chance to try, but he said it was really good. 

Grilled Skirt Steak

Here's what I ordered, the Vermont Cheddar Kobe Burger. The burger had good flavors, but the bun got very soggy. It was like they cooked the burger, didn't let it rest and just plopped it on the bun. I finally had to eat the rest with a fork and knife, which could have been prevented. The fries were very good, but I don't think I could recommend the burger. I would definitely order something else the next time I go to Sienna.

Vermont Cheddar Kobe Burger

They knew it was my birthday, so when I ordered the Doughtnut Holes for dessert, they left this nice birthday message on my plate in chocolate! The doughnuts came coated with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, and 3 sauces: raspberry, chocolate, and Jack Daniel's Creme Anglaise. I liked the raspberry sauce the most, but the doughnuts were good dipped in all three at once.

Sienna Doughtnut Holes

My dad ordered the caramel empanadas for dessert, which I never even got a taste of. I imagine it was good, because he ate the whole thing.

Warm Apple Empanadas

Overall, I really liked this restaurant. I would go back, there are a sufficient number of interesting looking dishes to choose from. Entrees are about $15-30 each, and I had a hard time choosing which to order because there were so many tasty looking entrees.

Smashburger and Blue Nami Sushi

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I've started an Evernote list of restaurants I want to try near my house, and in the Bay Area. B and I try to check these off every time we see each other, depending on where we go. The difficulty with this list is that we add places just as fast as we check them off! We started this tradition with our first SF Food Tour, and we've been adding places to the list ever since.

Part of the problem with this, is that B and I tend to want to order the same item from the menu. (This is partly my fault, I don't want to toot my horn too much, but I'm very good at picking the tastiest menu items. He capitalizes on this, by getting what I recommend. Hah!) Since, I usually post these excursions to the blog, I try to diversify what we order, so as to try as much variety as we can. I let B order what I would normally want, and I try to order something else that is on the menu. That way, I have photos for various menu items, and you guys get to see as many different items as possible. It's all for you guys! ; )

This was another day we checked some places off the list, two in fact; Smashburger for lunch and Blue Nami Sushi for dinner. B ordered the Smash Fries, which are tossed with rosemary and garlic, and the Spicy Baja burger, with spicy chipotle mayo, and jalapeños all on a spicy chipotle bun. (This was what I wanted to order, but let him get it, and instead I ordered something else. Aren't I a wonderful girlfriend?! Of course, I stole many of his fries. Usually, I agree to order something else, on the premise that we will trade tastes of each other's food. He ends up liking his meal too much, and then doesn't want to trade! The nerve!) The fries were very good as well as the burger. I think this would be something I would order every time when I inevitably return. 

I ordered the Fried Pickles and the Classic Burger. The fried pickles were an interesting change from fries, which I pretty much order every where I go. They weren't better than the fries though, so next time I'll probably stick with the Smash Fries.

Here's the Classic Burger, you can see where the derive their name "Smashburger" from, by the smashed, caramelized burger patty. The burger was very good, but I found the American cheese to be a little overpowering in flavor in contrast to the fresh veggies. Perhaps a different cheese would be a little better for this burger.

For dinner, we went to a newish sushi place that opened up, called Blue Nami. As with most sushi places, their rolls are all 50% off, making it a pretty good deal. You can get 2 rolls for about $10. B wasn't really hungry after eating lunch, but I was feeling "snackish" as B and I put it. So, we went to Blue Nami. We each had a beer, and he ordered the vegetable tempura, which is his favorite, and I ordered the fried gyoza (or potstickers) and a deep fried spicy tuna roll, which is my favorite. Blue Nami's gyoza was quite good, the sauce was vinegary, sweet and perfect for the gyoza.

I had ordered this deep fried spicy tuna roll to-go before, when I was at work, for lunch. I found that when you order it to-go, they give you a container of the spicy sauce they put on it, which is very good. When I ordered it in the restaurant, there was barely any sauce on it, and I couldn't get the waitress to come back to the table to ask for more. I think next time I order, I'll make sure to ask for some on the side, as it makes the rolls even better. It still wasn't better than my favorite sushi place in San Diego, Ki Sushi. I have yet to find a place as good as Ki Sushi, no one quite does it justice. But, as far as sushi places go in my neighborhood, Blue Nami is pretty good.

I'll definitely go back to both Smashburger and Blue Nami again. They're great standby places to get lunch at work, when fast food gets old. I'll be coming back, mostly so I can get a Spicy Baja burger to myself! : )

*Here is a photo from a different visit to Blue Nami, and it was also quite delicious!

New Years Eve

My family and I have a New Years Eve tradition. My parents never seem to make it remotely close to midnight, but they always seem to have some tasty food for dinner and champagne to drink. This year, I was in charge of the cooking. We had planned on crab, but the store was out by the time we got there. So instead, lobster! I also made some mini shrimp tacos, that were amazing, and I'll be making them again coming up soon. The 3 of us shared 2 lobster tails, and a mess of these tacos, plus a bunch of other appetizers and peach bellinis!

Mini Shrimp Tacos
Here's the recipe adapted from The Food in My Beard

Ingredients: (Sorry for lack of measurements, the original recipe doesn't have them. It's not too hard to eyeball it.)
Shredded cabbage
Mango
Onion
Garlic
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Tortillas
Mayonaise
Sriracha

Directions:
1. A cookie cutter works, but so does a 12-oz can. I brushed these rounds with vegetable oil.

2. Stick a toothpick through the ends of the tortilla round, to keep it into a loose bowl shape. Consult photos above. Cook them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then pull out the toothpick, they will keep their shape after being cooked.3. The slaw was shredded cabbage, mango, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. The shrimp were lightly coated in mayo and a little Sriracha. Yum!

Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
Here's the recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis
(Honestly, I could have done without the lemon in the butter, it would have been a little more savory without it. It's up to you, but it does produce a strong lemon flavor with every bite if you're ok with that)

Ingredients:
4 (each ½ to ¾-pound) Lobster Tails, thawed if frozen
¼ cup Clarified Lemon Butter, plus 1 cup, recipe follows
Clarified Lemon Butter:
3 sticks Salted Butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 Lemons, zested

Directions:
1. Light the coals in a fire pit 1 hour before cooking or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

2. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut through the top shell lengthwise. Cut a slit through the meat lengthwise taking care not to cut through the bottom shell. Gently pull the shells apart. Thread a skewer, starting at the underside base of the tail, along the inside of the bottom shell. Brush the meat with ¼ cup of the clarified butter. Wrap the lobster tails in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the lobster meat is opaque.

Butter:
1. Place the remaining clarified butter in a butter warmer or dipping bowl. Remove the meat from the lobster shells and dip in the Clarified Butter.In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Pour the mixture into a 2-cup glass measuring jug. Let the melted butter stand for 5 minutes. Using a spoon, remove the foam from the top of the butter. Place the lemon zest in small bowl. Pour the clarified butter over the lemon zest and discard the milk solids left in the bottom of the jug.

Avocado and Sardine Toast

This recipe sounds like the weirdest thing ever, but it's actually pretty tasty. Now, I'm not one of those people who loves sardines and anchovies, but I'm adventurous enough to try them if it's in something that otherwise sounds good. So, since my favorite chef, Alton Brown, made this as part of his diet show, showcasing recipes he made to help him lose 50 lbs., I decided to try it. The avocado mellows out the fishiness of the sardines, and the lemon juice gives some zing to balance the saltiness of the fish. If you're adventurous enough, try this recipe, you won't regret it!

Here's the recipe adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients:
2 Tins Sardines In Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Parsley Leaves, divided
1 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar
¼ tsp Lemon Zest, reserve the lemon and cut into 4 wedges
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 (½-inch) Thick Slices Crusty Bread, such as sourdough, country loaf or rye (I used Texas toast because we had it, and toasted it on both sides first)
1 Ripe Hass Avocado
Coarse Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Drain the oil from 1 tin of sardines into a small bowl and set aside. Drain the oil from the other tin into another small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of parsley, vinegar, lemon zest, and black pepper, to taste. Add the sardines, stir to combine and set aside for up to 1 hour.

2. After 45 minutes, put a rack 3-inches from the broiler and heat the oven to the broiler setting on high. Brush each slice of bread on 1 side with the reserved oil. Put the bread, oil side up, onto a cooling rack set inside a half sheet pan and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

3. Halve the avocado and remove the pit. Smash the flesh in each half with a fork.

4. Spread the avocado evenly onto the toasted bread. Top evenly with the sardines. Pour any remaining dressing on top and garnish with the remaining parsley.

5. Season lightly with sea salt and serve with lemon wedges.

Jambalaya

I had only tried jambalaya once before making this, and it was at a restaurant trying a friend's dish. It was flavorful and tasty, and I set my mind to be adventurous and make it sometime. That time finally came and went, and what I concocted was so flavorful and tasty, that I highly recommend this recipe. I elected to use a more traditional recipe with sausage and shrimp.

Now let me say, I am not a big fan of shrimp. Every time I eat shrimp somewhere it's overcooked, and rubbery. I was enlightened at a college alumni event as to how shrimp should taste, and it was an amazing experience. I vowed to cook my shrimp properly, and it worked out beautifully.

This recipe does make a lot, so if you are only feeding a few people, cut in in half. We made a whole batch and we couldn't quite finish the leftovers before they got tossed. I served it with some butter-toasted bread and it was absolutely perfect.

Tip: this recipe is much easier and quicker in the end, if you dice everything up first, measure everything out, put all the ingredients that are going in at the same time, in a bowl for easy transfer. It's your mise en place, everything in it's place. You can see that's what I did in some of the pictures. 

I had a nice glass of wine while cooking

Check out those dicing skills!

It was so colorful in the pot!

Here's the bread toasted for on the side

Right after I added the shrimp and it was almost ready

On the plate, ready to eat!

Here's the recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Prep Time: 25 min | Cooking Time: 1 hour and 15 min | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 pound Sausage, such as kielbasa or andouille, sliced
1 pound Smoked Ham, cubed
1 Tbsp Butter
1 medium Onion, diced
1 cup Diced Celery
1 Green Bell Pepper, cored and diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, cored and diced
1 cup Seeded And Diced Tomato
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and minced OR ½ teaspoon cayenne
2 tsp Diced Fresh Oregano
1 tsp Diced Fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
6 cups Chicken Stock, preferably homemade
3 cups Long-Grain Rice, rinsed
3 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
6 - 8 Dashes Hot Sauce, optional (recommended: Tabasco)
½ cup Chopped Scallions, divided
¾ cup Chopped Fresh Parsley, divided
¼ cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 pound Medium Shrimp, deveined (20 to 24 count) (I used frozen shrimp here, you can buy it already deveined. I just dumped them in a colander and ran cold water over them to defrost, and left them there until I needed them for the recipe)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or black iron pot over medium heat, add the kielbasa and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the kielbasa to a bowl, and set aside. 

2. Add the ham to the same pot and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to the bowl with the kielbasa, and set aside.

3. Add the butter, onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

4. Add the tomato, garlic, jalapeno or cayenne, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well.

5. Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, ham, bay leaves, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

6. Add ¼ cup of the scallions, ¼ cup of the parsley, the lemon juice and the shrimp, and stir well. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and allow the jambalaya steam, for 15 minutes, before serving. Remove the bay leaves.

7. Garnish with the remaining ¼ cup scallions and ½ cup parsley, and a dash of hot sauce, if desired.