Tasty Tuesday ~~ Trifecta of Fat Tuesday Fixin's

For all you "Catlicks" out there like me, I hope you're feasting well today in preparation for the coming 40 days of Lent beginning tomorrow. I've got a fridge full of yummy leftovers, so not gonna cook anything new today.

Add a green veggie and you've got three of our most traditional and beloved menu items to savor. And if you wanna see what's going on at New Orleans' Mardi Gras, click here: NOLA.com's parade route streaming webcam!

Jazzy Jambalaya

2 onions, 1/2 cup celery, garlic cloves to taste (chopped fine)
   {This is what is known as the holy trinity of cooking.}
Salt, black pepper, Tony Chachere's or cayenne pepper to taste
2 lbs. of your favorite sausage
4 cups rice
Kitchen Bouquet

Saute veggies in olive oil until sweated. Add to large pot of prepared rice. (Leftover brown rice works great!) Add 4 cups of water in which you've mixed Kitchen Bouquet. Simmer on very low until serving time if you are using leftover rice, making sure rice doesn't stick to bottom of pot. Your ingredients are already fully cooked. 

If you are beginning with raw rice, put all ingredients in pot together so rice can cook and absorb the flavors. Perfect for a meal or hearty side dish.

Wicked White Beans & Ham

1-1/2 lbs. ham chunks

1 lb. great white northern dry beans

1 onion (rough chopped)

Spices to taste - garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, Tony's

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet

Cover beans with water and soak overnight. Drain. Put all ingredients into crockpot and cover with water. Set on high for three hours, and then on medium-low for a few more hours with lid on. When you have an hour left til finish, remove a cup of juice and beans and smash beans with a fork. Turn heat back to high with lid removed. Pour back into crock and stir well. This will thicken beans nicely. 

Voodoo BBQ

Meat of your choice (*I get whatever's on sale!)

1 bottle cheap BBQ sauce

Season to taste (garlic powder, salt, pepper, Tony's, mustard, brown sugar)

Place meat into huge aluminum pan. Sprinkle liberally with seasonings on both sides. Cover tightly with foil. Put into 300 degree oven for 4 hours. (Low and slow is the secret to tender, juicy meat!) Remove foil and drain fat. Mop on BBQ sauce and return to oven at 400 for 30 minutes. Turn meat over and baste/brush sauce on. Return to oven at 250 degrees and lay foil over top loosely. Leave in oven an hour and a half or until you're ready to dig in. Bibs recommended! {I used huge beef ribs and a pack of chicken thighs in this picture.}

And a little bit of lagniappe...