Spicy Blu Cheese, Tomato and Crab soup & Jambalaya Recipes

I have so much work to do. These are our last two official weeks of class before field placement (and then student teaching) and I have some seriously ridiculous levels of stress I'm dealing with.  I'm also sick. LOSE.

To combat my anxiety, I baked, cooked and cleaned all of last week.  Two items that got some recipe requests were the Tomato/Blue Cheese/Crab soup and the Jambalaya - so that's what I'm posting.  If anyone wants the pumpkin cheesecake/white chocolate cheesecake, carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing, sugar cookie or oatmeal raisin cookie recipes, let me know.

Here we go:

Spicy Tomato, Blue Cheese and Crap Soup:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 4 cloves (4 tbs) garlic, minced
- 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 c. of vegetable stock
- 3/4 c. Heavy Cream
-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (or any hot sauce, really)
- 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
-1/2 pound of blue cheese
-1/2 - 1 pound crab meat (if desired)


Directions:
In a medium soup pot, saute onions in olive oil for about 2 minutes.  Add garlic & continue to saute for additional 2-4 minutes.  Add tomatoes (and tomato juice in can) and stock - bring to light simmer.  Add cream, sriracha and oregano - simmer for 45 minutes.

Crab: if using, put in a pan over light heat with 1 tsp lemon.  Heat thoroughly.

Pour soup into a food processor or blender, add blue cheese and blend until smooth.  Add crab, stir.

Eat :)


Jambalaya Recipe (Plus Bayou Blast)
disclaimer: I stole this from Emeril Lagasse and then changed pieces.  If you want the original recipe, go to foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
- 1 pound of peeled and de-veined shrimp
- 1 pound sausage (I used regular sausage, not andouille)
- 1 tsp Bayou Blast (recipe below)
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 tsp Worchestshire sauce
- 1 tsp hot sauce (I used Frank's)
- 1 c. uncooked rice
- 2 c. celery, chopped
- 2 tbs garlic
- 4 c. chicken stock
(**Optional: 1 pound of chicken, increase stock to 5 c.**)


Directions:
Cover shrimp (and chicken) with bayou blast, coat well and put in refrigerator. 
In a large pan (medium soup pot) saute all peppers, onions and celery in olive oil on high heat.
Add garlic, tomatoes, Worcestershire saue & hot sauce.
Add rice and slowly add stock.

Reduce heat to medium and cover - cook until rice absorbs liquid (approx 15-20 minutes).
When rice is just tender, add meats and cook until done.  Serve and enjoy :)

Bayou Blast:
2 1/2 tbs paprika
2 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs pepper
1 tbs onion powder
1 tbs cayenne or red pepper flakes
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs thyme


Mix together, store in cool dry place.




Enjoy everyone :)