Sometimes you just get lucky, miracles happen, and you create a dish that just plain drops your jaw. This is one of those times. 

My simple little garden has been cranking out tomatoes and peppers like a Las Vegas blackjack dealer! I’ve made a couple of really nice sauces, but was getting a little bored. (My hubby always gets that “scared look” on his face when this happens.) 

So I blanched and peeled the day’s gatherings of tomatoes, and just started dragging things out of the cupboards! After the basics of salts, pepper, the usual herbs and garlic, etc., things started to take a bit of a different path.

Eventually, it morphed into a most delicious, spicy, warm sauce that very much tasted cajun-style! This very special sauce, Spicy Chunky-Style Homemade Cajun Tomato Sauce, definitely needed to be used in a dish I’d be proud to serve company! This was some tasty sauce!!!

I  had a little bit of zucchini left that was still good and needed to be used before spoiling, and of course tons of peppers, along with onions and mushrooms…..it was sounding kind of like a ratatouille of sorts….hmmmm….so that’s what I decided to create! 😀

A spicy, cajun-style, ratatouille! Why not, right? 😀  

So into the pan went a little butter and some, mushrooms, onions, red bell pepper fresh from my garden, some zucchini from the neighbor’s garden, and a little kick of spices!

  

 

After sautéing, I added the sauce, and eventually stirred in the grilled and sliced andouille sausages!  

 

 

I also grilled some nicely spiced chicken breasts and served the whole mess over some cooked white rice!  Things were smelling incredibly awesome!! 

Even the leftovers look delicious, don’t they? Easily saved all together in the same pan awaiting to be plated and heated in the microwave the next day! 😉  

 

 

This turned out to be one spectacular dish, let me tell you!!!! My hubby has NOT stopped bugging me since to make more!! (I’m about ready to get the duct tape!) 😉 Bless his heart. 😉  

 

 

So if you’re looking for a super fantastic twist on a “ratatouille”, THIS is the BOMB. I’m still shocked at how wonderful this turned out. And though I hate to say this, my hubby is right. I should’ve DOUBLED this. At least I would have a little peace. 😉  

Seriously, though, you really might want to consider making more of this, as it truly was divine!! 😀  WELL worthy of company, and really needs nothing more than a little garlic bread or rolls to go alongside.

I do hope that you take the time to make this someday, I promise you will not be disappointed! Take care all, and I’ll see you next week! Have a wonderful weekend! ~Kelly

 

 

Yield: 4 servings

Cajun-Style Ratatouille with Spicy Grilled Chicken & Andouille

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Ingredients

• 1 batch of my Spicy Chunky-Style Homemade Cajun Tomato Sauce
• 2 Tbl. butter
• 1 (8 oz.) carton fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 bell pepper, any color but red was really good, julienned
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups quartered and sliced zucchini, as desired
• 1 tsp. creole seasoning, or to taste
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. coarse pepper, to taste
• 2-3 andouille sausages, grilled and sliced on the bias
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and creole seasoning, to taste
• 4 servings cooked rice (2 cups water, 1 cup rice, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbl. butter)

Instructions

Make one batch of my homemade Cajun Tomato Sauce the morning of or day before. (Refrigerate if making ahead.)

To large frying pan, add butter and melt. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini. Season with salt, pepper and creole seasoning to taste. Don't be shy with the pepper and creole seasoning, but don't go overboard unless you prefer it hot.

Saute veggies until just tender, stir in cajun tomato sauce, remove from heat and cover.

Season chicken breasts well, to taste, with salt, pepper, garlic powder and creole seasoning.

Heat grill to high with lid closed to get grates hot. Turn down grill, oil grates with vegetable oil, and grill chicken and andouille sausages until done. (About 15-20 minutes for chicken. Use package directions for andouille.) Remove to platter and cover chicken breasts.

Slice andouille sausages fairly thinly at an angle and stir into vegetable/cajun sauce mixture. Recover.

Make 4 servings-worth of rice according to package directions.

Reheat andouille mixture in pan on stove. Reheat chicken breasts, if needed, in microwave.

To plate: Place rice onto four dinner plates. Slice chicken breasts and fan onto plates over rice. (Half a chicken breast apiece.)

Evenly ladle andouille mixture over the top of each.

Serve hot with garlic bread, rolls, or bread and butter.