Cajun Dirty Rice

Some days I feel like the story of my life is summed up in one word. Dishes. It's probably the one chore that no one notices I do constantly, until I don't do it. Washing dishes is a never ending, thankless job and because I cook almost all of our meals (why did I never get my kid hooked on cereal?!) we always have tons of dishes! I have tried to make this chore easier by giving the task of emptying the dishwasher to my youngest but I do make it harder on myself because I NEVER put my pots and pans, or my knives, in the dishwasher! Because of the way I baby my pans and knives, I know they will last me for the rest of my life and could probably be passed down to my kids, so why not make them earn it? I am always happy when I make a one pot meal because, well, you know why....less dishes! This Cajun Dirty Rice is the perfect example of a one pot meal. Dirty rice got its name because the chicken livers make the rice "dirty". I know liver is one of those things you either love or hate. If you don't like liver, just add another pound of ground beef or your favorite Triple S Farms sausage. I love using fresh herbs from my herb garden. This time of year I am dehydrating constantly so I never have to buy them. I grow lemon thyme, chives, Italian parsley, sage, rosemary, lemon basil, sweet basil, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, cilantro, and oregano.

This is my workhorse of a pan. It's a deep 12" stainless steel skillet. It probably gets used more than any other pan I own. I also love my bamboo utensils. This one is great, because of its flat bottom, for breaking up meats and scraping the bottom of the pan. Also, bamboo is sustainable and won't swell up when soaked in water like wood will.

I always use broth instead of water when making any rice dish. It not only adds tons of flavor but it really ups the nutrients.

This makes great leftovers. My youngest will eat anything for breakfast as long as there is an over easy egg on it!

Yay! Only 1 pan, 1 spoon, 1 cutting board, 1 knife, 3 plates, and 3 forks to wash! Who does the dishes in your household? CAJUN DIRTY RICE 1 Tbs. olive oil (I used the fat that floated to the top of my chicken broth) 1 lb. Triple S Farms ground beef 1 lb. Triple S Farms chicken livers 1 medium onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bell pepper, diced 2 ribs celery, diced 1 Serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced (optional) 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin 2 C. brown rice, rinsed 3 1/2 C. chicken broth 1 Tbs. fresh or 1 tsp. dried sage 2 tsp.. paprika 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 2-3 bay leaves Salt and pepper, to taste 1 C. fresh parsley, chopped Add oil or fat to a deep pan with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and chicken liver to pan. Add salt and pepper. Break up meat and cook until no pink remains. Add onions, garlic, bell pepper, celery, hot pepper, and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften, 6-8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except for parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Cook on low for 50 minutes. If you prefer another type of rice, cook according to package directions. Turn heat off and let stand for 10 minutes. Add parsley and stir.