Happy Monday!

Hello, hello, and happy Monday! Usually, I'm not a huge fan of Mondays, but today is special because it's the first day of my new job and the first day of my new blog. Today, in honor of my darling boyfriend Johnny repairing my poor, mistreated laptop, I'm starting Pretty Prairie Girl with the intent of it becoming a landing spot for me to share thoughts, recipes, things I enjoy, and adventures I have.

 I've decided Mondays on the blog will generally be designated 'Menu Mondays'; it's an easy topic and one that I am definitely happy to write on. I absolutely adore cooking; it's a creative outlet and stress reliever for me. Every Sunday, I plan a menu for the week (with some input from Johnny, of course). I base it on what's on sale at our local grocery store, what we have on hand, and what sounds delicious! On Monday, I'll post the menu here and select a recipe or two to share. So, here goes- the inaugural Menu Monday!

Menu for September 13-17

• Monday: chicken stir-fry with green beans & shiitakes
• Tuesday: chicken & sausage jambalaya
• Wednesday: grilled chicken & baby mixed green salad
• Thursday: slow-cooker beef stew
• Friday: grilled salmon with spicy cucumber relish

My absolute favorite of these meals is the chicken & sausage jambalaya. The recipe was given to me by my biology professor (of all people). I minored in biology in college and had the same professor for every single biology class I took (my alma mater was a very small school). He was from Louisiana and would always cook the most delicious dishes for us when we camped on research trips. It's an easy, tasty recipe that I've modified and made my own over the last couple of years:

Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
• 8 oz. sausage, sliced
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 c. chopped green pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. chili sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 14.5 oz. can of tomatoes, with juice
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt & black pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken and sausage until chicken is golden. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper. Cook until onion is soft and translucent. Add all other ingredients. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, then serve over white rice. Serves 4. 

That's it! And that's also it for Menu Monday- do be sure and let me know how your jambalaya turns out if you try it!