Cajun Rice Dish, Carrots, Peas

This recipe comes from My Creative Stirrings. I have been looking for more ways to incorporate fish into our diet without costing a million dollars. I know canned tuna is a cheap option, but I don't prefer the taste. I was intrigued when I saw this recipe, and Ms. Creative Stirrings said she couldn't even taste the tuna! I can't wait to test it out.

I copied this recipe directly from the Creative Stirrings blog.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fennel

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dried onions

2 cups chopped celery stalks

8 oz. frozen cut okra stir to coat (optional)

2 cans tuna, drained

1 teaspoon ginger (I didn't have any!)

1/4 teaspoon cloves

14.5 oz. chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

1/4 cup lime juice

5 cups cooked rice (or more for a milder flavor)

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large pot. Stir constantly on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the next 7 ingredients, mix, and then heat on medium for 30 minutes. Add the lime juice and rice and continue to cook for 5 additional minutes on medium low.

Serve with cooked peas and carrots.

This was a hit with my toddler and my husband. Since my man is originally from the south, he was SUPER excited to eat a little Cajun cooking for dinner. Unfortunately, I realized I'm not a huge fan of Cajun spices. I loved the celery, okra, tomatoes, and rice (what a cheap way to fill up! I think brown rice would have also been delicious.). I also thought the tuna was pretty well masked; you could easily replace it with shrimp or blackened halibut if you had the budget and preference for either one. I think I would have preferred this much more, however, if the spices stayed more in the garlic, onion, salt, pepper, chili powder range. Maybe I just don't like cloves?? I thought this was a great cheap and healthy meal, but Cajun spices are not best friends with my particular palate. A big thanks to Creative Stirrings (and her Other Half) for sharing a creative recipe that was unique and family friendly!