Jambalaya

I was feeling adventurous one day and wanted to try something I had never cooked before. I found a jambalaya recipe and modified it so that Robbie would be able to eat it (most recipes called for white rice which he cannot eat). Now it's one of our favorite dinners! 

 

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced (about 3 or 4 cloves)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
• 8 oz Andouille sausage, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (based on how spicy you want it)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Old Bay Spice (you can always add more at the end if needed)
• 1 15-oz can red beans (I found some that were in a Cajun sauce but plain works fine)
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice (I used the boil-in-a-bag brown rice that's microwaveable)
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce (I recommend adding a little bit at a time and tasting as you go)      

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep pan (such as a jumbo cooker). 
2. Saute onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, salt and pepper in oil for 5 minutes then add chopped chicken and sausage.
3. Continue to cook meat and vegetables until the chicken is cooked through, then mix in the cayenne pepper and Old Bay Spice.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add the beans, tomatoes, rice, and 2 cups of chicken stock. 
5. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so to stir and add more chicken stock as needed. You want to make sure it has enough moisture so it doesn't dry out and stick to the pan as the rice cooks but not so watery that it is like soup.
6. Once the rice is tender, add Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce and it's ready to serve!
7. Listen to some jazz music while you enjoy your delicious jambalaya. 

  This recipe almost fills my 5 quart pan to the top. If you don't have a pan that's deep enough, try cooking the veggies and meats in a frying pan then transferring to a deep pot before adding your other ingredients.