Guest Post: Rachel's Jambalaya

Hi RhodeyGirl readers! My name is Rachel from rachelheartsfood.blogspot.com and I’m very excited to be writing a guest post! As a newly married woman, I am constantly looking for recipes that are hearty but still healthful that will satisfy both my husband and myself.

A few years ago, I took a short cooking course with a personal chef who specialized in Mediterranean and Cajun cuisine, and one of my favorite recipes from the course was Jambalaya. This is definitely a favorite in my house and is requested often!

Over the years, I have made a few healthful substitutes that lighten the dish but, in my opinion, retain most of its integrity. For example, I have omitted the ham and substituted turkey smoked sausage for regular, halved the total amount of mean, upped the amount of veggies, and used low sodium beef broth instead of double strength.

I would also like to say that this recipe is obviously not for vegetarians, but I think it could be turned into one! Just substitute vegetable broth for the liquid and omit the meat, and possibly add cubed tofu as a substitute. I would definitely let it get nice and brown before adding any other ingredients.

Enjoy!

Jambalaya

serves 5-6

· 1 T. olive oil

· ½ lb. turkey smoked sausage, cut into small chunks

· 1 medium onion, chopped

· 1 large bell pepper, chopped

· 1 garlic clove, minced

· 1 c. uncooked Jasmine rice

· salt and pepper to taste

· 1 t. dried thyme leaves

· 1 14 oz. can low sodium beef broth

· ¼ c. water

· 1 14. oz. can diced tomatoes

· ½ lb. cooked chicken OR raw, peeled and deveined shrimp

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium high heat, and then cook sausage until browned, about 5-6 minutes.

Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for two minutes to soften.

Add rice, salt, pepper, and thyme and stir until rice is golden.

Add the broth and water, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and chicken/shrimp. Stir to combine, and cook until tomatoes and chicken are heated through or the shrimp are cooked.

Notes:

- Add two celery stalks for a true trinity (celery, onion, bell pepper). I personally hate it!
- Chop the vegetables into large pieces so they do not overcook during the long simmer.
- Although I love whole grain brown rice, I always use Jasmine for this recipe because it is more flavorful and I prefer the texture. You can substitute brown with great results.
- I think the best tomatoes to use are diced w/ green chilies.
- This is delicious with a little (or a lot) of hot sauce!
- For a slightly different but still delicious taste, garnish with chopped fresh mint leaves.  http://rhodeygirltests.com/2009/08/03/guest-post-rachels-jambalaya/