Jambalaya ~ Tasty & Simple One-Pot Meal

At the moment we reside in Louisiana and it would be a tragedy not to cook up some local cuisine.  

Jambalaya is a simple one-pot meal which can incorporate nearly anything laying about. In other words, it's an elevated "poor food" from the past. Every recipe differs slightly, from seasonings to the amount of tomatoes. My family decided on this one as their preference but feel free to change it up to suit your own tastes. 

Jambalaya

Olive oil

1 Large Onion. Chopped

5 Medium Cloves of Garlic. Peeled & Chopped

1-2 Large Bell peppers. Any color. Seeded. Chopped

4 Celery Stalks. Diced

3 Tbsp. Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley. Minced

1-3 Large Bay Leaf

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

2-3 Tbsp. Dried Thyme. 

fresh ground Black pepper

2-3 Tbsp. Garlic powder

1/2  c. Tomato Sauce

3 c. Chicken or Vegetable Stock. Preferably homemade

2 c. Brown Rice. I prefer Brown Basmati

Optional Meats: 4 oz. extra-lean smoked ham. Chopped

1-2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped

1-2 c. chopped chicken, raw or pre-cooked. 

Smoked sausage link. Grilled and chopped

In our Jambalaya, I use 1-2 c. shredded roasted chicken, pre-portioned in 1cup containers from our freezer.

Add oil to a large non-stick saucepan or pot. Over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, bell peppers and celery until onion is soft not browned. 

Add parsley, meat choice(s), bay leaf and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. If using shrimp, add during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time to prevent a rubbery texture. 

Add rice and stir about a bit, add tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cover and let cook until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. 30-45 mins. 

Remove bay leaves. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. 

Enjoy!