Recipe: Jambalaya

One of my favorite foods growing up was jambalaya. It is, like all Cajun/Creole food, super flavorful. It is easy to throw together and is still one of my favorites. You can put your mark on this recipe in several different ways. You get to pick the part of the chicken you use, the kind of sausage, the Cajun seasoning, and whether you add hot sauce and liquid smoke. You can also add shrimp. I recommend that you do.

Jambalaya
2 chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
5 oz sausage - cut in half length-wise and sliced (Andouille is the traditional sausage used in jambalaya - pick your favorite. I added Hillshire Farm's Lite Smoked Sausage. I liked it.)
1 medium onion - dice it or slice it
1 medium green bell pepper - dice it or slice it
3 celery stalks - chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can of chicken broth
Water, as needed
1 large clove of garlic
1 1/2 c rice
Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning. It is a little spicy and a lot delicious.)
Optional : Hot sauce and liquid smoke
(Note: I would also add shrimp, but my husband hates seafood. We're still working on it.)

1. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and celery until the onion is just translucent. Season with the Cajun seasoning. (You are going to want to use a big pan because this is a one pot meal. My 12" sauté pan was perfect to make this recipe.) Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Sauté the chicken in the same pan until done. Season with the Cajun seasoning.

3. Add the rice to the chicken, let it toast for a minute.

4. Add the can of tomatoes. Stir to combine.

5. Add the sautéed vegetables and sausage to the pan.

6. Add the chicken stock and water until just covered with liquid. (Add a dash of hot sauce if you want to and no more than 2 drops of liquid smoke.)

7. Cook over medium/medium low until the rice is cooked. You will want to stir every once in a while and add more water (with Cajun seasoning) as needed. (If you are adding shrimp, add it about 5 minutes before it is finished and cook it through.)

Note: I cooked this nice and slow for about 40 minutes. If you don't have a lot of time, cook the rice separately with chicken stock and Cajun seasoning and add it during step 5. Stir it to combine and season as necessary. Let it simmer in the tomato juice for a couple of minutes. It will save you about twenty minutes, but you also lose a little of the flavor. Some days that is worth it.

Make it. Eat it. Love it.

Finally, no, I didn't forget.

Carb Count
2 chicken breasts - 0 g carbs
5 oz sausage - 0 g carbs
1 medium onion - 10 g carbs
1 medium green bell pepper - 6 g carbs
3 celery stalks - 3.6 g carbs
1 can diced tomatoes - 14 g carbs
1 can of chicken broth - 2 g carbs
Water, as needed - 0 g carbs
1 large clove of garlic - 1 g carbs
1 1/2 c rice - 67.5 g carbs
Cajun seasoning - 0 g carbs
Hot sauce - 0 g carbs

Total carb count = 104.1