Welcome to 2014! I’m excited for a new year and all the good food it will bring. My hope is to blog more this year and not worry about making the posts long. I always worry so much about making my recipes precise, even though that’s not how I cook. So look for less detailed recipes and more lists of inspiration for making your own cooking creations. I also hope to share more awesome restaurants I visit – and keep those posts quick and simple too.
To wrap up 2013 I whipped up a batch of Jambalaya packed with flavor and spice. By combining ingredients from a few different recipes I put my own spin on this traditional creole dish. It was the perfect dish to end the year on and of course paired perfectly with some bubbly.
Per usual its hard for me to remember everything I put into a dish – but here’s the basic ingredients and steps. Experiment and enjoy!
Ingredients
- Sausage (I used turkey andouille sausage)
- Peeled uncooked shrimp (about 30 medium sized)
- 1 can roasted tomatoes (14 oz)
- 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
- Diced green pepper
- Diced yellow onion
- Diced celery stalks (about 4)
- 1 finely chopped jalapeno
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups long grain rice (use brown!)
- 3 cups chicken stock (use low sodium)
- Green onions (chopped for garnish)
- 1 small bag frozen sliced okra
- Spices t0 taste – salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, coriander, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, Tony’s creole seasoning
Directions
- Add olive oil and butter to a dutch oven/large pot and heat
- Brown the sliced sausage in a dutch oven
- Add the veggies (pepper, onion, celery, garlic, jalapeno) and cook until soft
- Add spices to taste – I added a pinch or so of each
- Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and okra and mix
- Add chicken stock and let mix come to boil
- Add rice and cook about 45 minutes until rice is tender
- Season as needed to taste
- Add shrimp and cook for about 2 more minutes until all are pink
If there is too much liquid cook longer and it will absorb. If there is not enough liquid and the rice is not fully cooked add more chicken stock until desired consistency.
Serve hot with green onions on top and hot sauce on the side (for the crazy people).
Cooking with Care 