I used to be a pretty big fan of Zatarin’s Jambalaya. I thought it was easy to make, and was pretty tasty. However, the last time I made it I found it very salty, and I resolved to make jambalaya from scratch.
I found this recipe on Epicurious, where I get most of my recipes. I made some modifications, but you will find the original recipe here. Crassers, it was divine. The prep time was more, obviously, but the end result was worth the wait. You could chop all the veggies ahead of time if you don’t have much time to make dinner during the week. Feel free to sub out fresh flat-leaf parsley (a few tablespoons) for the dried parsley, and up the cayenne if you like it spicy.
Jambalaya
Adapted from Self magazine.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 kielbasa sausage
- 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into bite-sized pieces
Preparation
Add oil to a large nonstick saucepan. Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery for about 8 minutes. Add parsley, sausage, chicken, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour rice into the pan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid. Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more. Remove bay leaves. Season to taste with cayenne pepper and salt.
Have you ever decided to ditch the box and make the dish from scratch? Share your experience in the comments!
