Jambalaya

I lived in Louisiana for 13 years and fell in love with the spicy dishes prevelant through out the state - not just in the southern portion. I love gumbo, red beans and rice, dirty rice, spicy shrimp - anything spicy.

Below is my recipe for Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya. The recipe as given is not too spicy - I have to consider my kids. You can add more cayenne to make the recipe spicier - just be careful, a little cayenne goes a long way. You could also just add cayenne to an individual portion if there is someone who really likes it extra spicy. Don't worry if you don't have the spices listed, just use what you have - salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. Enjoy!!

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Makes 4-6 servings.

1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 stalk celery chopped

2 bone in and skin on chicken breasts - boiled, deboned and broth reserved
1/2 lb. smoked sausage or polska kielbasa, sliced

1/4 tsp cumin
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne (I used 1/2 tsp of cayenne and it was very hot!! Like, burning my lips hot after I had eaten several bites.)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1 lrg or 2 small bay leaves (don't forget to remove the bay leaves before serving)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 c. rice
1 10 oz can of rotel tomatoes or small can of diced or stewed tomatoes
4 cups of broth - add canned broth or water/chicken buillion to reserved broth to make 4 cups

1. Saute 1st 3 ingredients in olive oil until soft -5 - 10 minutes
2. Add sausage and cooked chicken - cook until sausage is browned - 5-10 minutes
3. Add spices and rice - stir and cook for 5 minutes
4. Add tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Yummy, yummy. You could also do shrimp instead of the chicken. Don't add it when you add the sausage, wait until step 4 when you have 7 or 8 minutes left and add the shrimp then at the end of the cooking so it doesn't get over cooked.