by This is twist on a Cajun classic that makes it slightly healthier and also bumps up the heat.
Ingredients
Rice
1 ½ Cups Brown Rice
3 ½ Cups Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Butter
½ Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
Pinch of Salt
Jambalaya
2 Cups Diced Cooked Chicken
16 oz Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 lb Shrimp, Pealed and Deveined
1 Medium Sweet Onion, Diced
3 Stalks Celery, Diced
2 Jalapenos, Diced
2 Sweet Pepper, Diced
2 to 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
½ Cup Chicken Broth
½ Cup White Wine
1 to 2 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder
1 Tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions
I love a good Jambalaya, but I am trying to cut back on simple carbs like white rice, white flour, and white sugar. I decided to go with brown rice, but since the standard Jambalaya recipe calls for cooking the white rice with the other ingredients, it’s hard to make an exact substitute because the brown rice takes longer to cook and that will overcook the other ingredients. So I came up with the comprise of cooking the brown rice separately and then adding everything together close to the end.
For the rice, add the broth, butter, and seasonings to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir, then reduce the heat to Medium-Low and cover. I use broth instead of water along with the seasonings to better replicate the taste of having cooked the rice with the other ingredients. It will take about 45 minutes to cook the rice, so you can start that part early.
Add the sausage to a large skillet or pot and cook on Medium heat until the slices are browned on both sides (you might add a little oil while doing this). Add the chicken and let it brown just a bit then remove the sausage and chicken from the pan.
Add one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the onions, celery, and peppers and sauté for about five to six minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about thirty seconds. Add the meat, broth, wine, and seasonings into the pot and stir.
At the same time you are starting the vegetables, in a separate skillet, turn the heat to Medium and add one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted, add the shrimp along with some Cajun seasoning and cook for about five to six minutes until pink, turning the shrimp at least once. As an option, you can cook the shrimp in the step above with the sausage and chicken, but I believe cooking it separately makes it more flavorful.
Add the shrimp with the mixture of veggies and meat and cook until the liquid has thickened, about four to five minutes. Add the rice and stir until all the ingredients are combined and fully warmed. Or if you prefer, you can keep the rice separate and just serve the meat and veggie mixture over that.
Note that I am using jalapenos and sweet peppers instead of the bell pepper that is usually called for in the Cajun “Holy Trinity”. If you prefer to use a bell pepper, that is fine, and you can add some jalapeno or serrano with that for some heat. The heat level for this dish following the recipe above is approaching Medium on my scale.
This goes great with some garlic toast, and I always have a bottle of Louisiana-style hot sauce nearby to kick up the heat a little more.
