Jambalaya (nod to Rachael Ray)

I have to admit ... I took a long time coming around to Rachael Ray.  Yes, I loved watching 30 Minute Meals when it came out -- amazed that she could make such awesome food in such a short period of time.  But .. I never really took her seriously.

And then I tried her recipe for BLT Frittata.  Amazing.  And the year I found out about it, I made it all. the. time.  I'm telling you -- I probably made it every other week.  Lowcarb dieting will do that to a person.  But, seriously, make. that. frittata. (Note: I subbed bacon because it's easier to access than pancetta and I'm not picky about such things).

And then I tried Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Shrimp.  Again, amazing.  Perfect recipe that didn't fail me.  The husband approved.

And then my mom told me about her recipe for Jambalaya.  I thought "Okay, now we're going too far".  This is a serious recipe and I just couldn't take her seriously.

When my mom told me my brother made it and it turned out great, I thought "I have to try this".  I have never made another recipe for Jambalaya since.

Granted, I made my own modifications:

1. I use my own ratio of onion/bell pepper/celery/garlic/bay leaves (it's a religion I apply to all Cajun recipes and is easy to remember as it's 1-2-3-4-5 of each item)

and

2. I'm way WAY too lazy to make separate rice, so I add additional chicken broth and cook the rice in with the whole pot so it's a one-pot meal.  Yes, it takes longer than 30 minutes that way, but I don't mind since I usually budget an hour to make dinner.

Please make this and please enjoy.  I am telling you ... it's absolute perfection.

Ingredients

EVOO/butter (amount to taste - I usually use about 1/4 cup total of the 2. Fat = flavor, folks)
1 lb shrimp, peeled/tail off/deveined
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs, diced
3/4 - 1 lb andouille sausage, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4" half-moons
1 onion, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 bay leaves
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 14.5 oz (or whatever they are) cans chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 heaping tsp chile powder (I use whatever I have in the cupboard, usually California)
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire (or more)
Cayenne/Hot sauce (to taste)
salt/pepper (to taste)
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
Green onions, thyme and hot sauce (to serve)

1. Season shrimp with Cajun seasoning of your choice (I alternate between some "Cajun seasoning" mix I bought 100 years ago and plain ol' old bay) and cook in a 6 quart pot until done.  Set aside.

2. Heat up some more oil/butter in the same pot and brown chicken (I sometimes also season this with some Old Bay/Emeril/Cajun seasoning first as well) over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, then add sausage and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the veggies + bay leaves and saute for a few minutes until veggies are opaque.  Add broth, seasonings, tomatoes and rice.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes until rice is done.

3. Stir in cooked shrimps and serve with chopped thyme, green onions and hot sauce.

***Alternatively, you can add the shrimp (raw) to the broth/tomatoes/rice, but it does get over cooked.  I have to confess, that hasn't bothered me in the slightest in the past.  Everything just tastes so good together I promise you *probably* won't mind.

Enjoy!