Monday, January 18, 2010

Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou...

The thought of Creole and Cajun cuisine makes my mouth water but I am definitely intimidated to cook it. I just imagine a ton of ingredients and a complicated cooking process.

One day I stumbled upon this recipe for skillet jambalaya. I messed around with it a bit and came up with a revised version that's a cinch to make. Instead of the traditional andouille sausage, I use a healthier low-fat turkey kielbasa. It doesn't have the complexities of a real jambalaya but it does the trick when you want something warm and flavorful. Somewhere in between jambalaya and paella. It's delicious with fresh lemon juice squeezed over it and tons of Tabasco sauce!

Skillet Jambalaya

1 lb shrimp (21-25/lb size or larger is), peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz of turkey kielbasa, halved and then cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 small onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped fine
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups of organic chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
Salt & pepper

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet/pan. Add the kielbasa, onion, bell peppers, Old Bay and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in rice, garlic and tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds more. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook on a low simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Then scatter shrimp over top of the rice, re-cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for a couple minutes. Finally stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste (mine tonight did not require any additional salt). Serve hot with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side.

3 comments:

  1. This sounds delightfully delish and perfect comfort food for a cold day. I will definately be trying this. Your blog (and site) are wonderful Erica. Keep up the great work! Between you and Dahn I have so many new exciting recipes and I love it!
    Love Vanessa~xo

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  2. Thanks, Vanessa! It's wonderful people like you that make it all worth it. xoxo

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  3. Old Bay Seasoning - ever tried it on popcorn? Its so good!

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