Jambalaya

We had this for dinner last night, and I was thinking that we should add it into our rotation more often because its so quick and easy to throw together...gotta love those one-pot meals! It also makes a ton, so I'll be enjoying the leftovers for lunch today!

This is my own recipe, adapted and adjusted to our own tastes. Since I usually wing it in the kitchen and don't cook directly off of recipes, I'm trying to be better at writing down the ingredients as I go so I'll have more recipes to post here.

Also note: Most jamabalaya recipes also include chicken (or chicken instead of shrimp), but I don't - mostly because we seem to eat so much chicken that its nice to have something without it every once in a while. But feel free to add it if you'd like - just dice some chicken breasts and cook along with the vegetables.

Jambalaya

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. hot sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 lb. kielbasa or smoked sausage, sliced (can also use turkey sausage)
1/2 lb. raw, medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add celery, onion, and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste and hot sauce to the vegetable and stir to combine. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add canned tomatoes (and their liquid) and all remaining ingredients except the shrimp. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed, about 25 - 30 minutes. Stir in shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking.