Monday, March 25, 2013

Jambalaya

Trying to get back on a healthy track, I recently pulled out one of my healthy eating cookbooks.  Rocco DiSpirito's "Now Eat This!" tauts "150 of America's Favorite Comfort Foods, All Under 350 Calories."  Now I usually find some way to make a healthy recipe unhealthy, but this book at least helps me get a good start. 


I have always been a shrimp lover. The family joke goes that on Christmas Day each year they used to buy two shrimp trays -- one for the family, and one for me.  This recipe for Jambalaya, adapted from Rocco's book, pairs my love for shrimp with my desire to make a healthy meal.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon paprika
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
Salt
2 sweet Italian sausage links, cut up (Rocco's recipe obviously calls for andouille, but I had Italian and it worked just fine!)
14.5 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

Here's how to make it:

Chop onion, green pepper and garlic.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Add onion, green pepper and garlic.  Sauté about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add chicken broth, paprika and rice.  Season with a few shakes of salt.  Cover and heat on medium heat for a few minutes, then switch to low.  Cook on low for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage.  You don't have to cook it all the way through, since it will be cooking in the pot for awhile in the next step.

Stir in sausage and tomatoes.  Continue to cook on low about 30 minutes more.  This really lets the rice and meat soak up the flavor.


Bring small pot of water to a boil.  Add shrimp and boil until they are a light pink color.

Season shrimp with salt and stir into rice mixture.  Cook covered 10 more minutes or until liquid is absorbed.





2 comments:

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    1. It is! And I believe you got me that cookbook for Christmas one year - thanks! :)

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