jambalaya, that’s what.  my dad was born and raised in louisiana, and growing up, we visited often.  i would always look forward to the seriously delicious cajun food, and still today, the scent of cooking up the trinity (bell peppers, onions, celery) takes me there immediately.  i have always been intimidated to try my hand at a cajun dish because i never thought i could do it justice, but for some reason i got the itch to make jambalaya and i’m so glad i did.  it was E-A-S-Y and it turned out great!  i followed this recipe…

 

1 lb smoked sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 lb chicken breast cut into quarter-sized pieces

3 T cajun seasoning

1/2 white onion, diced

1/2 cup bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup celery, diced

1 – 2 cloves garlic

2 – 3 cups cooked rice

2 – 3 cups chicken broth

the night before you plan to make this, sprinkle the 3T of cajun seasoning in a plastic zipper bag with the cut up chicken and sausage (if you’re short on time, 30 min – 1 hr will do the trick!).

brown the sausage and chicken in a big pot.  pull the meat out of your pot and set aside, but leave the drippings.  then sauté the onions, pepper, celery, and garlic.  add the sausage and chicken back to the pot, and also add the rice at this time.  pour in your chicken broth for moisture as desired (i used about 2 1/2 cups).  hit the pot with more cajun seasoning if you like or a bit of tabasco if you like it spicy!

serves 4 – 6