Jambalaya

I discovered a rare find at my local supermarket, fresh andouille sausage.  With the weather getting hotter and spicy sausage on hand, it easily translated into good ol' jambalaya.  Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya was the recipe I decided to use since I had all of the ingredients on hand besides the smoked ham (the easy substitute was chicken breast that I diced into one inch cubes).  If you are afraid or unwilling to chop a ton of vegetables stay away from this recipe or perhaps making jambalaya all together.  It is a ton of prep work but the result is very much worth it.

I find recipes that can be prepped ahead of time to be great for entertaining; you look like an all star with little effort and can also enjoy your guests and cocktails. During my daughter's nap I chopped everything and put the ingredients into bowls based on when they would be added to the pot.  I refrigerated all of these items and then was able to just layer into my dutch oven based on cooking times starting about an hour before my husband was due home.  This recipe is amazing, and I loved it!  To make a dish like this you have to value the step by step process - this is how you develop all of your flavor and I promise you it is worth it.

I would be remiss if I did not mention my fateful mistake that translated into a time mishap.  I decided I wanted to use brown rice instead of white long grain rice.  I don't cook a ton of rice because I am usually cooking low-carb at home so I was completely unaware that brown rice takes at least twice the time that white rice takes to cook.  OOPS!  So to all of you out there, let me be a lesson for you, figure that brown rice takes about 45 minutes or more to cook.  I like the texture of brown rice so I think it is worth it.  I also did a bit of research on rinsing the rice and why you should do it: apparently it removes some of the starch so it aids in shortening the cooking time.  So don't miss that rinsing step!  Also don't overcook your shrimp, as soon as it is pink pull it off the heat.  Noone likes overcooked shrimp, it is so chewy! 

Enjoy this great meal on a hot summer day and let is transport you to the Big Easy or for that matter put on some Harry Connick Jr. and invite some of your friends to share.