Jambalaya (No Mushy Rice!)

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)

11 ounces fully-cooked andouille sausage (sliced)

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

1 yellow onion (diced)

2 green bell pepper (deseeded and diced)

2 ribs of celery (diced)

4 garlic cloves (minced)

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ½ cups uncooked long grain white rice (rinsed)

1 bay leaf

1 (15-ounce can) crushed tomatoes

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound large shrimp (in the 16-20 count range) (peeled and deveined)

sliced green onions and chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Season the chicken. In a medium mixing bowl toss together the diced chicken with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, until evenly coated.

Cook the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven or wide-bottomed (and preferably deep) pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Cook the sausage. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil along with the sausage to the same pan and saute for a couple of minutes, until lightly browned on both sides. Remove the sausage to the plate with the chicken.

Saute the veggies. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery, and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the veggies have softened. If you need to add a splash more oil feel free to do so.

Stir

Add the garlic and spices. Add the minced garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning, and the red pepper flakes to the pan. Stir together for 30 seconds.

Add the rice and toast with the veggies and spices by stirring for a minute. Then add the remaining ingredients except the shrimp. Give it a stir, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally just to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the rice is al dente.

Add the shrimp. Remove the bay leaf and add the shrimp to the pan. gently stir, cover, and turn off the heat. The shrimp will cook through in about 4 to 5 minutes, and all of the liquid should be absorbed by the rice. Taste the jambalaya and season with extra salt and pepper if you'd like.

Garnish. Before serving, garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley.

Nutrition

• Calories: 458 kcal
• Total Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Cholesterol: 159 mg
• Sodium: 793 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 38 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 32 g