Creole Jambalaya

It has gotten unusually cool here…it’s only August, and we’ve been living in 70 degree weather for the past week or so. I’m loving it; working outside is the pits when it’s 110 degrees.

Becaue of the cooler weather, I’ve been cooking and eating more. When it is hot, you don’t really want to cook—or eat. It is miserable eating meatloaf after a long, hot day. Salads and sandwiches are where it’s at. Although, with this cooler weather I’ve been feeling like I’m about to get sick with something…great. 

We went to Kaiser’s the other day when it was warmer outside, and I indulged in their exceptional sweet potato fries; probably the best I’ve ever tasted! The patty melt was also perfect, the meat was very well cooked and seasoned. I love Kaiser’s for lunch—it’s a legendary spot in Oklahoma City ☺️

We also stopped by the farmer’s market at the OSU-OKC ag extension building. Peaches, pears, okra and peppers were rampant; as were crookneck, summer and pattypan squashes. We settled on a few fruits, pattypan, purple garlic, Oklahoma pork Italian sausage, and two wonderful local cheeses:

I decided I had everything to make a wintery, hearty dish after hitting the farmers market—my mom’s Jambalaya. She got this recipe out of the newspaper probably 15 years ago, and it has always been my family’s favorite weeknight dish. It’s also impossibly easy to make, and can be made with almost ANY meats you may have on hand. I’ve had chicken, ham & shrimp; chicken, sausage & shrimp; and chicken, pork chops & shrimp. Ok, it can be made with any PORK meat 😀

Creole Jambalaya

• 1 TBS. Olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 TBS. Minced parsley
• 2 cups sliced smoked sausage or andouille
• 4 large chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 large bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 28 oz can diced petite tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt & cayenne to taste

1. Add oil to large pot and heat over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic & bell pepper until onion is translucent.  
2. Add parsley, sausage, chicken, bay leaf and cayenne. Cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.  
3. Add tomatoes (with juice) and chicken broth. Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour rice into pan and stir well. Bring to a boil. 
4. Lower heat & simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.  
5. Stir in shrimp and cook 5 more minutes or until shrimp is pink. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and cayenne. 

I always serve the jambalaya in bowls with a crusty french bread or baguette on the side. It’s perfect to sop up the delicious juices when you’re done eating a few bowls of this jambalaya!