Jambalaya

I made a school resolution not to even think about Pinterest until after I graduated.  It was a few months after graduation that I discovered the wonderful world of Pinterest.  I have been finding and trying a variety of crafts and recipes from the site.  I have about a 50/50 success rate with the recipes but it sure is fun to try new things.  The last recipe I tried was for Jambalaya and it was a major success.  So much so that we bragged to Kim and Trent about it and they invited themselves over for some!  Geez, I love my family!!!!

Tonight we had Kim, Trent, Roxanne and Gary over for dinner.  It was delicious again.  The recipe is below and I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 white onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
1 small orange bell pepper, cored and diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped, (more/less to taste)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
3 cups chicken stock
1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice
2 Tbsp Cajun or Creole seasoning (more/less to taste)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic.  Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked.  Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine.  Continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne and stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.  (Don't forget to stir or the rice may burn on the bottom of the pan.)

My note:  We used brown rice and it took MUCH longer to cook than 25-30 minutes more like an hour and a half with stirring and adding more water as the moisture cooks off.  Definite time commitment but worth it.

Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and stir to combine.  Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and no longer pink.  Remove the bay leaf and serve.