Tomorrow is Mardi Gras and we started the celebration early with this Spicy Andouille Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya. Mardi Gras, also known as "Fat Tuesday", is a day to eat some rich and fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.
This is a great one pot dish. You can't go wrong with rice and chicken. Then adding the andouille sausage just makes it even better. I love the Cajun spice mix I used to flavor the dish. This spice mix can be used for most Cajun inspired dishes. I also made sure to use the "Trinity". The trinity is a mix of bell pepper, celery and onion. I got fancy and used one white and one red onion. I also used one green and one orange bell pepper. Of course I need to throw in some spice so I added a couple of jalapeno peppers as well.
This week is a busy week for my kitchen. We have a lot of big events that center around food. We started the week with the Super Bowl, then the beginning of Chinese New Year and now Mardi Gras.
I will be making a dish to celebrate Chinese New Year this week and will also share a fun snack my kids and I made for the Super Bowl. After all this eating, I may have to start a juice fast next week.
Spicy Andouille Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya
Recipe by Ramona from Kitchen Simmer
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breast cut into large bite size pieces
1lb andouille sausage sliced
1 large onion finely chopped (or two medium)
3-4 stalks of celery finely diced
1 large green bell pepper finely diced (or two medium peppers of various colors)
2-3 jalapeno peppers diced
2 cups washed and strained rice
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
white part of scallions sliced
red pepper flakes to taste
Cajun Seasoning:
1 Tbs granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp red chili powder or cayenne
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs or more dried parsley (optional)
Garnish: Green part scallion sliced
Directions:
Step 1: Wash and rinse the rice well and place in a strainer to dry out.
Step 2: Gather all spices, prepare trinity vegetables and cut meat
Step 3: Heat 2 Tbs canola oil in a large heavy based pot. Add the chicken and andouille sausage. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Step 4: Next add the trinity vegetables and the jalapeno pepper. Season with a little more salt and black pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Step 5: Add the seasoning spices and bay leaves. Toss all ingredients together for 1-2 minutes. Step 6 : Add diced tomato can and mix with other ingredients.
Step 7: Add the washed/drained rice. Step 8: Add chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and bring all ingredients to a boil. Then lower to medium heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Once rice is cooked, mix well and serve hot. Enjoy.
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