Lighter Jambalaya

It's the new year and time to get back on track. Lee whipped up a little comfort food to warm our bones as the Polar Vortex was on it's way out.  

Part of this year’s  blog is going to be focused on healthier foods and our spin on making dishes healthier.  

We're cutting back on our sodium, so premade jambalaya seasoning was out for sure. Lee used a variety of the seasonings we had on hand to make it delicious!  It still has quite a bit of sodium, mostly because of the Old Bay Seasoning.   

To lighten it up a little further, Lee used brown rice for a healthier option along with the use of fresh vegetables and quality meats with no filler.  It's a meaty dish for sure, but if you stick to the serving size of 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of Jambalaya it’s still really filling.  

Ingredients:

Instant Brown Rice

1 can Tomato Sauce

3 cups Chicken Stock

3 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

5 tablespoons Paprika

1 tablespoon Thyme

a pinch of Salt (I used Spanish Infused Sea Salt)

1 Red Onion (Chopped)

1 bunch of Scallions (Chopped)

2 Jalapenos (Chopped)

3 cloves of Garlic (Chopped)

2 Tomatoes (Diced)

1 bag Jumbo Raw Peeled and Deveined Shrimp

1 pack Chorizo Sausage (Diced)

1 pack Andouille Sausage (Diced)

1 pack Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (Cut into small pieces) 

1 small Lean Pork Roast (Cut into small pieces)

3 tablespoon Olive Oil

Start off by chopping all your vegetables and meats and set aside in their own small pile.   Take a large heavy pot and add 2 tablespoon Olive Oil in the bottom and turn the heat to medium high.

When oil is hot reduce to Medium Heat and cook Chorizo and Andouille stirring often until crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oil and place in a large bowl to the side.

Next add the Pork and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes stirring often.  When cooked remove and place in the bowl with the sausages.

 Next and the Chicken and repeat as above.  When cooked remove and place in bowl with other meat.

Add 1 tablespoon more of Olive Oil and Sauté the Jalapenos, Garlic and Red Onion for about 10 minutes until soft.

After vegetables are cooked pour all the cooked meat back into the pot.

Add all the Spices and stir to coat all ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. 

Add the diced Tomatoes and can of Tomato Sauce and stir.

Add the Chicken Stock and bring to a boil.  Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

After 30 minutes uncover and add Shrimp. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink.

At this stage boil the water for the rice and follow the directions on the box. I used Instant Rice so it was ready in 7 minutes.

Finally add the chopped Scallions. (At this time I also added a Slurry, Which is a cornstarch/water mixture to tighten up the sauce and not have it so thin.)

Serve over Rice and top with a few more scallions!

Without the rice, one serving of jambalaya has 477 calories, 25 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbs, 5 grams of sugar, 46 grams of protein and 1801 mg of sodium.