Jambalaya

All of you know by now how much I love cajun/creole food. I never had much exposure to it before moving to Virginia and meeting people from Louisianna, but now it's become a favorite that I cannot live without. From jambalaya to gumbo to fantastic beignets, I can't get enough of cajun food.

This is a very easy recipe that comes together with plenty of leftovers.

Ingredients

• 1 white onion, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 lb andouille sausage, cut into thin coins
• 2 lbs white shrimp, belled and de-veined
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 2 tomatoes or approx one can diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp cajun seasoninng
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper

Ingredients

1. In a large dutch oven, brown coins of andouille sausage in a little oil until well browned. Drain off excess oil and remove sausage.
2. Brown onion, garlic, peppers, celery in pot, scraping up stuff on the bottom. Add sausage back to the pot with tomatoes, rice, thyme, and cajun seasoning. Stir well and add chicken stock
3. Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add raw shrimp, stir into rice and let stand another 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve with okra or greens.