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Jambalaya

Happy Monday! The sun is finally shining here in Texas! And when the sun is shining in Texas in the Spring that means pollen, ugh!!!  I don’t know about you but I am dying!  My car is green and I cannot stop sneezing, but the sun is shining!!  So let’s get cooking!

I am back in the kitchen after a lot of travel and I have a fantastic healthy, quick weeknight dinner for you, Healthy Cajun Jambalaya!  YUM!  It is a little spicy and very flavorful and I serve it over Trader Joe’s cauliflower rice. Now, you can definitely serve this over traditional rice, but I thought I would give this a try and you know what the family LOVED it! My youngest son did ask, “What is this kind of rice is this?”, but I just said its rice that I toasted in the oven and he said “oh, ok I like it!”  Who said you are not supposed to lie to your kids? Had I told him it was cauliflower I can guarantee he would have spit it out, but he never knew the difference and that is a win in my book!

There is a trick to this “rice”. You want to toast it in the oven so it does not get mushy, ick! Just spread it out over a foiled lined cookie sheet and drizzle a bit of oil and a few shakes of Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere’s. Go light on this if you are trying to watch the heat level.  Its not super spicy but it just adds a kick of heat. Then heat your oven to 375 degrees and bake it for about 10 minutes and it is just like rice.

Trader Joes Riced Cauliflower

Riced Cauliflower

Another adjustment I made to the traditional jambalaya is I used chicken andouille sausage instead of pork.  It tastes the same but with a whole lot less calories and fat.

Chicken Andouille Sausage

Hope you like this recipe! Please send me your questions or thoughts!

Enjoy

Jambalaya 2

Jambalaya
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Healthy Cajun Jambalaya

A healthy twist to the traditional Jambalaya. Cauliflower rice and chicken andouille sausage cut down the carbs and fat but keep all the Cajun flavor. 

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
  • 1 bag cauliflower rice
  • 1lb or 4 links chicken andouille sausage, sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning such as Tony Chachere's
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (substitute green if that is what you have)
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water
  • 8 oz medium raw peeled shrimp
  • 2 green onions, chopped for garnish
  • parsley, minced for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees . Spread cauliflower rice over a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle 1 Tablespoons oil over rice. Sprinkle 1/2-1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning (depending on how spicy you like it) over rice. Toss well. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside.

  2. In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat remaining 2 Tablespoons oil over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until cooked through, about 7 minutes. 

  3. Add sliced sausage to chicken and allow to brown on both sides. Remove chicken and sausage to plate. 

  4. Add bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic to pot.  Sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. 

  5. Add 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning (add less if you do not like spice). Allow to cook for about 3 minutes just until the spices have a chance to bloom. 

  6. Add tomatoes, broth, chicken and sausage to vegetables. 

  7. Stir and bring to a boil then reduce heat too low.  Allow to simmer for about 25 minutes until it has thickened.  If it gets too thick just add 1/2 cup of water to pot.  

  8. Once thickened add shrimp and allow to cook through, about 5 minutes.  

  9. Taste for seasoning and serve over cauliflower rice. Garnish with green onions and parsley.  Serve with preferred hot sauce such as Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce. 

 

Needed Items