Jambalaya! Sparks style.....

We kinda went meat crazy while shopping this week and got more than we normally eat.  To use some of it up, I think I'll make one of the family favorites and throw together a pot of jambalaya.... Of course, I'm allergic to shellfish, so it will lack shrimp or other crustaceans that people love so much.  This is a hearty, spicy melange of rice and beans with a few different meats.  Great on cold days, or to stretch a small amount of meat to feed a family (or if you're like us, and just don't like every meal to be heavy on the meats.)

A simple one pot meal that takes little effort to be outstanding.  Also, like most things we make, be creative and change it up.  Heck, I won't link the vegetarians here, because of the amount of meat and meat products in this version, but you could make an all veggie version of this as well, simply substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock, and use heartier veggies like chunks of portabello, beets, carrots, cauliflower and turnips, chick peas and other beans; I just might have to try that.....

Cost: around $7 for the potful
Time: About an hour
Difficulty: 2
And... the ingredients.  I neglected to put the bean can in the photo (and I think a couple of other things) but I use standard black beans.  Had I planned ahead, I would have used dry black eyed peas, had I shopped for this, I would have gotten a small can of black eyed peas and a can of small red beans...

Chicken sausage, pork loin chop, and a chicken breast.  Onion, garlic, celery, red pepper, jalapeno, tomato

Cut the meat and veggies up into half inch chunks.  Maybe two bits per forkful size.

Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to a heavy pot.  Cook the onions and garlic until translucent

Add meat and seasoning.  All this needs is Cajun seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes

Cook that down until the meat is browned and almost cooked through, add 1/2c. wild rice, 1c. white rice and the veggies

Stir together, add 2 cups of stock and a cup of water,  a little more seasoning.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally

Add the beans, if using canned.  If using fresh beans, the whole process would be different

Give it a stir, and let simmer for another five minutes or so, until the beans are heated through and the rice is to your liking

Scoop into bowls, grab a fork and shovel it in!  Normally, I would serve with cornbread, but honestly, this meal already has way too many carbs to be adding more... so we abstained

Bon appetit!