JAMBALAYA

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (*more/less to taste, see note below)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 (14 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked short grain white rice (you can use brown if you prefer, but you'll need to cook it separately if you do, otherwise it takes significantly longer to cook than white rice)!
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (**more/less to taste, see note below)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoons thyme, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• (optional) 1 cup thinly-sliced okra
• salt and pepper
• (optional garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, thinly-sliced green onions, hot sauce)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine. Continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, rice, Cajun seasoning, bay leaf, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring occasionally. (Don't forget to stir, or the rice may burn on the bottom of the pan.)

Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and okra and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and pink. Remove bay leaf and season the jambalaya with salt and pepper and hot sauce and additional Cajun seasoning if needed. Remove from heat.

Serve warm with optional garnishes if desired.  Or refrigerate and store in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

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