Over the long weekend Melissa and I decided to experiment with Southern cuisine. Nothing like Cajun spices to warm up your winter! We started with a Chicken Jambalaya recipe but then contributed additional vegetables, shrimp and redesigned the spices making it a Northern interpretation of a traditional Southern dish. This decision just happened to coincide with an evaluation of the veggies in our fridge that needed to be used immediately (New Year’s Resolution #2: eat more veggies). It is not traditional home style Southern cooking, but Wil, our Southern taste tester approved.
Northern Jambalya
8 oz turkey sausage
8 oz chicken breast
8 oz of cooked shrimp (peeled)
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 large sweet onion
1 large zucchini
1 medium jalapeno
4 Roma tomatoes
1 can whole tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups rice
olive oil (for cooking)
- Slice sausage into rings (if you prefer, removed casings, do so before).
- Cube chicken breast.
- Cook chicken and sausage in a deep frying pan over medium heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, use olive oil as needed. Set aside. But keep juices in pan
- Dice onion, jalapeno, bell peppers, zucchini, and all tomatoes.
- Using the same pan from the meat, add the onion and jalapeno. Allow to cook for 3 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.
- Add bell peppers and zucchini. Cook for additional 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and all spices (garlic powder, chipotle chili, paprika, sea salt and pepper) and cook for 5 minutes.
- In a large stock pot over low heat, whisk cornstarch and chicken broth.
- Add vegetable mixture, meats, and shrimp to large stock pot. Mix well.
- Increase to medium-low heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, mixing every 5 minutes.
- Cook 2 cups of rice.
- Serve with rice and corn muffins (recipe to follow).
We hope you enjoy our Southern cuisine interpretation!
Hot Cajun Mondays!
H&M
