I rarely make jambalaya on my own. Generally, I wouldn’t say I like overly spicy foods, and creole food is hot and spicy.
Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham, this week’s recipe, was delicious. Even though I’m not sure how close it is to an authentic jambalaya, we both liked it, and I’ll make it again.
We were both impressed with how easily it went together. Minimal chopping is required, just some onions, garlic, and red and green peppers. The combination of smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, and cayenne peppers adds lots of flavors, plus a bay leaf or two for good measure. Because I read some reviews on Food Network that said this was a little bland, I doubled all the spices except the cayenne pepper. I enjoyed the taste and found the level of spice to be ideal for me. (My nose ran a bit while eating it, but I was still able to taste the food.)
I used two frozen chicken sausages and a pound of fresh tiger shrimp as an alternative to ham. I poached the sausage until fully cooked during the cooking process, then rested it for about 10 minutes before slicing and broiling it until it was brown and crispy. The chunks of meat and seafood gave the bowl a lot of heartiness. Also, I used fire-roasted crushed tomatoes rather than diced because I like things like this to have a smoother texture.
In addition to sausage, shrimp, vegetables, and perfectly cooked rice, my bowl was chock full of tasty ingredients. This is the type of healthy, hearty meal I love. There is nothing better than eating something healthy and feeling satisfied afterward, and these were even good as leftovers a few days later.