THE GARDENS OF NEW ORLEANS.....AND SOME GOOD FOOD!

In honour of Mardi Gras I thought it would be nice to take a tour of some of the beautiful gardens of New Orleans, so grab a cup of coffee and a Beignet and let's go.

Wasn't that lovely and wasn't it nice to feel the sun again. Well, I would say it is time for some lunch. How about a nice pot of Jambalaya?

New Orleans Jambalaya

Serves 6 to 8.

This traditional New Orleans dish is frequently made with a combination of ham, chicken, shrimp and sausage. This recipe leaves out the ham, but you can put it in if you like. This version of Jambalaya is adapted from the Gumbo Shop cookbook, and is easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts and thighs, bone in (or use leftover cooked chicken)
about 3 cups water to cover
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 lb smoked sausage (andouille), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 16 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup converted long grain rice
1 1/2 cups stock (from cooking chicken)
1 lb raw peeled shrimp
Method

Cover the chicken with water and set over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from pot and reserve the stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones and skin and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Reserve stock.
In a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, saute the sausage in the oil until lightly browned. Remove sausage from pot and set aside with chicken.
Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the pot and saute until tender.
Add crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the rice and mix well.
Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.
Add sausage, chicken, and raw peeled shrimp.
Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice and shrimp are done (about 20 minutes).

ENJOY!