You know that urge you get when there is something you just have to have? I had that feeling  a couple days ago and I knew what it was I wanted. Jambalaya. There’s something about the mixed flavors of sausage, chicken and shrimp and the heat of jalapeno peppers and spices that just had me craving. The greatest thing about the internet is you have almost everything at your fingertips. Want a certain book? Want that special toy your grandchild is talking about? Want a recipe for what you’re craving? Its all there at the touch of your mouse. This recipe was adapted from a recipe from http://www.givemesomeoven.com

Jambalaya

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 white onion, diced (I used two thick slices of a large onion)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1 lb. andouille sausage, thinly sliced (or any type of sausage you prefer)
3 cups water
3 Tbsp. chicken boullion
1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with mild green chilis
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning**
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. crushed thyme
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen shrimp that was ready to cook)
salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish: sour cream

Directions

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

In a separate bowl, mix the water with the chicken bouillon and stir until combined and add to the stock pot. Add the tomatoes with green chilies, rice, Creole spice, bay leaf and thyme 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 to make sure the liquid has not been all absorbed.

Once the rice is tender, add the shrimp and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked. Remove the bay leaf. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with sour cream if desired. Personally, I love sour cream in almost any type of soup. I love the creamy texture it gives the soup and it seems to somewhat soften the bite.

(Be sure and use raw shrimp. I made a similar recipe a couple months ago and I used precooked shrimp. After cooking, the shrimp was tough and almost tasteless).

**Creole Seasoning
I didn’t have any creole seasoning so I found a recipe for it on cosmopolitancornbread.com and adapted mine from it.

Ingredients
1/2 c. Paprika
2 Tb. onion powder
2 Tb garlic powder
2 Tb. oregano
2 Tb sweet basil
1 Tb thyme
1 Tb black pepper
1 Tb cayenne pepper
1 Tb salt
1 Tb celery flakes
(I halved this recipe because I didn’t want a lot more than I would use for this recipe)

Instructions
Combine all and whisk until well mixed. Store in an airtight container.