Jambalya

I spent the 4th of July at the in-laws. They have a big inground pool and we spend a lot of time there. My daughter LOVES swimming. I usually man the grill for appetizers and/or lunch. Sometimes I even bring my smoker over there and smoke some babyback ribs with a homemade rub and BBQ sauce. This time I wanted to do something different so I tried my hand at jambalaya. At the risk of patting myself on the back, it was really good. It is now going to be a new tradition, my 4th of July jambalaya, which I call, jambaJULYa. The recipe below is the one I used. You can make is as hot as you want and use chicken instead of shrimp. In fact, next time I might use chicken. We finished it off with a couple of good cigars and a glass or two (or three) of a German Riesling wine. Well…..enjoy.

JAMBAJULYA
Ingredients
· 2 tbsp vegetable oil
· 1 lb andouille, chorizo, or other smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
· 2 cups chopped onions
· 3/4 cup chopped bell peppers
· 3/4 cup chopped celery
· salt + cayenne to taste
· 1 cup long-grain white rice
· 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
· 1 tbsp chopped garlic
· 2 cups water
· 4 bay leaves
· 1/4 tsp dried thyme
· 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 1/4 cup chopped green onions
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or an large-cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 2 minutes. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne to taste and saute for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden, wilted and soft.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat evenly. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the garlic, bay leaves and water, thyme. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
3. Season shrimp with salt and cayenne in a mixing bowl . Add to mixture and cook for 10 more minutes. Cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed and shrimp is pink.
4. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve. Makes 6 servings