An Inspired Cook

One of my favorite meals to make is Jambalaya.  This one pot meal is easy to put together but doesn’t lack for flavor.  Andouille may be the traditional sausage in Jambalaya but I find that the smoked sausage holds it own surrounded by spices, onions, garlic and wild rice.  We usually break off a piece of crusty baguette to go alongside and call it a meal.

You’ll need smoked sausage, wild rice, beef bouillon (or beef stock), onion, garlic, poblano pepper, green onion, tomato sauce, thyme, red and black pepper, and parsley.  I used a frozen poblano that I had previously roasted and peeled but a chopped fresh poblano works well here.  A green bell pepper would work here also, I just don’t like the taste of green bells and choose to sub the poblano instead.

Slice the smoked sausage into bite size pieces.  Brown the smoke sausage for 3 – 5 minutes in a dutch oven.  Remove from pan and saute the onions until they become soft and translucent.  If you are using a fresh poblano pepper, add to the pot to saute with the onion.  Add the garlic and saute a minute more.

Remove the onion, garlic and poblano from the pan.

Add 2 cups of water plus 2 teaspoons of beef bouillon (or 2 cups beef stock) to the dutch oven.  Stir in rice and bring to a boil.

When the rice comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

When the rice is cooked, return the sausage and veggies back to the pot.  Stir in the tomato sauce, parsley, red and black pepper.  Simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Serve with sliced green onion.





Smoked Sausage Jambalaya

1 pkg Smoked Sausage (12 – 16 ounces), sliced
1/2 large Onion, diced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Poblano Pepper, diced
1 cup Wild Rice
2 teaspoons Beef Bouillon
2 cups Water
1 (8 ounce) can Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Thyme
1/4 cup Green Onion, sliced thin

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a dutch oven and saute sliced smoked sausage until browned, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Remove from the pot and set aside.  Add the onion and poblano pepper to the pot and saute until the vegetables become soft and translucent.  Add in the garlic and cook a minute more.  Set aside with the smoked sausage.

Add the water and beef bouillon to the pot, bring to a boil and add wild rice.  Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot  and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add back to the pot the smoked sausage and vegetables.  Stir in the tomato sauce and dried spices.  Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of green onion.

Serves 6 – 8