Better for You Chicken Jambalaya

I hope you had a very gluttonous Fat Tuesday!  How did you celebrate? I celebrated by making some Jambalaya!  Jambalaya is something that my mom always made for us, not just on Fat Tuesday, but year-round.  And as you know, I am a huge fan of spicy food so this is one of my favorites!

 

Traditionally Jambalaya calls for seafood, such as shrimp and lots of butter or bacon fat.  This recipe has chicken (because my mom is allergic to shrimp), turkey sausage (instead of regular sausage) and vegetable oil (because is has less fat than bacon grease).  It also uses brown rice instead of white rice.

 

So grab some Mardi Gras beads and cook with me!

 

 

 

 

 

Here's what you will need:

 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 boneless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

2 chopped onions

1 chopped bell pepper

2/3 chopped celery

3 cups water

1 lb. turkey sausage, sliced

1 sml. can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. salt and pepper

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. rosemary

1/4 tsp. thyme

2 cups brown rice

 

Heat oil in a non-stick pan.  Cut chicken into cubes.  Sear chicken in pan until cooked thoroughly.  Remove chicken from pan and set aside.  Using the same pan, sauté diced onion, green pepper, and celery until translucent.  Add flour to onion, green pepper, and celery mixture.  Let it cook for a minute or two, allowing to flour-y taste to cook out.  Add chicken, sausage, and tomatoes.  

 

 

Add water and bring to a boil.

 

Add spices and rice, and let it simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

 

With less fat from the turkey sausage and vegetable oil, and more whole grains from the brown rice, this is one Mardi Gras treat that you don't have to feel bad about!