But first a bit of business.
Thanks to everyone who entered the BF Scavenger Hunt! Yes, I know it was a pain for me to make you all look up stuff (altho most of it was Google-able) but I HOPE you found some good resources in your search.
Anyhoo…the winners are:
- Heather H.
- Samantha M.
- Gwen K.
Congrats, girls! They’ve all claimed their samples and will be reviewing them in the next week or so. Like I said, I hope you’ve been checking out
Fit Frappe in anticipation of our recipe contest coming up. Quite a few Foodies are going to win themselves some Free Fit Frappe! (I heart alliteration)
So…back to business. Windi’s jambalaya.
Windi is a faithful BF reader and she decided to play with her food and make this dish which she absolutely loved. Try it out and let her know what YOU think!
Windi’s Jambalaya
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 pounds smoked sausage ( Windi used 2-3 because her hubby to be likes extra meat)
1 large onion, chopped
2 chopped green bell peppers
2 chopped celery stalks
Cajun seasoning to taste
1 c. uncooked quinoa (Windi’s recipe called for 2 – she thinks – Nik recommends one)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilis with juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups chicken or beef broth I used beef
3 bay leaves
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp (30-40 per pound – Windi used a bag of frozen precooked shrimp)
2 cans small red beans (Windi threw in the liquid that the beans were canned in — NIK NOTE: I would drain and rinse as MOST of the sodium is in that canning liquid!)
3 diced fresh tomatoes (another one of my added bonuses)
Saute onion, celery, green pepper, and smoked sausage in olive oil.
After they were all sauted nicely I threw everything else in the pot and let it simmer for about an hour throwing the shrimp in at the end because it was already cooked.
It was awesome and absolutely made awesome leftovers. I used a little extra Cajun seasoning because we like slightly spicy.
Here’s how it went over on Windi’s table:
“The hubby doesnt care for quinoa because of the texture so next time I make it I will make it without the quinoa and cook rice on the side for him and quinoa for me. I thought about adding some browned ground beef or now that I think of it some TVP! “
Thanks, Windi, for your recipe! Keep playing with your food!
Bariatric Foodie Play with your food
that's an interesting take on jambalaya!!! I love me some cajun food. As soon as I figure out how to make a low carb roux I am gonna whip up some of my famous gumbo!
I have heard of people using eggs to thicken things instead of a roux.
Sorry, but I’m married to a true Cajun from the Louisiana Bayou. This recipe just doesn’t cut it. You can make a traditional jambalaya using cauliflower rice. The trick is instead of cooking everything together in a cast iron Cajun jambalaya pot, cook everything (meat) together and add cauliflower rice at the end. So yummy and hardly any difference at all. Also, M. Yeager – you can make your gumbo now! Instead of a traditional roux, use a gumbo base such as Blue Runner, or some other variety. In the south they are everywhere. I prefer the Blue Runner. However, you are getting a creole gumbo and not a traditional Cajun seafood gumbo. I promise it’s just as good! The only difference is the creole tomatoes. YUM! either way.
Hi Angela. I thank both you and Windi for your ideas! We all come to eating from different places and I always appreciate the different perspectives.