Jambalaya

"New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin." -Mark Twain.

Okay, so the photo isn't the most appetizing of photos in the world, but I promise the food WAS delicious! :P My husband ate half of the pan (and even eating half of the BIG pan, it was only 780 calories.) lol...

This is a bit of a combo of my usual jambalaya and a healthier version I found online. My usual jambalaya is full of white rice and it has andouille sausage in it. I cut out the sausage and used brown rice. :)

This made 4 to 6 servings. The bowl in the picture is the size if it's split into 4 servings. Nutrition info at the bottom.

Things you'll need:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 large bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
3/4 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 to 2 tsp creole seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Add oil to a large nonstick pan (I used my electric skillet. It's HUGE!)

Over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until onion is translucent.

Add chicken, bay leaf, cayenne pepper and creole seasoning. Cook, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juice), tomato sauce, and 1 3/4 cups cold water.

Gently simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Pour rice into the pan** and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid. (**I simmered for over an hour and the rice never finished. I've never had that happen with white rice. Next time I make this I will cook the rice before adding it.)

Stir in shrimp and cook 5 minutes more. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste.

If the meal is split into 4 servings the facts are as follows:

Calories: 396
Carbs: 42
Fat: 7
Protein: 40

If the meal is split into 6 servings:

Calories: 264
Carbs: 28
Fat: 5
Protein: 26

These are based off of the recipe calculator on myfitnesspal.com. :) It could be a little different depending on brands used and such...