How About That

Well, the Jambalaya turned out not bad.  A little too spicy for Kristin but...damn was it good.

So, what's Jambalaya?  Jambalaya is a sort of...ragu, I guess?  And it depends on the style; you can do either Creole or Cajun.  Cajun has less tomatoes and more heat.  But basically, it's tomatoes, a mixture of meats and seafood, the appropriate spices (depending on style), some broth, the "holy trinity" (green pepper, onion, celery) and rice.  You basically cook everything together in one pot, and it comes out great because the rice consumes much of the liquid.

As far as meats go, it can be any kind of poultry or pork.  Seafood is generally shellfish.  It's also optional; as long as you have a mix of the meats, seafood or both, it works.

An alternate spin on it is using pasta instead of rice.  You just put the pasta right in when it's boiling and let it cook.  Uses fewer dishes, and the consistency is still pretty damned perfect; I didn't even need to strainer.

Now, I added my own spin to it by throwing in some basil and, on a whim, kidney beans.  Either way, I have enough to feed an army.  If you like spicy food, it's damned good.

I've also just revamped the recipe by cutting it in half; my current recipe made enough to feed my whole family, so...yeah.  And it's rediculously filling...I thought my chili was that robust!

So, for next time:  Instead of broth, a tallcan of dark beer.  Half of everything but the seasonings and veggies.  Half the chipotle.  Half the pasta.

So, that's the Jambalaya out of the way.  All I have left is to make Huevos Rancheros and some sort of vegatable concoction for Christmas Dinner and my food docket will be clear for other things.  Like chili.