more recipe blogging

I think this is what I'm going to make for dinner later today. I generally just add this and that until it's right, but to share some of my recipes with the world, I'll make a stab at quantifying my recipe. This is more of a guideline, everything is to taste, so quantities can be adjusted however one wants. Usually I make it without the chicken and shrimp, but I think I'll try something a little different, a variation on my usual.

Jambalaya à la Mira
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 lb smoked sausage - sliced lengthwise then sliced across, forming half-moons
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs - cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2 in cubes
1/2 lb cooked shrimp - I use frozen pre-cooked salad shrimp
1 medium onion, diced - or about 1 cup frozen diced onion, thawed
1/2 bell pepper, diced - or about 1/3 cup frozen diced bell pepper, thawed
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed - or a heaping teaspoon of minced garlic in a jar
1 can 14 oz diced or crushed tomatoes - do not drain
1 can 14 oz tomato sauce
1 can 16 oz chicken stock
a handfull of dried parsley
1 cup long grain rice
1-2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning (I prefer Tony Chachere's or Kroger's store brand)
pepper sauce to taste - Tabasco's Red or Green Sauce or Louisiana Hot Sauce
salt to taste - the Cajun seasoning blends have a lot of salt, so you may not need any at all

Notes:
The sausage should be pre-cooked, but I cook it over low heat to render some of the fat out of it since I think the regular sausage has a better flavor than the low-fat variety.

I use cooked frozen shrimp for convenience. Sam's Club has farm-raised shrimp which have a wonderful flavor. I use the salad size since they're bite size, tail off, and the least expensive.

Tabasco Green Sauce is milder than the traditional red sauce, and milder than anybody's Louisiana Hot Sauce, if you want more flavor with less heat.

Directions:
Cook the sausage over low heat in either a large skillet, 14" or a stockpot until the sausage is browned and some of the fat has been cooked out of the meat. Drain the sausage on paper towel, and set aside. Brown the peppers, onion, chicken, and garlic in the pan until the chicken is browned and the vegetables are soft or slightly brown. Add the sausage back to the pan, sprinkle about half of the Cajun seasoning and stir to coat the ingredients. Add the rice to the pan, stir. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and parsley, stir well. Taste at this point for spice and salt. Add additional Cajun seasoning, pepper sauce, and salt as needed. Keep in mind, the longer the dish cooks, the hotter it will be; the heat from the peppers develops with cooking.

Simmer approximately 20 minutes, without stirring; resist the urge, just let it simmer away over low heat. Add the frozen shrimp, stir, and shake the pan a little to settle everything again. After about 5 more minutes, check the rice for doneness. If needed, add water and allow the rice to finish cooking. The dish should be moist, but not soupy.

Serve and enjoy.