Jambalaya

My mom gave me a jambalaya recipe several months back after she made it. She thinks it too tomato-y, but Josh and I both like it. It's a lot easier to make that I thought jamalaya would be, so if you are scared to try it, don't be! The hardest part is cutting everything up!

Jambalaya
Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1 large green bell pepper (seeded and julienned)

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 pound medium peeled shrimp (I used a pound because we like lots of shrimp.)

1/2 pound cubed boiled ham (I personally think you could leave this out.)

1 (16 oz) can while tomatoes (crushed with juices)

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaves

1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)

salt and pepper/cayenne pepper

hot sauce

Directions:

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and light golden in color (about 6-8 minutes).

2. Add the shrimp and ham. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Stir in tomatoes and chicken broth. Season to taste with salt, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce. (I also added some Tony's for some extra kick.) Add the bay leaves and the rice.

3. Cook on medium-low heat covered. Cook until rice is tenet and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. (I added a little more chicken broth and let it cook longer because the rice wasn't tender enough after 25 minutes and most of the liquid was already gone.) Remove the bay leaves and serve.

I'll never say I'm a food photographer, but here is a shot of the finished product!