Jambalaya

The first Food Network show I ever watched was Emeril Live when he first began his live-audience cooking show. A recipe he once featured during a New Orleans episode was a spicy jambalaya that I have wanted to try ever since. From memory, I tried to remember all the ingredients while shopping through the grocery store so this adaption includes both his original recipe ingredients and some extras that I decided to throw in.

• 1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded or cut small


• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined


• 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bit size pieces


• 1/4 cup oil


• 1 medium yellow onion, diced


• 2 medium green bell peppers, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes


• 2 zucchini, chopped


• 2 bay leaf


• 1 tsp. coarse salt


• 1 tbsp. black pepper


• 1 tbsp. paprika


• 2 tbsp. parsley


• 6 cans chicken broth or stock


• 3 cups cooked white rice

In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sausage and continue cooking until edges of sausage are golden brown. Add zucchini, chicken, can of tomatoes (including juice), and spices to pot. Stir until well-combined. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bring heat back to medium-low. Add shrimp and continue cooking about 10 minutes or until shrimp is pink.

Serve in a bowl over a scoop of rice. Serves 6-8.