I love a good Jambalaya. Admittedly, when I was a young mother, I made the kind that came from a box—adding only the other ingredients we could afford at the time: sausage and chicken. Fast-forward 15 years later to the first time I ordered this dish in a restaurant. I was blown away. It tasted nothing like the version I made at home. The flavor was complex; the seasoning perfect; and the high quality ingredients took it to a level I had never experienced. A quick Internet search yielded many versions of this Deep South meal, and I was ready to begin my first homemade version. I never went back to the box after that.
This recipe is perfect for those hot summer nights when grilling is our favorite past time. Turning Jambalaya into a kabob was easy. I deconstructed the dish and placed the items on the kabob that would cook evenly together. The key to great flavor is making sure the shrimp is next to the sausage on each skewer. You want the Andouille drippings to get on the shrimp. The other vital part of this recipe is the Cajun seasoning on the kabobs and in the rice. If you have a favorite brand of Cajun seasoning, it’s okay to use that, too.
Ingredients
• 1 lb. Firsthand Foods Andouille Sausage – sliced
• ¼ lb. shrimp – peeled
• 1 red bell pepper – seeded and cut into 1” pieces
• 1 green bell pepper – seeded and cut into 1” pieces
• 1 small onion – diced
• 1 celery stalk – diced
• 1 garlic clove – minced
• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 4 Tbs. + 2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt & pepper
Instructions
1. Turn the oven broiler on to preheat.
2. In a 3 qt. saucepan, heat 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add diced onion and celery to the pan and sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add rice and stir to coat rice. Add vegetable stock, tomato paste, and 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and keep covered until ready to serve.
4. Meanwhile, put the sausage, shrimp, and peppers on kebab skewers. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 4 Tbs. Cajun seasoning.
5. Place on a baking sheet and under the broiler. Cook for 6-7 minutes and turn each kebab over. Cook for 6-7 more minutes.
6. Serve the kebabs over the rice and garnish with parsley.
