Leftovers Reinvented: Jambalaya

    After weeks of family, friends, sloth and gluttony, the holidays are officially over... and after having a New Years party, our fridge is full of leftover appetizers- shrimp cocktail, vegetable trays, etc. Rather than letting the food go to waste, I decided to make Jambalaya to turn some of these snacks into dinner. I successfully used up the tomatoes and celery from the vegetable tray and shrimp from the shrimp cocktail and I had almost all of the other ingredients in the pantry or fridge. The recipe was adapted was one from Emeril, but I adjusted it a little according to the amount of veges and shrimp to use up what I had at home. You may also use uncooked shrimp, just make sure they are cooked through.
    Overall, this made a quick, practical and tasty meal. We used it as a one-pot meal, but you could also serve smaller servings and serve it with a couple of sides (for example, okra, collard greens and/or cornbread). Also, as a warning, this is fairly spicy... if you're sensitive to spice, cut down on the hot sauce and use mild green pepper instead of poblano. I would still use the same amount of Cajun seasoning, as this is where much of the flavor comes from. Enjoy!

Cajun Jambalaya (serves 4-6)

• -30 shrimp, cooked
• -1 Tb Creole seasoning, recipe follows
• -3 Tbs olive oil
• -1 chopped medium onion
• -1/2 cup chopped poblano (or green bell) pepper
• -1/2 cup chopped celery
• -2 1/2 Tbs chopped garlic
• -1 cups chopped tomatoes
• -3 bay leaves
• -2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• -2 tsp hot sauce
• -1 cup rice
• -5 cups chicken stock
• -10 oz Andouille sausage, cooked
• -Salt and pepper

-Cut the shrimp and sausage into bite-size pieces and mix with the creole seasoning.

-Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warm and them reduce temperature to low heat.

-Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion, celery and poblano peppers together for ~3 min until softened.

-Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauce and cook together for ~2 min.

-Stir in rice and then slowly add in the chicken stock. Cook the rice until tender, then add the shrimp and sausage. Cook until the meat is warm and the mixture is creamy. 

Creole Seasoning:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

-Mix together all ingredients together and store in an airtight container and store in a dry place