Laissez les bons temps rouler

​Last Friday The New York Times posted a recipe in their “Here to Help” column for "Quick Jambalaya." Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras or getting ready for Lent, this recipe by Vallery Lomas is a recipe you’ll want to keep handy when you’re short on time. You can use leftover rice or prepare your own rice infused with vegetable stock and Creole seasoning. Quick Jambalaya has a nice kick of heat, but you can always enhance hot sauce. I’ll bet you can swap out the andouille (or chorizo) sausage for shrimp.

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For the recipe you’ll need extra-virgin olive oil, medium yellow onion, andouille or chorizo sausage (vegan versions can be substituted), celery, green bell pepper, fresh garlic, tomato paste, cooked white rice, Creole seasoning, salt, fresh ground black pepper, 15-ounce can diced-tomatoes, hot sauce and sliced scallions.
 
Occasionally I may have some leftover rice and now that I’ve found this recipe, I have a spicy option for dinner. If you don’t have to prepare the rice, this is a nice one pot meal that takes 35 minutes to prepare. As this recipe moves along quite quickly, I recommend that you have all your ingredients diced, sliced, minced or measured out in small prep bowls.
 
One adjustment I made to the recipe, was to use 12 ounces of sausage. I felt with this amount of rice and vegetables, plus it can serve up to 4 people, more protein was needed. I’m glad I did, as I have a nice second meal to enjoy Saturday after work.
 
Based on one cook’s suggestion, I made my own Creole seasoning using Emeril Lasgasse’s recipe. His recipe makes approximately 4 ounces
 
The dish had a delightful spicy kick. Ms. Lomas’ suggestion to flavor the rice water really pulled all the flavors together. If you prefer something less spicy, plain white rice should tamper the spices down. If you want to make this a shrimp jambalaya, in step three I would add the diced tomatoes then shelled and deveined shrimp. You only need three to five minutes to warm up the tomatoes and make the shrimp opaque. Overall, a winner of a dish!

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Quick Jambalaya
By Vallery Lomas
The New York Times – “Here to Help” column
Friday, February 25, 2022
 
Yield: 2 to 4 Serving
Time: 35 minutes
 
“This recipe makes quick work out of jambalaya by using leftover rice, and it tastes great with freshly cooked grains, too. To make this meal meatless, use vegan andouille sausage or stick with pork sausage, if you prefer. Either option, along with creole seasoning and the classic trinity of creole cooking — onion, celery and green bell pepper — result in a dish that is unmistakably Louisianan. Though many jambalaya recipes skip tomatoes, this version uses a blend of tomato paste and diced tomatoes to add bulk, and an acidity that helps lighten up the otherwise hearty one-pot meal.”
 
INGREDIENTS
 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 links pork or vegan andouille or chorizo sausage (6 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
 Salt and black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
 
PREPARATION
 

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, then add the celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked rice. Sprinkle with the creole seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and hot sauce and cook until warmed through. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with the scallions and serve with more hot sauce.

 
“Tip - This recipe is a great use of leftover cooked rice, but if you are making the rice from scratch, cook the grains in vegetable stock with 2 teaspoons creole or Cajun seasoning for an extra kick of flavor.”
 
Note from Donna – I was able to find a 12-ounce package (4 links) of andouille sausage at my local Wegmans meat department. After sauteing the vegetables and adding the two links, I decided to add the remaining links to the pan. I have enough leftovers for another meal.
 
Also, I'm sure you could substitute shrimp for the sausage. I would put the shrimp in after adding the diced tomatoes and cooking until the shrimp just turn pink.