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Jambalaya

This Cajun dish is so associated with good times that Hank Williams named a song after it. The original isn’t so good for you, though. I made a few changes to the classic to make it easier to prepare—and much healthier. White rice has been replaced with brown, and much less fat is used to cook the vegetables and meat. Feel free to improvise by adding chicken, fish, or vegetables.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium yellow onion, cut into small dice
5 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
1 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
3/4 cup long-grain brown rice
Salt
4 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
One 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices, such as Hunt’s
12 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined, sliced in half crosswise

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pot is hot, spray it with cooking spray and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are almost tender, about 4 minutes. Then add the chicken broth, smoked paprika, and rice. Season to taste with salt. Cover and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 25 minutes.

    Step 2

    Stir in the sausage and tomatoes. Cover, and continue to simmer until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.

    Step 3

    Season the shrimp with salt, and stir it into the rice mixture. Cover, and continue to cook until the shrimp is cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.

    Step 4

    Remove the pot from the heat, and let the jambalaya rest for 5 minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.

  2. nutrition information

    Step 5

    Fat: 34g (before), 10.1g (after)

    Step 6

    Calories: 636 (before), 340 (after)

    Step 7

    Protein: 23g

    Step 8

    Carbohydrates: 39g

    Step 9

    Cholesterol: 128mg

    Step 10

    Fiber: 4g

    Step 11

    Sodium: 843mg

Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.
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