How to Make Jambalaya for Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a time when friends and family get together to celebrate community and to mix with one another. Jambalaya is the perfect dish since it can include a number of combinations of meats, seafood and vegetables in a spicy mix of its own for Kwanzaa.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 15 oz. can of tomatoes in juice
• Colander
• 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper
• Large saucepan
• 1 tbsp. of oil
• 1/2 lb. of andouille sausage or kielbasa that has been cut into half inch rounds
• Large bowl
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
• 2 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 medium sized onions chopped
• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 scallions
• 2 tsp. of salt
• 1 medium bell pepper that has been seeded and chopped
• Dutch oven
• 1/4 tsp. of dried thyme
• 4 cups of water
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of white rice, preferably long-grain
• A sprig of chopped parley, for garnish
• 1 lb. of medium sized shrimp in the shell

Make Jambalaya for Kwanzaa

1. Boil a pot of water and add some salt to it.

2. Place the shrimp in the pot and cook until they just turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from pot, peel and devein them after they have cooled, but keep the shells. Set them to the side and empty the pot of water.

3. Pour 4 (new) cups of water into the saucepan and add chicken breasts, shrimp shells, half an onion and celery, a third of garlic and 1 tsp. of salt. Bring this to a simmer.

4. Reduce the heat and cook chicken until the juices run clear, or about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the breast from the liquid. Then remove the chicken from the bone and chop coarsely.

5. Set colander in the large bowl and drain the contents of the saucepan into the bowl discarding the solids. You should have 4 cups of liquid, but if not, add water.

6. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven and then add sausage and cook until lightly browned. Then add bell pepper, scallion, the remaining onions, celery and garlic and cook until softened.

7. Stir in the reserved liquid, the rest of the salt, tomatoes and juice (break up tomatoes as they cook), Worcestershire sauce, thyme and cayenne and bring to a simmer.

8. Add rice to pot and then bring back to a simmer. Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid.

9. Remove the pot from the heat and add shrimp back in and then let dish stand for 5 minutes. Put the jambalaya in a large bowl and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Since you want to spend as much time as you can with your guests during your Kwanzaa celebration, you can make things easy on yourself by chopping up the vegetables you will use in your jambalaya the day before your meal. Be sure to store them in an airtight container or freezer plastic bag.