Jambalaya: Lenten Edition

Tired of the Friday Fish Fry? Of course you are. The Food Porn lady is here to save you. The previous post for Shrimp Tacos is certainly an option, and here we have Shrimp Jambalaya...and both can be made with that $10 (or less) frozen sack o'shrimp from the grocery store.

The following recipe was adapted from one in Paul Prudomme's Louisiana Kitchen, and is a half recipe - but still enough to feed 4.

Seasoning Mix

• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cayenne red pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp rubbed sage

Mix all of the above in a small dish.

• 1 TBS butter
• 1 frozen sack o' shrimp (thawed, peeled)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (or red, or yellow, or orange, or whatever)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 eight ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 fourteen ounce can of diced tomatoes (if you like tomatoes, toss them all in)
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable stock or broth
• 3/4 cup uncooked converted rice

In an oven-proof 3 qt frying pan* on medium-medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the shrimp for a few minutes. Add the onions, celery, pepper and garlic and the seasoning mix. Cook for about 5 minutes or so, but do not over cook. You want the veggies crunchy and the shrimp moist.

Add the sauce and the tomatoes, mix well and cook for another few minutes, just enough to heat everything up. Add the stock and the rice and mix well. Put the whole pan, uncovered, into the oven preheated to 350 F. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until rice is cooked and not crunchy.

*If you don't have oven-proof cookware, just use a regular frying pan. Before adding the broth and rice, dump the shrimp and veggies into a 3 qt casserole or baking dish. Add the broth and rice and stir. Bake uncovered as directed.