Ditalini’s Easy Jambalaya

• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 lb boneless, skinned chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3/4 lb andouille, skinned & sliced
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• bay leaf
• Tabasco sauce (or cayenne pepper)
• 2-3 tbsp flour
• 1 can diced tomatoes w/juice
• 1 can chicken stock
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• salt & pepper
• chopped scallions
• fresh thyme

Directions

Cook rice in 2 cups salted water, leave covered when done. Add oil & butter to a large skillet or heavy pot, heat, and brown the chicken. Add sausage, cook two minutes more. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaf, and hot sauce or cayenne. Sauté meat & vegetables five minutes, sprinkle flour over all and cook another two minutes. Add tomatoes and juice and the chicken broth. Add the spices. Bring liquid to a low boil until the celery & bell pepper are almost cooked, then add the shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp are pink.

To serve, put a large scoop of rice in each bowl, ladle jambalaya around the rice, garnish with scallions and thyme, salt and pepper as desired, extra Tabasco sauce for those who like their jambalaya spicy.