Jambalaya

recipe is my own

I need to get this recipe up on this blog as much for myself as for my friends and readers. I have never written it down before, and I have a feeling it has changed slightly each time I make it. Luckily, it still tastes great every time! This is how I made it tonight:


2 TBS. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 C. celery, chopped
2 cans kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 pack of kielbasa/smoked sausage, cut into coins, then quartered 
1 C. rice, uncooked
2 TBS. (or more, according to taste) Cajun seasoning
water, as needed


Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onion and cook until transparent. Add the bell pepper, and cook for a few more minutes (this is when I cut up my sausage). Add the sausage, and cook for a few more minutes (this is when I cut up my celery). Add celery, beans, tomatoes, and seasoning. Add enough water to just barely cover everything in the pot. Add the rice. Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer. Stir occasionally, and add more water if needed, until the rice has fully cooked and all the water has been absorbed (about 30 minutes). I like things spicy, so I usually add more Cajun seasoning....enough to get my nose running by the end of the meal! But you can add as much or as little as you prefer. You could easily replace the sausage with shrimp, if you wanted to make a seafood jambalaya!