This is a wonderful way to use up leftover meat and pantry staples like rice, dried spices and a can of beans! Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
16 ounces meat or meat substitute, some of my favorites are below (you can add more meat if you like a meatier jambalaya):
8 ounces sliced chorizo or kielbasa (beef, pork or turkey) and 8 ounces diced ham
4 ounces cubed pork, 4 ounces cubed chicken, 4 ounces diced ham and 4 ounces shrimp (small)
8 ounces plant-based chorizo crumbles and 8 ounces sliced meatless hot dogs or brats
1 15oz can red kidney beans
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups broth (beef, chicken or veggie)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon better-than-bouillon (beef, chicken or vegetable) - or other concentrated base/stock/bouillon cube
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Make rice according to package directions (use 2 cups broth instead of water). Set aside and keep warm.
If meat or meat substitutes are not cooked, cook those first by heating the oil in a large skillet and sautéing until done and browned. Remove from pan and store on a foil-covered plate until later (leave as much of the oil in the skillet as possible).
To the hot oil, add the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
To the skillet, add beans, 1 cup of the stock, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, cayenne and better-than-bouillon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes (add more of the stock if it gets too dry).
Discard the bay leaves. Add the red wine vinegar, meats (or substitutes) and rice to the skillet and mix well. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes, adding more stock if needed (if you run out of stock, adding water will work too).
Serve immediately!
Nutrition Info Per Serving (using chorizo, ham and beef broth): Calories 331.2 Total Fat 14.5 g Saturated Fat 4.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 2.9 g Cholesterol 39.5 mg Sodium 1,344.8 mg Potassium 332.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 30.8 g Dietary Fiber 5.2 g Sugars 2.6 g Protein 19.5 g