Hot jambalaya!!

“Hot Jambalaya!” the famous words from the late great Robin Williams as he tries to poison Piers Bronson in Mrs Doubtfire. The same words shouted throughout the house when the idea to cook Jambalaya came to my mind. With a Family quiz looming and chicken quickly going out of date it seemed like the best time to create this relatively quick recipe.

This Spanish dish was pointed out to me by my Brother and sister-in-law a few years ago and that evening I attempted to cook it for my mother one evening. I failed miserably as “Let it simmer” meant I walked off to watch the football and forgot that I had something cooking. The rice burnt along with the pan so of course it went straight into the bin and Chinese was ordered. Safe to say I wasn’t planning on cooking that again for a while after that.

However, its been a few years, i am older and wiser surely it would be ok now? So i went onto the trusty GoodFood.com website and had a look for a tasty recipe. The dish itself only needs 1 pan with a lid, DON’T FORGET THE LID!! (yeah I did that the first time round as well).

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So first you need to cook the chicken and set it aside. Next, cook the onions, add 1 red pepper, cajun spice, chopped or plum tomatoes a healthy dose of garlic and long grain rice. Let it simmer for around 30 minutes. The trick is to keep stirring, something I quickly leant. It is a great dish if you are in a rush or just want something to do something quick without many special ingredients. Depending on your spice tolerance you can really crank up the heat. This dish is also good if you are on a diet or in training. It is light and healthy with nothing really added.

The second time round was a major hit with me, Emily and the dog as he scooped up the droppings. Maybe the first time round was a learning curve, it’s not the first thing Ive burnt and I know it wont be the last. Messi’s goal was good though so it was worth the pan.

8/10

Joe