This spicy and hearty main dish will warm your soul from the inside out. Chockfull of veggies and lower in sodium, this healthier jambalaya is ready in 30 minutes!
Happy Tuesday, friends!
I love all sorts of spicy food. I'm the kind of person who will seek chili peppers next to dish names. I'm also the kind of person who will ask for the spiciest level of heat, even if it's my first time at the restaurant, which isn't always the brightest idea...
Last year, when my boyfriend, Mario, and I visited New York, we ate dinner at a classy Indian restaurant, The MasalaWala (cute name, right?!). We ordered two dishes, both with a spice level of Indian hot. One bite and we knew we royally fucked up.
And, that's the story of how we burned our taste buds away!
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Just kidding. :P
Our dishes were packed with delicious authentic flavors, but the heat was overwhelming. Mario was literally sweating droplets. The MasalaWala's owner saw how we struggled to eat that he personally came over to tell us that he didn't want us to have a bad dining experience. He had his staff remake our dishes with mild spicy, which turned out to be perfect for us. The customer service at this restaurant is just spectacular! I would 10/10 hit this place up the next time I'm in NYC.
Lesson learned. Now, I order 1-2 spice levels under the spiciest level, especially in cuisines that specialize in spicy (*cough* Indian *cough*).
This leads me to my recipe!
Spicy One-Pot Jambalaya
What makes my pot of jambalaya spicy is the hot link, Cajun seasoning and Thai chili powder. I like to make my own Cajun seasoning (recipe linked) because it's easy and you know what's going into it!
For my protein, I used hot link sausages and chicken. I add the hot link early because it can hold its shape and flavor the stew, but I add my small chicken pieces at the end to make sure it doesn't overcook. Typical jambalaya will use Andouille sausage, a smoked pork sausage common in Cajun cuisine, but I found hot links in my freezer and it worked quite well. If you haven't noticed already, I'm all for convenience and efficiency. :)
I like to serve this dish with garlic fried rice and chopped jalapeños on the side. It's quick and easy but takes the jambalaya to wholeeeeeeeeeee 'notha level. I could eat bowls and bowls of this fragrant fried rice by itself! In case you're interested, here's the garlic fried rice recipe.
Quick Garlic Fried Rice (optional)
Ingredients: 1 large head of garlic, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 5 cups cooked riceDirections: Peel and mince the garlic. Heat it in oil, until brown and crispy. Then, thoroughly mix in the rice.
Spicy One-Pot Jambalaya
This spicy and hearty main dish will warm your soul from the inside out. Chockfull of veggies and lower in sodium, this healthier jambalaya is ready in 30 minutes!
Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: Total time: 3 Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 large hot link sausage
- 1 medium bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Thai chili powder
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
Instructions
1. Heat oil on medium-high heat. Fry onion, sausage, bell pepper, garlic and spices, until onions turn translucent. 2. Mix in tomatoes and cover, stirring occasionally. Cook until tomatoes are broken down (about 10 minutes). 3. Add chicken, green onions and cilantro. Cook chicken until no longer pink (about 1-2 minutes). Salt and pepper. Serve with garlic fried rice and chopped jalapeño. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information: Calories: 297 Total Fat: 17g Carbohydrates: 8g Protein: 23g Fiber: 6g Sodium: 499mg Sugar: 13g
If you try out this recipe, comment, tweet, facebook, or instagram me and let me know how it went! :)
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