A Celebration Recipe!!

the whole nation watched with bated breath as we made history and voted for CHANGE. in honor of this election day 2008, here is a celebratory recipe, good to feed a crowd. Excellent for dinner parties. So delicious and festive and chock full of healthy, hearty yumminess. I switched out white rice for brown to add more nutrients and added both chicken and chicken andouille sausage (i like adelle’s) instead of pork sausage. Time to celebrate!

Jambalaya

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbs minced shallots
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other chicken sausage cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 bay leaves
3 cups medium-grain brown rice
3 cups chix broth+ 3 cups water (may need more)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup parsley
Creole seasoning to taste

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and shallots, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Check after 20 minutes and add more water if needed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.