Jambalaya awesomeness

This one is so worth sharing!

One of our good finds with Paleo recipes is the jambalaya recipe.

I made it this week with some of the spicy sausage we picked up from Caw Caw Creek Farm - it's always been a good recipe, but their sausage really made it good and spicy!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 teaspoon olive oil (divided)
1/2 lb spicy sausage
1/2 lb shrimp
Chopped onion (to preference)
Green pepper (to preference)
1/2 cup celery
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning + 1/8 teaspoon cajun seasoning (divided)
1 bay leaf
2 cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup finely shopped cauliflower
dash of cayenne pepper

In a large skillet, heat olive oil, sausage, onions, peppers and celery.  Saute for about five minutes, then add seasoning and bay leaf.  Cook for one more minute.  Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and cauliflower.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.

In another skillet, saute the shrimp, 1/8 tsp of cajun seasoning, and dash of cayenne pepper in 1 tsp olive oil.  Saute for 2 minutes, then stir into the jambalaya.

My notes (you didn't think I actually did the recipe as it calls for, did you?!?): we like it thick, so...
...I use a four pack of spicy sausage (I never weigh it - the more the merrier, right?)
...I may use more shrimp, if we feel like it that week
...I generally also add a half pound of ground turkey
...I leave out the celery (my experience is that you can always taste celery over everything else)
...I use Old Bay Seasoning instead of a bay leaf
...I use a LOT of cajun seasoning (I just pour it in until it feels like enough!)
...I only use a cup of water
...If you want to kick up the spicy, then add jalapenos and additional cayenne pepper

I put the tomato sauce, chicken broth, water, and all of the seasonings in a stock pot and put them on low.  In a skillet, I cook the sausage in a hit of olive oil.  Once it is cooked all the way through, I put it in the stock pot.  Then I cook the shrimp, onions and peppers in the leftover sausage juice and oil.  When they are cooked - I think they are cooked with the veggies look soft and the shrimp has turned color - I put them in the stock pot.  I stir everything really good.  If it's not thick enough, I add the ground turkey.  Then I finish by adding the cauliflower, which might be more or less than the recipe calls for - I just eye ball it and go with what looks good.

BTW...that is the way I cook - I try the recipe as is once and then I start adding and subtracting to our personal tastes.  It used to drive Laura crazy to learn to cook my recipes because I generally had my own variation of what was on paper, so it never turned out like I cooked it. I just eyeball it.  Sometimes it doesn't work, but most of the time it does.

As a final note - this is jambalaya, not spaghetti sauce, so adding too many veggies will be more like a spicy spaghetti sauce or Beaufort stew than a jambalaya.  I serve it over roasted cauliflower or spaghetti squash - both of which are delish!

Roasted Cauliflower:
Head of Cauliflower
Lemon Juice
Minced Garlic (or garlic salt or garlic pepper)
Olive Oil

Cut the florets from the head of cauliflower (I generally cut them in half so there is a "flat" side, which I lie facing down on the pan).  Line on a cooking pan (I use a cookie sheet with parchment paper).  Drizzle with lemon juice, then dust with garlic, and then drizzle a little olive oil on each one.  Cook at 400 for 25-30 minutes (until they start to brown).  Yummy!

Spaghetti Squash:
One Spaghetti Squash
Cut in half longways (it is hard - so I cut it like a coconut - but driving the knife through the middle and slamming it on the cutting board!)
Spoon out the seeds in the middle
Cook cut side down at 350 for 30 minutes (40-45 for a large spaghetti squash - the inside will start to turn dark yellow when it is done)
Take a fork and scrape it along the inside of the squash.  It will naturally separate into noodles.

Ok - that is my recipe for the day.  It is a Paleo alternative to a Southern favorite - and it's very good!