Looking for a dish to JAZZ up your dinners? :) Then look no further than this lightened up jambalaya!

This dish is based off of Emeril Lagasse's recipe for Cajun Jambalaya. Emeril is the very FIRST chef I ever watched on television. This was back before Food Network actually published their recipes online for you to download. No, it wasn't that easy, you actually had to work for the recipes. I remember watching the show with my mom, her and I sitting in front of the television with notepad and pen in hand, listening ever so closely and writing down every ingredient as fast as we could. Was that 1 clove or 50 cloves of gah-lick!? I trust his recipes, especially when it comes to Creole cooking.

In true Emeril style, this isn't the lightest of dishes. This is my take on his dish, cutting the fat in half from the original recipe! You'll be surprised with how quick and easy this seemingly complex dish is. I was able to bang this meal out in 30 minutes - ideal for a weeknight dinner!

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp garlic, chopped
1/2 cup crushed red tomatoes (canned)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp hot sauce
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup white rice
10 oz shrimp, uncooked and thawed
Creole seasoning (below)
2 Andouille chicken or pork sausage links, lower in fat compared to traditional Andoullie sausage (I recommend Aidells all-natural sausages http://www.aidells.com/product/5)

Emeril's Creole Seasoning

1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil and sauté onion and peppers until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
Next stir in rice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and cover. Continue to stir occasionally until all liquid has been absorbed, about 10-15 min.
While rice is cooking, combine Creole seasoning with shrimp until shrimp is evenly seasoned. Set aside. Slice sausage links.
Once all liquid has been absorbed, add shrimp and sausage, bringing the heat back up to medium. Stir occasionally until shrimp is cooked, about 10 minutes. Plate and enjoy!

Nutritional info (1 serving)

304 Calories - 24 g Protein, 34 g Carbs, 8 g Fat