This Quick Creole Style Shrimp Jambalaya is the perfect holiday dish. Not only is it easy to make, but it is pure comfort food. All you need is a simple salad to go along with this and you can call it a day. 218 calories/4 freestyle ponts per serving.
So, what do you make when you have no idea what’s for dinner and you’re short on time or just feeling lazy? There are many days when I stare blankly into my refrigerator and start pulling out leftovers and look through my freezer to see what I can pull out for dinner.
The other night was one of those nights. A container of cooked brown rice, a bag of frozen shrimp from Trader Joe’s, and a copy of Cooking Light’s Lighten Up, America! Favorite American Foods Made Guilt-Free cookbook by Allison Fishman Task turned out to be the answer. I’d been perusing this new cookbook, thinking of which recipes to try for the last couple of weeks. The Jambalaya recipe caught my eye, but I couldn’t find the andouille chicken sausage in my freezer anywhere (hate when that happens).
Finally, determined to make Jambalaya, I searched until I found the lost andouille sausage. Although shrimp is expensive, I’ve come up with a trick to “double” the amount of shrimp in most recipes. I simply cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. It’s a neat trick that gives you twice as much shrimp visually – this works great for my family when I’m trying to spread the shrimp around.
This Quick Creole Style Shrimp Jambalaya Recipe would be considered a “White Jambalaya” because the rice is cooked separately from the rest of the ingredients and then added back in. In traditional Creole Jambalaya (with tomatoes) and Cajun Jambalaya (no tomatoes), raw rice is cooked with the ingredients, similar to paella.
My jambalaya came out more like a thick stew, but it was perfect for the comfort meal I was looking for. I marinated the shrimp with some wine for added flavor, and shortened the cooking time by reducing the amount of broth called for, and by adding the shrimp along with rice. With all the ingredients ready, this dish takes about 20 minutes to cook. It may not be the traditional method of cooking jambalaya, but it’s great for either a busy weeknight or a night when you’re just looking for something quick and easy for dinner.
The Lighten Up America! cookbook features more than 150 classic American recipes made lighter, including many regional dishes such as Tex-Mex Migas, Cajun-Style Shrimp and Grits, Chicken Riggies, Calabacitas and Truffled Mac and Cheese. The author also shares some of the special stories behind some of the most beloved regional dishes, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at some of the more unusual foods served at food fairs and festivals around the country (e.g., dandelion soup), and stories about American entrepreneurs and home cooks who came up with some of today’s popular recipes like the Philly Cheesesteak (don’t worry, a healthier recipe is included).
Quick Creole Style Shrimp Jambalaya
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled, deveined, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon white wine
Jambalaya
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 ounces preservative free chicken andouille sausage (I used Trader Joe's), chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large red pepper chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/2-1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 14.5 ounces unsalted diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 scallions chopped
Instructions
-
Marinade shrimp with salt, pepper and wine.
-
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and saute until browned, about 4 minutes. Add onion, pepper and celery and cook 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and saute another minutes. Add rice, Cajun seasoning, chicken broth, and tomatoes; mix well. Add shrimp and bury in rice. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked through. Remove cover; continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; serve with chopped scallions.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Lighten Up, America! Favorite American Foods Made Guilt-Free
4 Freestyle Points per serving
Looks yummy! I’ll have to give it a try.
Hmm. My favorite American food is grilled salmon. Does that count as American??
my favorite American food is cornbread
Oh my goodness — I adore jambalaya! This looks and sounds wonderful!
Thanks Ali – ever since visiting New Orleans about 10 years ago, I’ve been in love with jambalaya and gumbo!
This would be a big hit, I might even make it for my father when he visits for the holidays!
Pamela – this is great for entertaining over the holidays – simple and comforting.
Love that shrimp trick and this dish, Jeanette! A very creative way to get a healthy dinner on the table in a hurry when everyone is starving. 😉 Thanks for sharing. Pinning!
Thanks Stacy – I use that shrimp trick a lot to stretch it out for my family. Thanks for pinning!
This sounds so good right now. Jambalaya is a perfect cold weather food.
love some jambalaya