Mardi Gras may well have partied it’s flame out for 2016 but it’s never too late for some good old Cajun or Creole food. Today I’m specifically talking about jambalaya.

Jambalaya – as much fun to say as it is to eat! It’s humble food and very similar to its Spanish cousin, paella.  Seasoned rice cooked with meat!

There’s absolutely no secret to making Jambalaya and it comes together very quickly. Make it once and you’ll understand that you can feed a few or have a party simply by making adjustments in the proportions. It’s very likely that you’ll have all the ingredients on hand. So when the “what’s for dinner?” siren goes off or you have unexpected guests drop by you’ll have a solution at your fingertips!

Start with the Cajun/Creole trinity (celery, onion and bell pepper). Technically, I think the bell pepper called for in the trinity is green bell, but  I personally am not a huge fan of green bells so I sub in red bells in almost every instance.  After the trinity, have an awesome Creole Spice Blend waiting in the wings, some rice and your choice of meat(s) and you’ll be dancing down Bourbon Street.

Emeril (you know who I’m talking about) is king when it comes to Creole/Cajun cooking (IMHO).  His jambalaya recipe is actually where my affinity toward this dish began.

I’ve modified the original recipe because frankly I’m not into measuring vegetable ingredients in partial cupfuls when I’m making dishes of this nature.  And by all means if you want to use green bell pepper go right ahead.   The important thing to remember is that there is no season, no special time of the year reserved for jambalaya.  Perhaps this will become a regular at your table as it has at mine.

It’s never too late… thanks for visiting Palatable Life.

Be inspired,
Diane