Day 22

The penny dropped on my way to work this morning. I was struggling last night to incorporate new pattern repeats in my triangle shawl. I charted it, counted it, but still ended up increasing too many stitches each row. This morning I realised that I had simply made a mistake on the chart! Dur!

My colleague asked me for this recipe, so I pass it on to anyone else who may be interested.

Jambalaya

Ingredients

Onion
Celery
Green/red pepper
Olive oil
Garlic
Fresh chicken (breast or thigh fillets)
Cajun spice mix
Long grain or basmati rice
Tinned tomatoes
Stock (optional)
Some or all of the following:

Fresh meaty sausages
Chorizo (this will make the jambalaya more spicy)
Cooked ham

Salt and pepper
Fresh chopped parsley

Method

Chop onion, celery and peppers evenly. These three together are called the ‘trinity’. Put some olive oil in a large casserole or pan and cook gently on the stove until softened. Chop the garlic finely (or crush) and add. Turn off heat under pan.

Cook the sausages if you’re using them and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks. Put about 2 teaspoons (or more, to taste) Cajun seasoning and some oil in a bowl or plate. Add the chicken and mix until chicken is well covered. Fry chicken gently in non-stick frying pan (no need to add more oil).

Add sausages and chicken to the vegetables. Add chorizo and/or ham (chopped fairly small).

Add tomatoes and mix well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or longer until it seems well amalgamated but not too dry.

Cook the rice using your normal method and add to pan. Mix well, adding a little stock or water if you think it’s too dry (this is a matter of taste). Heat through thoroughly.

Add salt and pepper to taste and finally sprinkle on the parsley (generously).

I think it’s impossible to make a small amount of this dish, but the leftovers are delicious too!