Healthy Low-Calorie Jambalaya Recipe
Jambalaya, a traditional Cajun Louisiana Creole dish, is one of my favorite dishes to make. I cant say that my recipe is authentic, but Ive developed one that closely represents the taste of a traditional Jambalaya that I always look forward to when my travels take me to the south. Most jambalaya call for white rice and this recipe calls for brown rice. The beauty of this is that you can throw things in here and there and not have to worry about measurements! ie, I never wouldve thought to add zucchini, but I looked through the fridge and saw that it needed to be used up. Turns out, zucchini in this dish is fantastic. You probably have most of these ingredients on hand or can make your own substitutions! Another thing about this dish that I love is how spicy it is (you can make it hot or mild, just add more or less of the recommended spices). I find that spicy meals make me feel full while eating, not to mention feel fuller longer.
Jambalaya, a traditional Cajun Louisiana Creole dish, is one of my favorite dishes to make. I cant say that my recipe is authentic, but Ive developed one that closely represents the taste of a traditional Jambalaya that I always look forward to when my travels take me to the south. Most jambalaya call for white rice and this recipe calls for brown rice. The beauty of this is that you can throw things in here and there and not have to worry about measurements! ie, I never wouldve thought to add zucchini, but I looked through the fridge and saw that it needed to be used up. Turns out, zucchini in this dish is fantastic. You probably have most of these ingredients on hand or can make your own substitutions! Another thing about this dish that I love is how spicy it is (you can make it hot or mild, just add more or less of the recommended spices). I find that spicy meals make me feel full while eating, not to mention feel fuller longer.
Step-by-step
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, put in 1/4 cup of red onion and the minced garlic and sauté. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauté until slightly brown.
- Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of V8 juice in with the vegetables. Add creole sauce and Tabasco sauce to taste.
- Now add your cooked brown rice, shrimp, ham, or other cooked meat.
- At this point, if you'd prefer a more 'soupy' consistency, add more V8 juice. Taste to see if you should add an any additional spices or hot sauce.
- Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
Cooking with limited counter space and a single medium saucepan demands careful sequencing of ingredients to prevent steaming instead of browning. Introducing diced onions, zucchini, celery, and peppers to hot olive oil requires a medium heat setting and uninterrupted contact with the pan base until the edges turn slightly brown. Crowding this vessel traps moisture, rendering the vegetables limp before flavor development occurs.
Swapping traditional white rice for pre-cooked brown rice shifts the textural profile considerably. Brown rice retains a dense, chewy interior that absorbs cooking liquids differently than polished grains. Pouring between one-half and one cup of low-sodium V8 juice directly over the sautéed vegetables creates the necessary cooking medium. Simmering this mixture on low heat for thirty minutes allows the brown rice to soften while absorbing the tomato-vegetable base without dissolving into mush.
Freezing cooked shrimp and pre-cooked meats alongside rice requires caution because repeated temperature swings toughen seafood proteins. Storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days preserves texture better than freezing. Reheating portions gently on the stove with an extra splash of vegetable juice restores moisture lost during storage.
