Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

Okay, here's the recipe I promised earlier. FYI, this is a Creole recipe moreso than a Cajun one. Creole dishes typically have tomatoes or tomato sauce added whereas Cajun dishes usually don't.

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 or 1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 small or 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
1 pound andouille pork sausage cut into medium slices
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound cooked bay shrimp

Seasonings:
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp paprika
1 bay leaves
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (this gives dish its heat, although the andouille should also impart some as well; use more if you want it spicier, less if you want a milder dish)
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
Salt (optional; season to taste with it, though the chicken stock will likely make the dish salty enough for most people)

Mix the seasonings together before you start cooking so you can add them at one time. If you know more about layering flavors than I do, feel free to add them to the dish in the order you feel is best.

Directions:
Combine olive oil and flour in a large, stainless-steel pot. Cook over low hear until the oil and flour mixture turns light brown in color. This is your roux. You can also buy roux at some groceries, and I know that my take on a roux here is a weaker (lower calorie) version of the kind of roux used in Louisiana households that make jambalaya. Anyway, add the onions, garlic, bell pepper and celery. The celery, onions and bell pepper make up the "Cajun trinity," or Louisiana equivalent to French mirepoix (which is carrots, onions and celery). Continue cooking the mixture over low heat for about five minutes or so. Add the seasoning mixture to the vegetables and roux and stir until all the seasonings are incorporated. Cook for another couple of minutes before going on to the next step.

Next, add the sausage, chicken stock, tomato puree and chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat up and bring the whole mixture to a boil, then add the cup of long-grain white rice. Bring the mixture back to a boil, turn the heat down to low and cook it for about 20 minutes (until the rice is cooked, basically; I'd suggest that you not use instant rice; if you do, the flavors won't meld as well as it won't have as much time to cook). When the rice is done, add the cooked shrimp. Cook for about another 2 minutes or until the shrimp has pretty much reached the temperature of the rest of the jambalaya. Take the jambalaya off the heat and serve.

Servings depend on how hungry, and how tolerant of spicy food, the diners are. Usually makes about 5-8 servings in my household. We tend to serve the jambalaya with homemade garlic bread and often a glass of milk to cool off.