Last night I was struck with the inspiration to make a hearty dish involving beans and meat. I really have no idea why. Maybe it’s because I’m so desperate for fall that I decided I needed to make a dish suitable for cool fall weather. Or maybe I just really wanted something cajun… who knows… What I did know is that I wanted something thick and hearty involving sausage, beans, and rice.
I have to tell you I really went back and forth on what to call this. Originally I was going to call it a “cajun stew”, but it really isn’t a stew – much too thick. And technically it’s not really jambalaya because it doesn’t have seafood…. but then I remembered that I’m the starving artist and I really don’t care. The real joy of cooking is creating things we love to eat, so why not make things exactly how we want them. While I love seafood, it doesn’t really fit into my starving artist budget. Kidney beans, however, do. As does a rotisserie chicken from Costco. Voila. Starving artist jambalaya.
Fair warning, there are a lot of spices in this recipe. Do not be intimidated. I know spices can be a little pricey, but I have to tell you, they are a fantastic investment: buy them once and they will be flavoring your dishes for months. But hey, if you don’t want to invest right now, leave them out. Even if you had just the cajun seasoning, you’ll still have a tasty and fantastic dish.
Enjoy!
Starving Artist Jambalaya (Recipe PDF)