Shrimp Jambalaya

We have good friends who often do a little shrimping every Spring. The Spring is especially good for catching large amounts of the beautiful Jumbo Shrimp, so we make this great Shrimp Jambalaya several times each year. I sometimes add strips of chicken breasts which I've boiled ahead of time. I just toss the cooked chicken strips in at the same time I add the shrimp. It's a very good recipe, and very easy to make. Just takes a little planning ahead.

• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Make a nice golden brown roux with those 2 ingredients. Add to roux:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Saute the mixture of roux and chopped vegetables until vegetables are nice and soft. Add:

• 1 cup Rotel tomatoes
• 1 cup tomato sauce

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups washed white rice

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove cover and stir gently just to turn everything over for even cooking. Replace cover and cook for 15 minutes more. Uncover and add:

• 1 pound raw shrimp which have been cleaned thoroughly and seasoned with black pepper, red pepper, and very little salt.

Cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings. Stir very gently so that rice does not become mushy.

Some folks like to add thin slices of cooked smoked sausage. Cook them before adding, then add them at the same time as you do the tomatoes and tomato sauce.

A big tossed salad, steamed broccoli and squares of sweet cornbread will complete this meal nicely. Enjoy.

By Julia from Orlando, FL