- April 28, 2024
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When I moved home after college my mom had one rule: I had to cook dinner once a week. I was excited at first, because I thought I would learn a whole slew of her recipes before I moved out on my own again.
But as the year picked up and everyone’s schedules got busier, I found myself defaulting to one, semi-homemade recipe: jambalaya, by way of the Zatarain’s box. I added all the good stuff to it: shrimp, kielbasa, veggies. So it didn’t seem like it was from a box.
Jambalaya is one of my favorite meals, so when I stumbled across this jambalaya swap, from hungry-girl.com, that mixed all the awesome flavors with less calories, fat and carbs it was a no-brainer. I had to try this.
First time around, I am sad to say that my rice was slightly undercooked, and my younger sister did not hesitate to tell me so.
In the directions, I have adjusted the cooking time, but every stove is different. Nobody likes crunchy rice.
Calorie friendly jambalaya
Recipe adapted from hungry-girl.com.
What you need:
6 oz. (about 2 links) fully cooked chicken sausage or turkey kielbasa, sliced into coins 

One 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (not drained) 

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tablespoon chopped garlic 

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste 

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 

6 ounces raw shrimp, tails removed, deveined, chopped or whole
Optional: salt and black pepper
What to do:
Add all ingredients except shrimp to a large pot on the stove. Mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender and rice is fluffy, about 40 minutes.
Add shrimp and re-cover. Continue to cook until shrimp are tender and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
If you like, season to taste with salt, black pepper, and additional hot sauce. Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition facts calculated by hungry-girl.com.
Makes four servings
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 256
Fat: 5.5g
Sodium: 688mg
Carbs: 30.5g
Fiber: 3.5g
Sugars: 6.5g
Protein: 20g
PointsPlus® value 6
