If you have read my blog for a while, you know that I love to “play” with holidays and flavors in our home. While I will probably NEVER go to New Orleans or Rio and celebrate Mardi Gras (a little to much partying & nudity for my taste), I just love the color, the happiness, the fun and flavor that accompanies the carnival season. Each year I plan a little something fun for the family, and despite the changes in our diet over the last eight months, this year was no exception!
When I first started planning for our traditional Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras meal with the family, I felt rather silly.
After all, “Fat Tuesday” and “healthy” are really contradicting terms!
But, after toying around with ideas and skimming through my New Orleans cookbooks I came up with a healthy Jambalaya to serve that combines crisp, fresh veggies with great flavor that really turned out quite delicious!
So welcome to “Not-So-Fat-Tuesday 2013”!
Ingredients:
Four cups diced chicken breast
1 pound Red Snapper, cut into 1 1/2 pieces
1 bunch of green onion, sliced
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 can of Del-Monte no-salt added basil, oregano, garlic tomatoes
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes, more if you would like
2 cups unsalted chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sliced okra
1 1/2 cups rice
1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere’s no-salt seasoning, more if you like it spicy
Olive Oil
In a large skillet or cast iron Dutch over, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook your diced chicken about five minutes, turning while cooking so that you have it evenly cooked.
Add the green onion (save a little for garnishing later), sweet onion, tomatoes, pepper, celery, and garlic and cook long enough for the vegetables to soften…. about 3-4 minutes.
Add the rice, chicken broth,Tony Chachere’s, and red pepper flakes; cover and simmer on medium about 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked through, stir occasionally. Add your okra about 15 minutes into cooking the rice. If your jambalaya is getting to dry add a little water, maybe a 1/4 cup. After 30 minutes (or the rice is cooked through), add the Red Snapper, cover and cook another 5 minutes to allow the fish to steam until it is done (it’ll be flaky).
Serve up with a lemon wedge and garnish with sliced green onion.
I’d love nothing more than a delicious bite of King Cake, but I’m going to behave this “Not-So-Fat-Tuesday”!
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| Jambalaya for lunch & supper? |
Enjoy your day as well!
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Fiddle Dee Dee by Jennifer Jones 
What a great recipe…I have to usually pass on Jambalaya as it usually contains shrimp in which I am allergic to…so this is a wonderful recipe for me!!!….Looks wonderful….Have a great week!!
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Such a cute play on words for your title post Jen and the recipe sounds delicious. I have never celebrated mardi gras here at home. When my youngest son was in college he went to mardi gras and New Orleans and being a young college student he was into partying but even he said it was a bit much for him. LOL….. (secretly I went yay in my heart). I am yearning for a bit of snow myself before long. Just a bit. Just enough to tramp around in the woods with the dog. Once Spring comes, you wouldn't dare catch me in those woods. 🙂
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Hi Jennifer,
Your not-so-fat jambalaya looks delicious! You've given me an idea to make some this evening, except I'd have to omit the chicken. Leo is allergic to chicken. Yes, I know, it an unusual allergy that is difficult to work around sometimes! Have a good week and enjoy your Valentine's Day!
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It looks wonderful. You're being very, very good. Sometimes a little taste is all we need, but make it be the very last bite or else. =D
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