Chorizo "Jambalaya"

Here we have another What's in my pantry/freezer/fridge? recipe. These "recipes" always surprise me when I put a bowl in front of Brian and he inhales it. He barely has time to remove his face from his bowl to tell me how delicious it is, before heading back to the kitchen for another helping. But, that's when I know its a bloggable recipe.

I've veered quite significantly from what a Louisiana native would call a traditional Creole or Cajun jambalaya. I've kept most of the basic components (minus seafood, andouille, or chicken), but replaced the smoky flavor with smoked chorizo. Kind of like a Spanish version of the traditional jambalaya. Hope y'all enjoy!

Smoky Chorizo Jambalaya

makes 5-6 servings

3 links smoked pork chorizo (casing removed, sliced into coins)

1 large onion (diced)

2 stalks celery (diced)

1 large carrot (peeled and diced)

1/2 red pepper (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (drained, rough chop)

1 cup frozen okra

1 cup uncooked brown basmati rice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock (homemade or low sodium)

2 tbsp flour

olive oil

s&p

for the spice mixture:

1 tbsp dehydrated onions

1 tbsp dehydrated garlic

1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 bay leaf

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chorizo coins to the pan and let cook for 7 minutes, or until both sides are brown. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the oil in the pan.

Add onion, celery, carrot and red pepper to the pot. Add a dash of salt and pepper and let the veggies sweat for about 10 minutes. Drop in the garlic half way through.

Add spice mixture and flour to the veggies. Let cook for about 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour flavor.

Add tomatoes, chicken stock and rice. Give it a nice seasoning with salt and pepper. Combine everything and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, add chorizo back in and cover. Let cook for about an hour.

Add the okra about 30 minutes in. If you add too early, it will completely lose its texture and color.

Check periodically, stirring to make sure nothing is burning to the bottom. After about 45 minutes, check the rice. If it's not cooked through, and most of the liquid is gone, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup stock. Cover and let simmer until the rice is cooked all the way through.