Syn Free Jambalaya!

Sorry for the grainy quality of the image, it was taken on my blackberry which doesn’t have the best of cameras!

As promised, here is the recipe for my syn free jambalaya. The recipe I created was kind of adapted by looking at loads of different recipes for Jambalaya, converting them to be diet friendly and then picking and choosing my favourite bits, extras I wanted to include, and the bits I wasn’t so keen on. For example, I could have synned some chorizo to make it more of a traditional jambalaya, but I am not keen on chorizo as it’s too oily so I decided to leave it out. Cooking, to me, is all about adapting things to make it more enjoyable for yourself, so if you decide you don’t like one of the ingredients I’ve added, or perhaps you think of an ingredient you think would go well with this, then go for it! Let me know as well, I like seeing what adaptations people make. So, here is my jambalaya!

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp olive oil (divided into parts of a HexB, but you can choose to syn it if you wish!)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 large celery stick, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3-6 mushrooms (dependant on size and preference), diced
• 3 large tomatoes, roughly ‘diced’, or a tin of tomatoes
• 2 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized bits
• 3 bacon medallions, again in bite-sized pieces
• 1-2 tbsp cajun spice mix (to taste, you can add more once you’ve added all the ingredients)
• 350ml chicken or veg stock (I use veg, most times)
• 250g long grain rice

Method:

• Fry the chicken pieces in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes, until just cooked through and golden on the outside.
• Remove the chicken and put to the side, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.
• Soften the onions for roughly 4 minutes, then add the bacon and make sure that cooks through (about 1-2 minutes).
• Add all of the vegetables, except for the tomatoes, along with the cajun spices and fry for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the chicken, rice, stock and tomatoes.
• Bring to the boil, and then cover and leave to simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked. (You may want to move this to a smaller ring on the hob as it can burn the bottom of the rice if the flame is too big underneath).
• Serve and enjoy!!

Let me know what you think of it if you make it, I’d love to see other people’s opinions on it! Myself, I love it! I cook it very often, and it makes a lot so I often freeze a few portions which is perfect for dieting as it gives you a ‘ready meal’ when you don’t feel like cooking – meaning you don’t just go off plan by ordering a take away or eating a processed ready meal which are packed with syns and fats!

Laura x