Bamboleo Jambalaya

Let me start off by saying that the title of this post is based on the extremely loose connection that Bamboleo is my favorite Gypsy Kings song, and sometimes I like to blast it when I'm cooking! Anyway...

Can something with andouille sausage REALLY makes it's way onto a blog titled "Journey to Good Health", you ask? Well, the answer is yes. What I go for here is home cooked 'real food' that is as close to natural as I can get. In this recipe I used an organic, no nitrate and gluten free sausage made by Wellshire Farms that I purchased at Whole Foods.

There are many ways to vary jambalaya. In this recipe here, I substituted ground chipotle peppers for the cayenne pepper that is traditionally used. It is a little less spicy and adds a nice subtle smokey flavor. And, I also (of course) used brown rice. I mean, COME ON! Don't you want to get down with all the benefits of the whole grain? And in this dish, even the white rice die-hard's will not know the difference! Also, usually this is a 1 pot recipe that calls for cooking the rice in with the rest of the ingredients, but I kept them separate to show another way to use leftover rice.

Ingredients
Serves 6

1 2-pound bag of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed with tails removed.
1 package of andouille sausage (4 sausages)
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
8 oz of frozen peas
2 cups of diced tomatoes
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
2 cups of brown rice (4 cups cooked)
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
2 teaspoons of ground chipotle pepper (or more if you like it HOT!)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers and sautee for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
2. Add the shrimp, andouille sausage, diced tomatoes, thyme and parsley. Season with 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper and the ground chipotle pepper. Continue to saute for a few more minutes to blend the flavors.
3. Add the vegetable stock, tomato sauce and peas. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cover. Let simmer over medium/low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Stirring often.
4. Now, add the cooked brown rice to the mixture, gently and in batches. Mix thoroughly.
5. Reduce heat to low and let it sit (covered) for about 10 more minutes to let the flavors go through the rice.
6. Taste/adjust seasonings.

Honestly, are you kind?

OK, let's take a break from the recipes for a minute to gather up some food for thought.

The holidays are over. If "thank god" is what you say, then I must admit, I'm with you. What I mean is that I'm not sad to bid farewell to the rushing, stressing and over-indulgence that seem to be their evil partner in crime (although the indulgence part is always fun for a while!). So why do I bring it up? Well, because along with the above recountal, there is also the spirit of giving and kindness associated with the season, and once it's all said and done, these too can wind up in the recycling bin for another year. Something to think about and remember going forth in the new year?? Put up with me here...

The spirit of giving. The thought of it drives me to consider the traits of humankind and dive deep into the introspection of my own core values and beliefs. But it is not just about the giving, it's what lies behind the giving. People feeling good when they give.

Most of us display unconscious acts of kindness every day. Holding the door open for a stranger, being polite to the checkout clerk, letting a fellow driver go in front of us on a busy road. We do this for various reasons, but whatever the reason, we are spreading kindness and sending out a positive flow of energy. Kindness creates a sense of warmth and openness that allows us to communicate much more easily with other people. It generates a spirit of friendship in which there is less need to hide what we feel or what we're doing. As a result, feelings of fear, self-doubt and insecurity are automatically dispelled; while at the same time, other people find it easier to trust us too. (Got that from the Dalai Lama!).

Now I'm no psychology expert, but it's obvious to me that there is something to be looked at here. We were all born the same. Innocent, untrained and perfect. We laughed when we wanted to laugh and cried when we wanted to cry. We were honest and (I believe) that we were all kind. But as we grew into adults, many sequences of events took place in our lives. These events shaped our perception on how we should think, feel and act. A bi-product of this happening is that we distanced ourselves from our truth, and through a desire to protect ourselves, we forgot how to be honest (another topic for another time).
There are so many values to consider when figuring out where we stand as human beings. How do we want to live our lives - what is important to us - how do we want to interact with others? Are you jaded and cynical? Are you honest and kind?