06-18-13-paella

Time for a bit of a clean-out-the-refrigerator meal. Andouille sausage, chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery…  Otherwise disparate items that came together with a cupful of rice to create a pretty unique meal.

I like taking a bit of this and a bit of that and making something fun out of it, and rice is the perfect vehicle for pulling everything together. And andouille sausage is the perfect item to spice it up.

This wasn’t exactly a traditional jambalaya, more a non-seafood paella, except I baked it instead of cooking on the stove-top. That would have given it the characteristic crunchy bottom that is considered a delicacy, but Nonna would have had a problem with chewing, I’m sure.

It really was a simple dish to pull together. I cut up 2 andouille sausages and 1 chicken breast. Sauteed them in a bit of olive oil and then added 2 diced bell peppers and a clove of garlic. When they cooked down a bit, I added 2 large tomatoes that I diced and let it cook down a bit, as well. Then went in a cup of rice and 2 cups of water. A pinch of salt and pepper.

I put a lid on it and it then went into a 350° oven for 45 minutes.

Properly-spicy, creamy, and satisfying.

And Nonna cleaned her plate.