A while ago the telephone rang and it was our sister-in-law Tina inviting us over for an impromptu dinner. On the menu was an incredible chicken and shrimp Jambalaya that was absolutely jam-packed with spicy Cajun flavours and much healthier than the traditional version. She kindly gave us the recipe so we could share it here. Turns out, it’s from the cookbook Looney Spoons by Janet and Greta Podleski. Glancing through Tina’s copy, I see they have many fine looking gf recipes – might need to get a copy ourselves!.

P.S. Apologies for the stock photo. It’s a bit awkward to insist on plating and photographing your meal when you’re a guest in someone’s house!

What you’ll need:

1 tablespoon oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chopped vegetables (onion, celery, peppers…whatever you’re in the mood for)

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

12-18 large shrimp

2 ½ cups gluten free chicken broth (we like Kitchen Basics)

1 ¼ cups rice

1 ½ cups salsa (Tina likes it HOT! But you can use medium or mild too.)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon gluten free Cajun seasoning (we like Club House Cajun)

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ cup minced parsley

What you’ll do:

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the garlic and vegetables and cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Add chicken and fry until cooked through.

Now add the chicken broth, salsa, bay leaf, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes—or however long it takes your choice of rice to cook—stirring occasionally.

When the rice is tender, add the shrimp and the parsley and simmer just long enough to cook the shrimp.

Like this? You might also want to try our:

Salsa Chicken

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

Dolores’s Delicious Enchiladas

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