Jambalaya and Corn Bread Bites

Last night I made one of Terry’s favorite dishes. I think of it as a “mans” meal, although I have made it for many women who have appreciated it just the same. Months ago while Uncle Harold was visiting, helping cousin Timmy work on his car, I whipped up this dish and the boys went to town on it. It just seems like a meal that is very satisfying after a hard days work. Terry labored away in the yard and on the pool for hours in preparation for Kylie’s birthday party, so he definitely earned this hearty dish. I made Cooking Light’s Jambalaya and Corn Bread Bite Muffins.

Jambalaya

Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped smoked turkey sausage (about 4 ounces)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
2 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, paprika, thyme, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken and tomatoes; cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with green onions.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 322(14% from fat); FAT 5.1g (sat 1.1g,mono 1.5g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 20.4g; CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 72mg; SODIUM 640mg; FIBER 3.2g; IRON 3.3mg;
CARBOHYDRATE 46.8g

Corn Bread Bites

Cooking Light

This recipe also makes a dozen muffins in a standard muffin tin; bake 17 minutes or until golden brown. You also can double the recipe and freeze the extra muffins for up to one month. If you
do this, prepare the muffins in two batches so the baking powder doesn't lose its effectiveness while the extra batter waits for the first batch to be turned out of the pans.

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
Dash of hot sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Divide batter evenly among miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

Yield

12 servings (serving size: 3 muffins)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 108(28% from fat); FAT 3.4g (sat 1.9g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 28mg; CALCIUM 89mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.5g; SODIUM 221mg;
PROTEIN 3.7g; FIBER 0.8g

We really enjoyed this meal, as always. In the Jambalaya dish I used all white meat chicken breasts rather than thighs. We also did not add any shrimp because we didn’t have any on hand. I omitted the dash of hot sauce in the Corn Bread Bites, because again, we were out and I was shocked to notice a big difference. They were just missing….something….I can’t quite put my finger on it because the hot sauce doesn’t necessarily bring heat, just a saltiness. Terry still really liked them, and of course I still had two, but I will definitely make sure to add it in the next time I make a batch. Leftovers are going to be the perfect thing for lunch today to fill my belly before I begin cooking and preparing for Kylie’s birthday party.

-Heather