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Go Ahead Honey “Make Me A Happy Camper”

The following is a scenario that I created to share this month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! entries for the “Make Me A Happy Camper” theme. Just like Naomi originated GAHIGF, she also first demonstrated this fantasy summary concept back in her April canape post. I don’t think it would take too much to imagine these events really happening. Oh, what fun that would be!

Mr. GFE and I love to share our mountain property with others. So, when I told him that I wanted to host a gathering for my gluten-free blogging buddies, he was completely on board. We usually go up on Saturday mornings and stay until the next evening, but sometimes we head up on Fridays. This time we wanted to have a few days to allow as many folks as possible to participate, so we took off on Friday and told people to come any time from Friday through Sunday. He wanted to get there early to have the grass all mowed so our property would look its best and the hard work would be out of the way. That would allow him to meet and visit with folks and provide any extra attention they would need: help in setting up tents, taking some people out in the canoe, placing Tikki torches by individual tents for subdued lighting, etc.

Saturday was expected to be the “core” day as some people in the group do not camp, so they just agreed to come for the day … to enjoy a picnic in effect. Some of them planned to head off to local hotels and bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) when they left our place. Others were veteran (or at least eager) campers and most of them planned to stay overnight on Saturday. However, the folks coming from the farthest distance planned to come in on Friday to visit and/or camp with all of us, but to also take advantage of visitor opportunities in the area (e.g., hiking, taking scenic drives, exploring nearby attractions).

Friday arrived as a gorgeous day. Mr. GFE and I had packed as much as possible up the evening before so we left home early and arrived before lunchtime. Mr. GFE had the grass cut in record time and was very pleased. The dock was in place (no rescue operations this time LOL) and our neighbor had just bush hogged our field. I dug out the fire pit as I always do to ensure that we’d have a deep bed of coals later for roasting potatoes, corn, or even onions. Mr. GFE gathered firewood that had fallen from recent storms and soon had a huge pile to whittle on with his chain saw. There would definitely be plenty of wood to ensure hot coals for baking in the campfire and for blazes sufficient to warm and brighten the darkness later.

By evening all the Friday arrivals were there. After initial greetings and “tours” of our spot, everyone started inquiring on the dishes that had been brought and what we might eat for each meal. While we were happily speculating on meal possibilities (remember we didn’t know them all since everyone had not yet arrived), Tracee of Mrs. Ed’s Research and Recipes  shared her Pimento Cheese Spread on some nice crunchy gluten-free crackers. Tracee told us that pimento cheese spread is a requirement for any proper Southern gathering and with our mouths full, we all mumbled our concurrence.

In fact, Tracee’s spread and crackers were quickly devoured, so we moved on to Ali’s (of Ali and Tom at Whole Life Nutrition) Nori Rolls with Sticky Brown Rice with Ginger Plum Sauce. Ali told us these work best kept whole for physical activities like hiking, but we were all hanging around the picnic tables under the pavilion, so she sliced them into one-inch pieces for our sampling. While we ate, we quizzed her and Tom about the preparation and the nutritional benefits of nori and the other ingredients.

Finally when we were all ready for our meal, Jenn of Jenn Cuisine stepped over to my one-burner stove and whipped up a variation on her father’s beef stroganoff. Jenn is quite the enthusiastic camper. While she was cooking, she told us just how much camping with her family had meant to her when she was growing up and even now looking back. Although all present were not campers, everyone shared the sentiments on love of family and the importance of those special times together.

After dinner, we thought we were stuffed, until Brian (of Fire and Salt) unveiled the graham crackers he had made and suggested S’mores. We greatly admired his handiwork … right down to the little perforations that graham crackers always have. These graham crackers were really works of art, but frankly, it was that final rich graham cracker/marshmallow/chocolate combo that made us the happiest.  One S’more was all that was needed! We sat around the campfire chatting and getting better acquainted. We also talked of plans for the next day and who would be joining us then. We were all tired from our day of travel, so everyone turned in fairly early.

Before the children had gone off to bed, Mr. GFE had tasked them with starting the fire in the morning. He explained there would be very hot coals remaining under the ashes and advised them to just keep adding the small sticks and twigs that littered the ground. After they got a little fire going, he told them they could add larger pieces of firewood they found. He told them to stay out of the firewood pile … that wood would be saved for the evening. We awoke in the morning to the kids trying unsuccessfully to be quiet as they successfully got a small fire going, and then the slam of car doors as more folks arrived. Many happy faces greeted us as we exited the tent—the very proud firestarters and the newly arrived blogging buddies and their families.

I started a pot of hot water for the hot tea drinkers and made honey hot chocolate for others. A coffee lover in the crowd got a pot going for the relieved java junkies. Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe was definitely greeted warmly because she had shown up with a large basket of her freshly made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. Johanna stated emphatically that she is not a camper, but she loves a good picnic. Mr. GFE piped in that camping at our property is just “going on a picnic and then spending the night.” She laughed appreciatively, but remained unconvinced. She said she’d be heading back to her B&B after our evening meal.

Fruit, avocados, and nuts were available for breakfast as well. But, some of us convinced Melissa of Gluten Free for Good that she didn’t need to hang on to all of her namesake Mile High Trail Mix for her hiking adventures on Old Rag mountain after breakfast. (Heather and family planned to go as well and do some of the shorter trails nearby.) Melissa informed us that she often tweaked her recipe just a bit to make a wonderful granola and graciously shared some of her trail mix with us.

Similarly, Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free agreed that a piece of her Fresh Apple Cake would also be quite fine for breakfast and we were very grateful.  She told us how her mom had made a fresh apple cake for their camping adventures when she was growing up, and this recipe was her own variation.

As planned, after breakfast, Melissa left with her crew and Heather and family followed to check out the Blue Ridge Mountains up close and personal. The rest of us donned bathing suits and water shoes, and applied sunscreen. Mr. GFE, still acting as head camp counselor, headed off in our canoe and Son’s kayak with Tom and some of the children for a paddle up to the cave nearby. The cave is not huge, but it does have more than one room and it does house a few cute bats and diminutive stalactites and stalagmites. Visiting it is always a fun experience and the kids were quite excited.

Some of the children stayed behind to swim in our little lagoon, snorkel, and wade around doing their best to catch crawdads and hellgrammites. We told the crawdad hunters that we’d steam any “dads” that they found for an appetizer for dinner. In the end, they saw many, but didn’t have much luck in catching them. (This time of year crawdad catching is made much more difficult by the long grass that grows in the river and offers quick hideouts for all the river inhabitants.) They still had fun though.

Hours later, everyone reconvened for a late lunch with “tales of strength and daring.” We were all hungry. A food inventory revealed a wealth of delightful salads and appetizer food. Someone joked that we should have a taste test contest to see who had made the best salad, but you could just look at these dishes and tell they were all terrific. Heather of Life, Gluten Free shared a delightful Summer Salad with fresh corn as the main ingredient. The salad also included dill, which inspired a discussion on when “to add dill” and when “not to add dill.” (For the record, I think the dill-ites outweighed the non-dill lovers like myself. LOL) 

Christine of Without Adornment actually had made two salads, Carrot Salad and Vegetable Lover’s Pasta Salad. Both disappeared quickly.  There’s something about good food being placed in small dishes in small bite-sized pieces that makes it especially irresistible.

Linda of Kitchen Therapy presented us with a colorful and flavorful Garlicky Green Bean Potato Salad. Everyone enjoyed this salad, too, but the garlic lovers among us were especially happy. By the way, Linda didn’t hesitate to tell us that she does not look back fondly on her previous camping days, so she only stayed for a few hours before leaving for other non-outdoors adventures and we kept her close to the campfire to ensure the few pesky mosquitoes steered clear.

Kim of The Food Allergy Coach made Quinoa Salad with a Kick—and a nice little kick it was. A few folks had not yet tried quinoa and were surprised how much they enjoyed this dish. Kim was tickled as she loves to introduce others to new foods.

Emilia of A Gluten-Free Day shared her Potato Salad. This dish was as tasty as it was lovely, and it was very lovely. (Note: I can’t view Emilia’s entire post on her blog. I can just see the photo, but she and others can see her post in its entirety, so, hopefully, it’s just a gfe-unique issue and you can view all with no problems.)

As much as we liked the salads, some of us were ready for more protein, so were happy when Friedl of Kitchen Fun passed around her plate of Rice Salad and Salmon Rolls—buckwheat crepes filled with rice salad and smoked salmon. Now, you know they were both good and good for you! Friedl is another non-camper, but she loves a nice picnic.

Immediately after lunch, the crew scattered again. Some families embarked for town to check out Luray Caverns (caverns of spectacular proportions) and the Luray Zoo (known as a rescue zoo and formerly a reptile center, so much there for all to see). A bit later, a storm rolled in with little warning—a common summer occurrence in the mountains. Those of us at the campsite gathered under the pavilion. We re-hydrated and munched on some cut-up fruit and veggies, and I think the lids on the cookie tins were popped off at that point. Thankfully, the storm passed quickly and swimming, fishing, and all the other fun stuff resumed.

Night in the mountains, even during the summer, is always much cooler (think sweatshirts, jackets, and sleeping under blankets), but the added dampness from the rain brought a special chill. So we were all looking forward to hearty, warming dishes for supper. Again, we talked Melissa into sharing her food intended for backpacking with the rest of us. This time it was a very creamy, bisque-like Garlic Potato, Kale, and Chicken Backpacking Soup. Melissa explained that because this soup is dehydrated, it’s great for being “out in the wild” and it mixes up quickly because all the work is done before leaving home.

Carol of Simply … Gluten Free also shared her Bean & Veggie Chili, a vegetarian dish with a secret ingredient. All of us were trying to guess the ingredient, and some came close, but nobody got it exactly right. LOL We all loved the addition of the avocado slices.

Naomi of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried and, of course, the founder/”mother” of Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! whipped out her seasoned 8-inch cast iron skillet and made a Courgette (Zucchini) Tortilla. Later, as we ate and made sounds of approval, she explained how to properly “season” a cast iron skillet and why using one is beneficial. Some of us joked that we might need another demonstration on the merits of cast iron cooking. Naomi chuckled, but little did we know that she’d later oblige our request.

While the others cooked on multiple-burner stoves, to satisfy the carnivores in the group (Mr. GFE and a few others), Mr. GFE and I grilled a Lovely London Broil. I also had a pot of artichokes steaming and by this time potatoes, corn on the cob, and Vidalia onions were baking in the coals and, in fact, almost ready.

After dinner, Naomi pulled another cast iron skillet out of her camping supplies, this one 6 inches in diameter. We all looked on with delight as she made a Hazelnut and Apple Pudding Cake. We grabbed spoons and had small exquisite tastes once the cake cooled enough. But the children were clamoring for S’mores again in the background (uh, some of those children looked pretty old! LOL), so we asked her to save the rest for Sunday’s breakfast.

We had eaten all of Brian’s homemade graham crackers the previous night, so I suggested that we make my alternative S’mores using my brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and flourless peanut butter cookies. Everyone agreed, trying to make the right decision on which type of cookie to use … some finally giving up on this difficult decision and making one of each.

The night air was getting even cooler, so Mr. GFE added several large logs to the fire, turning up the heat and the light. Finally, with full bellies, we sat back in our chairs around the campfire snuggled up in hoodies and the like, and quite content. Mr. GFE entertained us with stories on his college reunion we’d held at our property years ago and some ghost stories from his parents’ home that was built in 1802. The children in the group were listening with an equal amount of pleasure and uneasiness at the mention of ghosts. Some edged just a bit closer to their parents. The youngsters finally headed off to bed and most of us who remained enjoyed a final glass of wine or nightcap as we chatted. At one point there was a lull in the conversation and we heard the eerie sounds of the resident screech owl. The campfire experience is always lovely, and sharing it with our new friends made it especially so. But, finally, we all called it a night.

The next morning we got up grateful for another beautiful day and being with each other again, but a bit sad that we’d soon be parting ways. Breakfast and lunch for the day ended up being leftovers of one’s choice—a veritable smorgasbord. Activities were more of the same, until gradually folks started leaving for home. Smiles and hugs were exchanged with talk of a follow-up get together next year. The non-campers in the group put in their bids for other places to meet—places without “wilderness” and bugs. (The campers in tthe group laughed, but no promises were made.) There were even mentions of possible gluten-free dishes that could be shared at our next meeting. (We do love our gluten-free food, don’t we? Deprivation? … none present, and did you notice that almost all the dishes were naturally gluten free or made gluten free easily. The exceptions were treats that would be worth making for the occasional wonderful indulgence.) Finally, Mr. GFE and I packed up and headed home, pleased that we’d been able to host such a wonderful event with everyone’s terrific contributions.

Note: If you’ve enjoyed reading this Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! roundup and others from the past,  and have always wanted to participate, but haven’t yet, take a look at the listing of hosts and themes for the next year here. Kim of The Food Allergy Coach will be hosting for August. Her theme is “Chill Out”—dishes that beat the summer heat (no cook and/or served cold). How appropriate is that theme for these “dog days” of summer? Read more here. Check out the other themes as well … there might be some that particularly suit your fancy! Just mark your calendar for the month(s) of your choice and you’ll be set to participate. Thanks so much to the lovely and always clever and creative Naomi for coming up with GAHIGF! It’s always such fun and I’m constantly amazed at the quality of the recipes shared, not to mention the award-quality photos. Participants for this roundup, please update your post to include a link back to this post so everyone can find all these terrific recipes. And, no camping is required for all you readers … just click on the links and spend a few minutes enjoying all these great recipes  that made me a very happy camper!

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Non-taboo “Tabouli” for Friday Foodie Fix

Diane’s Friday Foodie Fix for this week inspired me to make a dish I’ve always thought about making—a tabouli made using quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. Yikes, bulgur wheat … not something those of us who are gluten free want to eat. But, quinoa, on the other hand is gluten free, and it’s a nutritional powerhouse. The packaging of the Ancient Harvest Quinoa that I use states that it’s “one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom” according to the National Academy of Sciences. It provides all the essential amino acids. You can read more about quinoa’s wonderful benefits here. Diane also talks about quinoa’s redeeming qualities and shares not one, but five, of her recipes using quinoa (from salads to desserts). Based on past Friday Foodie Fix events, at least a dozen more great quinoa recipes will be added by other talented bloggers and readers before this weekend is over. So keep checking back at her W.H.O.L.E. Gang site.

Tabouli (also spelled tabbouleh or tabouleh) is a Middle Eastern dish. Wikipedia says it’s a Levantine Arab dish and cites the typical ingredients as bulgur wheat, mint, parsley, tomato, scallion, herbs, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings. Sometimes, so much parsley and mint is used in tabouli that the dish looks very green, but most tabouli I’ve seen looks more like a rice pilaf dish. That’s the look I decided to go for with my version of tabouli.

I was first introduced to tabouli back in college. One of my friends had lived in the Middle East with her family as a teenager. She introduced me to both tabouli and hummus. I love good hummus. (It’s a great staple for those of us who are gluten free, and is widely available now.) But, tabouli was, uh, interesting, to me. I decided it was okay, but it was not something I wanted to eat often or in large amounts. Maybe my body was speaking to me (“no bulgur wheat—bad!”) or maybe it was just the mint factor. Actually, I prefer my mint in ice cream …you know, that kind with the chocolate chips. I’ve tried mint in tea (hot and cold) and dishes, but it’s just not my thing, and, honestly, it’s not something I’m going to work on changing. (But, there are other items on my “learn to eat” list as you all know.)

What could I substitute for the mint to get a similar effect with my tabouli? Well, in last week’s shopping trip, I picked up some cilantro to make Melissa’s Spicy Squash Salad. (I had planned to make Melissa’s wonderful salad for our support group meeting, but, alas, I ran out of time before the meeting. So, the butternut squash remains on the counter, as well as the Fuji apples … hopefully, I’ll make the salad this weekend—once I’m done helping my son with his apartment move.) So, I decided to use cilantro in place of the mint. I enjoy dishes with cilantro—when just the right amount is used; otherwise, I find it overpowering. But, used properly, cilantro adds a very nice freshness with its citrus-like taste.

We were having tacos last night, so after I cooked the quinoa I added most of the ingredients I had prepared for the tacos: red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, and sweet onion. I skipped the lettuce (Iceberg … hubby’s thing), mushrooms, and cheddar cheese, but I had some broccoli I’d lightly steamed, so I added some of that as well. Of course, garlic was a requirement; I added a clove of garlic (maybe more), minced. I wanted to add some chopped cucumber, but my cucumber was well past its prime … next time on the cucumber.

Quinoa Tabouli
(Click here for a print version of this recipe.)

2 – 3 cups cooked quinoa (I used one cup of the uncooked Ancient Harvest quinoa and prepared it per package instructions; I’m not sure how much it made exactly)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup yellow pepper, chopped
¼ cup red pepper, chopped
¼ cup green pepper, chopped
1 medium-sized sweet onion, diced
1 cucumber, chopped
some broccoli (either raw or steamed will work)
1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
seasonings (optional, and of your choice—I didn’t add any) Update: I did add some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sea salt the next day when serving this tabouli cold.
dressing (optional, and of our choice)

These amounts are approximates. Often I add enough of an ingredient until the dish looks “right.” I like colorful and I wanted a taste of all of these ingredients in every bite. “Chopped” means coarsely chopped to me, whereas, “diced” means I went for a finer chopping. When making your own tabouli you can follow these guidelines, but really just add whatever you like and cut your ingredients as fine as you like them. There is no right or wrong way.

You can eat the tabouli while your quinoa is still hot, right after you’ve added the other ingredients, or you can eat it cold. (Some say that quinoa tastes better after you let it “rest.”) Because we were having tacos, I placed a little taco meat* in the taco shell and then filled it with the tabouli. This tabouli taco was unbelievably good. My usual tacos include cheddar cheese, but I didn’t miss that at all. I ate two tacos! But, they were probably the best and healthiest tacos I’ve ever eaten!

If you are using your quinoa tabouli as more of a cold salad, you can opt for a dressing of some type. It doesn’t have to be anything hard to make—perhaps a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings; or just squeeze some fresh lemon juice or drizzle a little olive oil over your tabouli. My friends, Pete and Kelli, of No Gluten, No Problem shared the basics on a quinoa salad they first enjoyed in Bolivia with another classic, easy dressing. Again, very simple, but delicious—and, naturally gluten free. If you’ve never had quinoa before, give it a try in this tabouli dish. I think you’ll love it! If you’re already a big quinoa and tabouli fan, please share your favorite way to prepare it.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

*We use ground venison and the recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook for seasoning … no packaged mixes required with their additives and preservatives.

Celiac Guest Post and Crockpot Jambalaya

Update: This post is linked to What can I eat that’s gluten free? and Crockpot Wednesday.

A few weeks ago, I shared my delight with you all at receiving my first two blog awards. Today, I am tickled to share that the lovely Anali invited me to write a guest post on celiac for her terrific blog, Anali’s First Amendment. It’s up now—you can check it out here. It was a challenging assignment and I could have written a lot more, but you all know me, isn’t that always the case? LOL As those of us in the gluten-free community know though, celiac is a serious subject. It doesn’t quite fit into “the box” as neatly as we’d all like, and it’s a topic that merits thorough discussions. At least 3 million people have celiac disease and about 97% of them remain undiagnosed. Please read the post and share it with anyone who may find it helpful. Thanks so much, and my sincere thanks to Anali for giving me the opportunity to reach more readers who may be impacted by celiac disease in some way.

Now … jambalaya. Jambalaya, jambalaya. Don’t you just love saying that word? I know I do. That particular combination of consonants and vowels with the emphasis on the third syllable is just right. Say the word and immediately, you’re not only thinking of the fabulous dish with all its flavors, but also the heat and smells of bayou country and hearing the sweet sounds of Zydeco music. If you’re lucky, you’ve actually listened to some great Zydeco music. My absolute favorite Zydeco musician is Terrance Simien. Terrance hails from Mallet, LA and was featured with the Mallet Playboys (his band at the time) in the movie, The Big Easy. For years, he used to play in our area every few months. We, and many of our friends, packed into a local nightclub—standing room only and a hot and sweaty experience, but it was entirely worth it. Zydeco music has an energy and sound all its own and Terrance is a sweetheart of a guy and an incredibly talented musician. Now, Terrance’s group is more aptly named The Zydeco Experience. If you haven’t already, you absolutely must hear him live one day. An intimate venue would be ideal because not only does their sound and passion come through better, but you might just luck out and get called up on stage to play the frottoir (think washboard-type instrument worn like body armor—don’t worry … no domestic duties required). By the way, Terrance and his band won a Grammy for best Zydeco or Cajun music album last year–very well deserved. Jambalaya. Both the word and the dish are just fun and, sometimes, even sexy—thinking of Terrance or perhaps Ellen Barkin (and The Big Easy, back in the day). But, I digress a bit.

Jambalaya … the dish itself is as great to eat as the word is fun to say. Wikipedia says that jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish—“the New World Version of the Old World dish, paella.” Creole cooking is known to blend various influences, such as French, Mediterranean, Spanish, African, and American. Sometimes jambalaya is called Cajun, and while it seems there were once major differences between Creole and Cajun cooking, now the labels are used fairly synonymously for dishes. I was surprised to learn there are three versions of jambalaya—red, brown, and white.

I visited my wonderful and beautiful friend, Linda, last spring. She doesn’t live in Louisiana, but close enough. She lives in Fairhope, Alabama, on Mobile Bay. She relocated there from my neighborhood and has absolutely loved the vitality and beauty of Fairhope. It has a thriving arts community with warm, friendly people. In addition, it’s incredibly charming and picturesque, often being featured in Southern Living magazine. Linda picked me up at the airport and then drove us around the area briefly showing me some of the highlights of her every day life. When we finally opened the door to her new home, a fabulous aroma greeted us. She looked at me, smiled, and said, “jambalaya, crockpot.” I do love that word … and the dish.

Linda, who is also gluten free, modified a recipe she’d found in Better Homes and Gardens. When I made it on my own once back at home, I adjusted it a bit more. The original recipe was naturally gluten free, so no modifications needed to be made in that regard. But, I often modify this dish to whatever I have on hand. The beauty of jambalaya is that it’s such a versatile dish. It readily adapts to different meats, seafood, and vegetables. You can even make a vegetarian version, if you like. This recipe calls for smoked sausage and shrimp, so I am submitting it for the Friday Foodie Fix to Diane of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang blog. As Diane mentioned in her post, she and I are both huge shrimp fans. I love how Diane writes up the nutritional merits of the special ingredient each week. I love my shrimp for the fabulous flavor, but thanks to Diane, now I feel more virtuous eating it!

Incidentally, another great point about shrimp is that shrimp dishes are often served gluten free easily (gfe!). Steamed shrimp (just be sure they are not steamed in beer—yes, it does happen) and shrimp Norfolk are two of favorite options for dining out. (Usually any Norfolk dish is just seafood that has been broiled in butter with safe seasonings, but always check on seasonings, and sometimes (but, rarely), bread crumbs are added.) Shrimp and Crab Norfolk was my meal when we dined at our favorite local waterfront restaurant on Mother’s Day. (By the way, my dessert was crème brulee— another gfe option when prepared safely … yum.)

My entire visit with Linda was a treat last year, but walking into the smell of jambalaya was the best possible welcome. I’ve made my version many times since. It’s now a favorite of my support group, too. And, because it’s another crockpot dish, it makes life just a bit simpler, and more economical. I heard today in a cost-saving segment on TV that you can operate your crockpot for 8 hours for 10 cents! Impressive savings, huh? The part I like just as much though is the negligible heat in the kitchen. That pesky air conditioner had to be run for a while today, and I just don’t like it. Crockpot meals (and grilling, of course) can help tremendously by not adding to the heat this time of year.

We are headed to our mountain property in the morning–our favorite retreat, with less heat and humidity. Hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Let’s remember those we’ve lost in service to our country and spend special time with our family and friends—always the best way to spend any holiday, I think.

Jambalaya … what do you like to add in your version?

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Crockpot Jambalaya

Part 1

1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped (1 cup)
8 oz smoked sausage, sliced (I used Hillshire Farms)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice, not drained (or one 14-oz can diced tomatoes and one 14-oz can of V-8—for extra zestiness)
2/3 cup wine (any kind) or chicken broth
6 cloves garlic, chopped (or equivalent minced)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional, or dried, 2 tsp)

Part 2

1 cup uncooked Minute brown rice (or 1 ½ cups cooked full-grain brown rice) (Note: Quinoa should work as a substitution. I”ll report back when I, or one of my readers, have tried it.)
1 lb peeled, deveined raw or cooked medium-sized or larger shrimp

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT shrimp, parsley, and rice in a 3 1/2-qt or larger crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours until vegetables are tender. The mixture will still look a bit soupy, but will thicken once you complete the next step.

2. Stir in rice; cover and cook 15 minutes or until done.  Then stir in parsley and shrimp (uncooked shrimp will cook in about 5 minutes).

Adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe.

Shirley’s Additional Notes: While Minute rice clearly doesn’t have the nutritional value of cooked full-grain brown rice, I still have issues with some whole grain products, so it works better for me. If I will be cooking the jambalaya while I am at work and will be gone longer than 8 hours, I prepare everything in the crock pot the night before, so I don’t have to rush in the morning (and so it is not overcooked by the time I get home from work). The cold ingredients guarantee a slower start. I follow this approach even with my crockpot that switches from cooking to warming to avoid overcooking. When I am making this dish for a crowd, I cut the sausage slices in half and cut the shrmp into smaller pieces to ensure that they get distributed properly in all servings. If you’d like a bread to accompany your jambalaya, either gfe cornbread or popovers work well.

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