Simple Jambalaya

1/2 lb of frozen chicken breast (1 breast), cubed

paprika

olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 chopped rib of celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb andouille

1 can of peeled whole tomatoes diced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup long-grain rice

2/3 teaspoons thyme

salt

pepper

red pepper

hot sauce

Serves: 3

Preparation:
Defrost chicken and pat dry; rub with paprika, salt, and pepper. Use a large skillet or saute pan brown chicken with olive oil then set aside. Saute the onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper. Once the onion starts to become translucent, add the tomatoes, chicken broth, rice, and thyme. Also add salt, pepper, red pepper and hot sauce to taste. Bring the entire thing to a boil then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. The rice should soak up a majority of the liquids as it cooks.

Outcome:
I have to say, my first go at Jambalaya turned out pretty well. The strong smokey flavor of the andouille played well with the tomatoes and onions. The green peppers would have definitely completed things but I will have to save that for next time. I also would have liked to add some shrimp to round things out. In my search for a starting recipe, I came across the very serious and tasty looking version of Jambalaya at http://www.gumbopages.com/food/jambalaya.html. When I have some additional preparation time, I will have to give this a go.