Recipes for rainy days

As we all know, Houston’s weather can sometimes put a damper on plans. Especially at this time of year where mornings are cold, afternoons are hot, and it seems to rain every other day. When the forecast calls for a downpour, my go to plan is to invite some friends over, open a bottle of wine and make a pot of homemade jambalaya.

Grabbing my Lulu Lemon raincoat and putting on my Kelly-green hunter rain booties (I love those little shorties), I quickly trek over to HEB to pick up the key ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast
• ¾ pound of smoked sausage of your choice
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
• Celery (chopped)
• Garlic (minced)
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 1 (14-ounce) can of stewed tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) can or paper container chicken broth
• Tony Chachere Creole seasoning
• Green onion or scallions for garnish
• 2 cups of brown rice
• Bottle of wine or two… (not for the Jambalaya, just always good to have in home)

When I get home, I uncork the wine, pour a nice glass, put on some music, and start the process of creating one of my favorite Southern comfort foods.

Here are the directions for my signature jambalaya:

First, season your chicken with Tony Chachere. Then sauté the chicken with olive oil in a pot until the chicken is lightly browned. Take the chicken out and set it aside.

Next, the  veggies. Chop up the vegetables to your liking. In the same pot from before, add more olive oil and begin adding in your veggies: green bell pepper, onions, celery, and garlic.

Now we’re going to combine this with our proteins, wet ingredients, and rice. It’s important not to guesstimate the rice measurements because the rice to liquid ratio can make or break a dish. Now add in the uncooked brown rice, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, chicken, sliced smoked sausage, a bay leaf and throw in a few dashes of Tony Chachere.

After mixing everything together, cover your pot and cook on the stove top for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to stir the mixture every 5 minutes. For garnish, I like to add green onion for some extra color and flavor. This jambalaya serves 4 and is best when hot and paired with cornbread!