Eggplant Jambalaya Recipe 455

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine well the bread crumbs and the Parmesan. In a heavy saucepan combine the rice, 2 cups water, and salt to taste, bring the water to a boil, and cook the rice, covered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and with a melon-ball cutter scoop out the flesh, reserving 4 cups of it and leaving 1/4-inch shells. In a kettle of boiling salted water blanch the eggplant shells in batches for 4 minutes and drain them, inverted, on paper towels.
• In a large heavy skillet brown the sausage over moderate heat, stirring, and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Chop the reserved eggplant and in the fat remaining in the skillet cook it with the celery, the bell pepper, and the onions over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and scraping up the browns bits, until the mixture is golden. Add 1 cup water and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup more water and cook the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, or until the eggplant is very soft.
• In a large bowl combine the eggplant mixture, the sausage, the rice, the scallion greens, the parsley, the cayenne, and salt and black pepper to taste. Divide the mixture among the eggplant shells, arrange the eggplants in 2 shallow 15 1/2- by 10 1/2-baking pans, and add 1 cup water to each pan. Bake the eggplants, covered with foil, in a preheated 350°F. oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the eggplants with the bread crumb mixture and broil them in batches under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the topping is golden.

Steps:

• In a deep nonreactive saute' pan with a tight-fitting lid, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, bell pepper, celery, and the ham, if using, and saute stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very tender and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and cayenne and cook stirring,, just until the garlic releases its fragrance, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the green onions, the eggplant, tomatoes, stock and rice. Stir well and season with salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to low. Stir well, scraping the pan bottom to be sure nothing sticks. Cover tightly and cook, without stirring, for 20 minutes. Uncover and check to see if the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. If not, re-cover and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to let stand, still covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and stir lightly with a fork to fluff before serving. Garnish with the remaining green onions.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
• Add the onions, shallots, celery, bell peppers and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the eggplant, squash, and zucchini, and saute until they're tender, about other 5 minutes or so.
• Add the tomatoes.
• Season with salt, Creole seasoning, and additional cayenne, if desired.
• Add the bay leaves.
• Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Heat the tomato paste in a non-stick pan and stir, making sure it doesn't stick or burn, until the sugars in the paste begin to caramelize, and the paste begins to turn a deep mahogany color.
• Deglaze with some of the vegetable stock, stir and combine thoroughly.
• Add the tomato paste to the rest of the vegetable stock and stir until well-blended.
• Add the vegetable stock/tomato mixture to vegetables, stir and cover.
• Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
• Do not stir the jambalaya while it's cooking.
• Remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the green onions and mix thoroughly.
• Garnish with some fresh long chives, and serve with a salad and good beer.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a crockpot or large, deep saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sausage and saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sausage is lightly browned. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the crockpot. Add bell peppers, jalapeño, onion and garlic. Sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.
• Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, rice, Cajun seasoning, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes or so along the way so that the rice does not burn.
• Add the shrimp, ham, okra, and stir to combine. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink. Stir in the chicken and sausage, and remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Taste season the jambalaya with salt, pepper, and additional Cajun seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and serve warm.