Cooking for a family when one member is gluten free can be daunting. After unsuccessfully trying to maintain a gluten and gluten free cook space with no cross contamination, we decided to go all gluten free. That can be intimidating because you feel like you have to convert a ton of recipes to gluten free.
But many times you don’t! There are so many recipes out there that are naturally gluten free, and sometimes that is a great place to start when you or someone in your family is first diagnosed. You can make a recipe the way it’s supposed to be made, with all the same ingredients, more or less.
The following recipe for Chorizo and Chicken Jambalaya is one of those recipes. We have made it for years, and we were all so happy to be able to continue to make it “as is”. Enjoy!
Chorizo and Chicken Jambalaya
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 2 chopped bell peppers
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne (I use MUCH less than this. Tailor to
- your own preferences.)
- 1 pound chorizo (or andouille) smoked sausage, cut crosswise
- into ¼ inch slices. Wegmans makes their own great GF chorizo and andouille
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch
- cubes
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups medium-grain white rice
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup chopped scallions (optional)
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne (or less!).
- Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook,stirring often, for about 10-15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles.
- Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or less!). Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8-10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles.
- Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes to coat evenly.
- Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for
- 30-35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 2-3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.Stir in the scallions and serve.
Yield: 10-12 servings. Delicious served with a fresh green salador some nice roasted vegetables.
Doris Diehl is CEO of Diehl Enterprises. Her duties include executive chef, pastry chef, taxi driver, housekeeper, kisser of boo boos, popsicle distributor, counselor, and champion Uno player. She is also the Content Coordinator and writer for Allens Creek Living Magazine. She lives in Pittsford with her husband and three children.
