Good and Cheap Jambalaya

Well, we finally made it to Seattle! After a 4 month layover in Yankton, SD, and a harrowing drive through the mountains of Idaho, we arrived. We have a 3-month sublet near the University, and are going to use these 3 months to get settled and hopefully find jobs.

But because we don't have jobs yet, we are trying to live and eat on a budget. As such, we have been trying to be very careful about our meal planning and grocery shopping. We have also found a great resource for cheap recipes called "Good and Cheap". It is an online cookbook developed for folks who are living on a budget of $4 a day for food. This recipe comes from it, and probably many more that I post in the future will too (at least until I get a job!).

Speaking of this recipe, I loved it. I used homemade chicken stock that included a jalapeño, so it had a good kick to it. I also added some leftover roasted chicken from the night before to make it a little bit more hardy. But this recipe really works; it has that great cajun flavor I crave!

Vegetable Jambalaya

Courtesy of Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped 3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp paprika
1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
3 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
leftover meat, tofu, or beans 
1⁄2 small green chili, finely chopped 2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper 1⁄2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
3⁄4 cup long grain rice
(I also used Tony Chachere's for that New Orleans flavor)

Directions
Start with the oil in a large high-sided saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and celery, then cook for about 5 minutes, until they become translucent but not brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients except for the rice and broth. Let everything cook for about 1 minute to let some of the tomato juice release.
Add the rice and slowly pour in the broth. Reduce the heat to medium and let the dish cook until the rice absorbs all the liquid. It should take about 20 to 25 minutes.
If you’re using any of the additions, throw them in at about the 15-minute mark to let them warm up.