Recipe Rut Solution #9

Oh my gosh! It's been over a year since I last did a recipe rut solution! Time flies when you're working, going to school, buying a house and moving.

But have no fear, blog readers (if there are any out there), I recently picked out five new recipes and bought the ingredients for them...so Recipe Rut solutions is back!

Last week I made a spin on jambalaya, complete with shrimp and sausage. It was really good for a chilly fall evening!

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• 1/2 lb. andouille sausage, diced or crumbled
  
• 3 T. butter
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium to large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresno or jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 T. thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 T. regular sweet paprika
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 lbs. medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Rice for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and drain on paper towels. Reserve.



2. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter to the pot. Stir in the green pepper, onion, garlic, chile pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 7 to 8 minutes.



3. Sprinkle in the paprika and stir, then add the flour and stir for 1 minute more.

4. Pour in the beer and cook for 2 minutes, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes to combine flavors.



Add the reserved sausage to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a low boil over medium heat, then stir in the shrimp. Cover and cook until the shrimp are pink and firm, about 3 to 5 minutes.



What I would do differently: Next time I might add a can of beans to the mix to thicken it. I might also leave out the hot pepper...it was a bit spicy for me!

Total Meal Cost: about $30.00. The shrimp were expensive!

Adam's Rating: 9 out of 10

Next Day Lunchability: Adam gave it two thumbs up the next day! I didn't take it to work because it is one of my biggest pet peeves when people bring seafood in and stink up the break room!