Jambalaya "Zing Zang"

Lea and Perrin's Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix has grown to be my secret weapon in the kitchen.  This product has a million uses and I guarantee it will get you out of culinary trouble if you are in a time crunch.  That's how this recipe was originally conceived.  While at work we had found out that we had a pick-up for a pan of jambalaya.  We had no idea.  I scrambled to the back line and through all of the ingredients into a 2 inch hotel pan except I did not have time to cook down the vegetable and tomato sauce as I would have normally.  I poured a whole bottle of Zing Zang into the mix, covered it, and threw it in the oven.  Minutes later when I tasted the final product i was dumbfounded.  All of the flavors of the vegetable and tomato were jumping out, the color was perfect, and the spicy aroma filled the kitchen.  i have many jambalaya recipes I use, but this is one of my favorites.

As always, I try to respond to you guys requests for recipes as soon as i can.  This is in response to one of  our Everyday Gumbo readers who had asked me for a jambalaya recipe with tomatoes.  She has been one of my biggest supporters and promoters since almost the beginning.  This recipe is being written on the day that Everything Gumbo has reached 1000 hits.  So I dedicate this recipe, this milestone, and this day to my friend from the Gulf Coast...GG!

JAMBALAYA ZING ZANG

PREPARATION

2 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL

1 LB CHICKEN BREAST - DICED

1 LB SMOKED SAUSAGE - DICED

1 CUP TRINITY (EQUAL PARTS ONION, BELL PEPPER, CELERY) - SMALL DICE

1/2 TSP SALT

1/2 CUP FRESH CREOLE TOMATOES - SMALL DICE

1 TSP CREOLE SEASONING

1 TSP GRANULATED ONION

1 TSP GRANULATED GARLIC

1 TSP PAPRIKA

3 EA BAY LEAVES

1/2 TSP DRIED THYME LEAVES

1/2 TSP GUMBO FILE'

1 QUART RICE

1 CUP LEA AND PERRIN'S ZING ZANG BLOODY MARY MIX

2 1/2 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH

1 LB SHRIMP - 21/25 RAW

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
• SPRAY DUTCH OVEN WITH COOKING SPRAY
• HEAT OIL IN DUTCH OVEN OVER MEDIUM HEAT 1-2 MINUTES UNTIL HOT
• ADD CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE
• BROWN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE BY COOKING OVER MEDIUM HEAT FOR APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MINUTES
• ADD TRINITY AND SALT THEN SAUTE 3 MINUTES UNTIL ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT
• ADD TOMATOES AND COOK FOR ADDITIONAL 1 MINUTE ONLY TO SWEAT
• ADD ALL DRIED SEASONINGS AND STIR WELL MAKING SURE THAT ALL INGREDIENTS ARE WELL INCORPORATED
• ADD RICE AND COOK FOR ANOTHER 2 MINUTES STIRRING WELL SO THAT THE RICE IS WELL COATED
• ADD BLOODY MARY MIX AND CHICKEN BROTH MAKING SURE THAT YOU SCRAPE THE BOTTOM TO RELEASE ANY STUCK PARTICLES AND THAT EVERYTHING IS WELL BLENDED
• BRING MIXTURE TO BOIL
• ONCE BOILING , STIR IN SHRIMP,  COVER AND PLACE DUTCH OVEN ON MIDDLE RACK IN THE PREHEATED OVEN AND COOK FOR 20 MINUTES
• REMOVE FROM OVEN AND STIR WELL
• TEST RICE TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO CRUNCH AND THAT ALL OF THE LIQUID HAS BEEN ABSORBED
• LEAVE LID OFF OF POT AND STIR EVERY COUPLE OF MINUTES SO THAT THE RICE WON'T OVERCOOK IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO EAT RIGHT AWAY.
• NOTE - IF THERE IS A LITTLE CRUNCH OR LIQUID LEFT IN THE POT, DO NOT PUT BACK IN OVEN, SIMPLY COVER WITH LID AND LET SIT AN ADDITIONAL 10-15 MINUTES.  A LOT OF TIMES I UNDERCOOK THE RICE AND LET IT FINISH OUT OF THE OVEN LIKE THIS SO THAT IT DOES NOT GET TOO MUSHY.

PREP TIME - 45 MINUTES

YIELDS - 2 QUARTS