Healthy Jambalaya

One of the major carbohydrates we Filipino's often consume is rice. Its our most eaten carbohydrate and second to that we consume mostly bread and rarely we eat legumes or fruits as a primary source of energy. The sad thing about it is that we consume only white rice which is reduced of nutritional content because it is too polished to improve the taste. I have posted blog a month ago about the health benefits of brown rice and why should we eat it despite the fact that its more pricey and less palatable because of its texture.

Just recently I have experimented this recipe that I got from a Food Magazine. Its called a Jambalaya. My friend Don Don who likes to cook a lot approves to give it a try since he is the one who have a fondness for cooking. Although we thought it may not turn out as delicious as its white rice countepart version but nevertheless its more healthy.

The following is the recipe I have followed :

Healthy Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups of cooked ham
1 medium onion sliced and quartered
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers. Any color combinatin will do
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup Brown rice uncooked
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried leaf thyme
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 pound peeled, cleaned, and cooked shrimp

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in medium heat over a large deep skillet.

2. Put the ham and cook it till slightly brown, then saute in onions, bell pepper and garlic ; cook them till tender

3. Put the tomatoes and tomato paste, water, rice, bay leaf, salt, thyme and cayenne pepper. Stir to mix the ingredients well till its boiling. Then reduce from medium heat to low. Cover the skillet and simmer it for 30 minutes. Stirring the food from time to time.

4. Put the shrimp and mix it in. Simmer for a few more minutes to let the shrimp flavor to sink and enhance the flavor.

After cooking it. It the turns out delicious despite the husky texture of the brown rice. I would recommend this recipe to my friends who wants to maintain a healthy body. The good thing about jambalaya is it contains a lot of tomato which is a rich source of lycopene and the shrimp content makes it great because of its high selenium, zinc, and protein content. The lycopene, selenium, zinc, and protein makes its perfect enough to be a skin food and the rich vitamin B complex content of brown rice makes up for a healthy nervous system.


(recipe source : SL Agritech Corporation)