Jambalaya & Collard Greens

Tonight I went southern and it was SO delish - I forget about Jambalaya, but I spotted andouille sausage at the store the other day that reminded me I need to revisit this fave.

2 c (uncooked) brown rice - made in the rice cooker
Olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 bell peps - red & green, chopped
3 or 4 stalks of celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans chopped Italian style tomatoes
2 links andouille sausage
2 pre-cooked chicken breasts, chopped (I had some leftover from last night)
shrimp - toss in a couple handfuls of small, peeled & de-veined - I didn't measure
S & P
2 bay leaves
*Bev's Secret Cajun Seasoning Mix - since obviously no one but family members have this concoction, mix cayenne, salt & pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and a little basil & thyme. This isn't the exact mix (I don't even have the secret recipe!) but it's close.

Cook rice according to the rice-cooker directions. While it's cooking, saute onions, peppers, garlic, and meats in a large pot. When softened, add both cans of tomatoes with liquid, and seasonings. Bring to boil, turn down, simmer, and when rice is *almost* done cooking add it to the mix (with any liquid that may still be in the rice). Bring back to a boil to finish cooking the rice. Taste to test heat; if it's not hot enough, add more cayenne.

On the side, saute washed/chopped collard greens in a little butter, onion, and salt & pepper. Hot-damn! C'est la belle vie!

We had this with a nice cool Pinot Gris - just enough sweetness to offset the spiciness of the jambalaya. It would also be tasty with something sweeter, like a Giwurtz or a Reisling, especially if you make the jambalaya hotter with the additional cayenne.