Healthy Jambalaya Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is jambalaya good for you? ›

It's loaded with protein, veggies and complex carbs for a balanced dinner. This recipe makes a lot so you can enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week. It's gluten free and dairy free! This healthy jambalaya is infused with bold Cajun flavor with minimal effort.

Jambalaya With Meat And Rice, Chicken And Sausage Jambalaya (1 cup) contains 22.7g total carbs, 21.4g net carbs, 21.2g fat, 26.1g protein, and 393 calories.

Let's take a look at the Jambalaya. For example, we've got fish, sausage, shrimp, and veggies, with rice as the main carbohydrate. The good news? The veggies are negligible in terms of their impact on blood sugar levels, and the veggies won't contribute any carbs to speak of.

Two main categories of jambalaya exist: Creole (or red) jambalaya, which is associated with the city of New Orleans and contains tomato, and Cajun (or brown) jambalaya, which contains no tomato and is more common in other parts of Louisiana.

There are two types of jambalaya: Cajun and Creole. Cajun jambalaya originates from the bayous of Louisiana, featuring andouille sausage and various veggies. Creole jambalaya incorporates tomatoes and shrimp, using influences from Spain, France, and African locals.

The History of Jambalaya

Jambalaya has influences of Spanish, French, African, Native American and Caribbean cooking styles and produce. Perhaps the most obvious of these is Spanish, due to the dish's similarity to paella, which was brought to New Orleans by foreign explorers.

Add in the uncooked rice, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, Cajun/Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne and bay leaf. Give everything a good stir. Cover and cook. Then cook for 25-30 minutes, being sure to stir the mixture every 5 minutes or so (to prevent burning) until the rice is nearly tender.

Jambalaya quickly becomes a complete meal with enough cornbread.

Jambalaya is a rice dish

This thick rice stew is a distant relative of Spanish paella, but made with local ingredients.

Creole cooks traditionally make a 'red jambalaya' using tomatoes, whereas Cajun cooks do not. Another difference is the order in which the ingredients are prepared.

Is buffalo sauce OK for diabetics? ›

Buffalo sauce typically contains minimal carbohydrates, but if you're dealing with something sweet like a barbecue sauce, you'll need to factor in those carbs. In this particular case, if you're only focusing on the wings, you're probably in the clear.

Best tortillas for diabetes:

What is important for diabetes management is to choose a tortilla that's a good source of fiber. This includes classic corn tortillas and whole wheat tortillas.

The Holy Trinity is the Cajun and Creole counterpart to this trio, consisting of onion, celery, and rather than carrot, green bell peppers. Just like mirepoix, the Holy Trinity is one of the first things to hit the pan, acting as an aromatic base for dishes like Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Crawfish Étouffée.

A cajun jambalaya, I'm reliably informed, should be somewhat dry, even slightly browned on the bottom, which rules out the soupier, wetter texture of those creole versions using tomatoes (Oliver advises cooks to aim for a “porridgey” consistency).

Real gumbo can be high in fat because the roux is made with equal parts fat and flour as well as sausage, which can also be high in fat. Jambalaya can be healthier than gumbo, especially if it's seafood and chicken or you use a lower-fat smoked sausage in the recipe.

Jambalaya is quintessential Louisiana comfort food. A melding of flavors and cultures all in one pot.

The favorite choice for the term "Jambalaya" is 1 cup of Jambalaya with Meat and Rice which has about 100 mg of cholesterol.

And it's that jumbled concoction of ingredients that truly keeps on giving. Nothing against jambalaya eaten on its own — I do it all the time. But putting even the simplest side on the table really rounds the meal.