Cajun Jambalaya
3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (from 1 cup raw rice)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces, all visible fat discarded)
3 teaspoons sodium-free Cajun spice blend
1 (14.4-ounce) package frozen stir-fry onions and peppers, thawed OR 1 3/4 cups fresh onions and peppers
1 can no-salt-added, diced tomatoes OR 1 3/4 cups fresh diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/3 cup scallions
Make brown rice according to package directions or, alternatively, use the packaged cooked rice and skip this step.
Add canola oil into a Dutch oven and warm over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and 1 teaspoon Cajun spice/ chili powder. Stir constantly until chicken is mostly cooked, around 5 minutes.
Add thawed onions and peppers, along with diced tomatoes, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and let mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat so mixture is at a simmer and let simmer about 5 minutes.
Increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Add shrimp and, stirring constantly, cook until shrimp turn pink and are fully-cooked, about 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of shrimp. Stir in the cooked rice and cook until rice is heated, just 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with scallions and serve.