Bison Sausage Jambalaya

One night I wanted something healthy and different for dinner and remembered seeing a recipe for a sausage jambalaya online. I didn't have the cajun seasoning so I just looked up what goes into it and added the components into the sauce. I changed up a lot of the ingredients, and this is my take on a sausage jambalaya.

Cajun Seasoning
Recipe from http://www.canadianliving.com/food/cajun_seasoning.php

• Portion size 3/4 cup (175 mL)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) paprika
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) dried parsley
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) garlic powder
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) dried oregano
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) dried thyme
• 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cayenne pepper

Preparation In bowl, combine paprika, parsley, garlic oregano, thyme, salt and cayenne pepper. Spoon into decorative container. (Make-ahead: Store at room temperature in dark place for up to 1 month.)

The original recipe for the jambalaya I altered a fair bit as it needed a lot more seasoning than it had. I didn't have the traditional sausages used for this but I had some bison sausage that I got from Costco recently so I decided to use that. There were also some other ingredients I was missing that those of you who are familiar with this dish will notice.

Bison Sausage Jambalaya

1 package of 4 Bison Sausages, each cut in half lengthwise and sliced into smaller pieces.
1 Bell Pepper, small dice
1/2 large Red Onion, small dice
1 1/2 cups Brown Rice
4 cups Chicken Broth
4 cloves minced Garlic
1 can tomato paste

Seasonings:
1 tbsp cajun seasoning (see above)
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the sausage in a small amount of olive oil due to the lower fat content of bison. Once cooked, transfer the sausage to a plate and add the veggies and spices. Cook until veggies are soft and add the rice and tomato paste. Let cook for a minute longer then add the chicken broth. Once everything is mixed, add the sausage back in and cook on low until rice is cooked.

I have made this recipe again since this time using 3 stalks of celery, 1 dry chorizo sausage, and 3 extra bell peppers on top of what was already in this recipe.

The picture I got that night was an after thought, and isn't the best, but it is a picture.