Spring?

As I look out my sliding glass doors I see an abyss of white.  However, when you look out of our bedroom window at the street below you can actually see pavement!  What a promising sight that is!!  I am ready for winter to be over!  I am not a winter, snow, ice, or cold person, I like the heat and sun!  Yes I do realize I live in the wrong state for the weather that I prefer, but I can't seem to get my family to move out of this frozen *&%$.  So until my youngest graduates from high school this is where we are.  Which is going to mean LOTS of vacations for mommy!  :)  I must say the snow is melting rather nicely though.  Hopefully it continues and there are no more snow showers in the future.  (Here's to hoping.)

A couple of years ago I came across Rocco Dispirito's cookbooks at Costco.  I LOVE his cookbooks!  It's amazing the fat and calories he cuts from regular recipes with simple modifications.  The other night I made the Jambalaya and it was DELISH!  For those of you who have not seen his cookbooks, I suggest you find one!

Jambalaya
4 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper (I used yellow, didn't have green)
1 c. low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
3/4 c long grain brown rice
salt
4 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat.  When the pot is hot, spray it with cooking spray and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper.  Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they are almost tender, about 4 minutes.  Then add the chicken broth, smoked paprika, and rice.  Season to taste with salt.  Cover and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 25 minutes.  Stir in the sausage and tomatoes.  Cover, and continue to simmer until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.  Season the shrimp with salt, and stir it into the rice mixture.  Cover, and continue to cook until the shrimp is cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat, and let the jambalaya rest for 5 minutes.  Then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Fat before: 34g
Fat after: 10.1g
Calories before: 636
Calories after: 340

*Recipe courtesy of "Now eat This" by Rocco Dispirito

Enjoy the recipe!  We all did (with the exception of removing the shrimp from Little Man's bowl...but that just meant more for me, right?) :)