Jambalaya with Creole Seasoning

adapted from A Hint of Honey and allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
3 bell peppers, diced (red, yellow, orange)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Andouille pork sausage. sliced (I used mild sweetened Italian turkey sausage )
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning blend (see recipe below)
1 cup long grain brown rice
1 cup water (or another cup of low-sodium chicken broth)
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine onions, garlic, peppers, celery, chicken broth, kidney beans, sausage, chicken, tomatoes, and creole seasoning in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2-3 hours (or on low for 5-6 hours) until the chicken is tender but cooked through.

2. Stir in the rice and water. Recover and continue cooking on high for about 1 hour (turn to high at this point if you were cooking on low), until the rice is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid.

3. Stir in the shrimp. Cover and cook several more minutes until the shrimp are opaque (no longer or they will become tough). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

(Would be equally tasty without shrimp--I only mixed shrimp into Nick's half)

Creole Seasoning Blend

Ingredients

2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
5 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. sea salt

Makes about 1/2 cup.