Paula Deen's Jambalaya

Having lived in the south from age 9 to 22, I love some good southern cooking. As a result, a lot of Paula Deen's recipes appeal to me. But most of them aren't all that healthy. This one, however, wasn't that bad as written, and it was easy to improve its healthfulness -- I just had to be choosy about the brand of sausage I bought and substitute brown rice instead of white. I used short grain brown rice, since short-grain rice is typical of jambalaya, and Jennie-O smoked turkey kielbasa.

Paula Deen's Jambalaya

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

1 cup short grain brown rice
3 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I left this out)
1/4 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups water
15 oz can diced tomatoes (not drained)
8 oz can tomato sauce
8 oz Jennie-O Lean Turkey Kielbasa (rope style)
12 oz raw large shrimp, peeled & deveined

Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a dutch oven and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender. Add shrimp and cook 5-7 minutes more, until shrimp are cooked through. Makes 4 servings of about 1 1/2 cups each.