Jumbalaya My Way

This recipe originated in an Emeril Lagasse book. I of course want to use all of the ingredients, so I tweaked it and made it my own. The result is an inexpensive, quick and easy recipe, perfect for a busy evening. At one time the whole family loved this. Now everyone, but Morgan will eat it.

Jumbalaya
2-3 links of andouille or spicy smoked sausage
1 stalk of celery
1 green pepper
1/2 of a medium onion
1 cup of rice
bay leaf (optional)
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper to taste (or use a Cajun seasoning mix)

Chop the first 4 ingredients. First in just a small amount of oil, cook the sausage in a pot at Medium-High heat. As it starts to lightly brown add the veggies. Cook all of it for another 5 minutes. Then add the rice, and stir it in so that it browns a bit, and be sure to scrape up any bits of sausage.

Add 2 cups of water, salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Add a very tiny amount of cayenne or a bit more of the Cajun seasoning. You can always add more later to make it spicier, or leave out the cayenne altogether and let the spiciness of the sausage flavor the rice. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, put a lid on the pot and in 20 minutes you have a fantastic meal!