Cauliflower Jambalaya

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So I'm a Cajun.  I grew up in a small town southwest Louisiana which is the rice growing capital of the United States.  Traditional Cajun cuisine has rice every with almost every meal (rice in scrambled eggs is a thing).  We eat rice with gravy, rice in our dressing (better known as dirty rice), rice with gumbo, and lots of rice casseroles.

 But, I'm trying to pare down the carbohydrates in my diet without losing flavor.  This means getting creative with my ingredients and making substitutions.  The most obvious is finding a substitution for white rice.  One of my family's favorite dishes is jambalaya.  Jambalaya is dish with meat or seafood with rice and, of course, the Trinity--onions, bell pepper and celery.  

 So, here's what I've come up with--Cauliflower Rice Jambalaya.  Here's what you need to get started.  I find prepping ingredients in advance makes everything easier.  

As far as the cauliflower "rice" is concerned, you can buy it already chopped but it's more expensive and you're getting more of the stems.  You can also chop it in a food processor but that method tends to chop it too fine. So I chop it by hand into very small pieces.  I don't try to chop it to the size of rice grains.  A little bigger pieces hold up better to cooking.
 Next I chop up some smoked sausage.  For a lower calorie substitution, use smoked turkey or chicken sausage.  I like to chop a link into lengthwise quarters and then slice them.  This allows for more of the sausage in every bite and more surface area on the sausage to be browned and render fat.


Now it's time to preheat a skillet.  I love to use a cast iron skillet for this. I add a small swish of extra virgin olive oil but you could also add a tablespoon of coconut oil if you like.

Next add the sausage and brown on all sides.
After the sausage has browned, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery.
 After the vegetables have browned, add the cauliflower and the seasonings.  Add some chicken broth a little at a time.

 Once the cauliflower is tender, add the cooked chicken and taste for seasoning.

 I decided that it needed a little color so I added chopped parsley and chopped green onion at the end.
 You don't really want the parsley to cook so add it add the end of the cooking time.
 Now it's time to eat!

Cauliflower Jambalaya
Serves 4
Weight Watchers Smart Points: 4 per serving

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 link of smoked turkey sausage (1/2 pound) chopped in quarters
1/2 of a small head of cauliflower, chopped fine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup cooked and chopped chicken (both dark and white meat)
1/2 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 paprika
garnish:
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onion


  1. Heat a heavy skillet and add oil.  
  2. Add sausage and brown.  
  3. Add onion, celery and bell pepper and brown.
  4. Add cauliflower and seasoning.
  5. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring.
  6. When cauliflower is tender but not mushy, add chicken and stir to heat through.
  7. Add parsley and green onion and gently toss.
  8. Enjoy!
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Mary deSilva is a Universal Orlando expert, artist, chef, teacher, travel guide author, and vlogger.  

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