Paleo Jambalaya

We love jambalaya, but more often than not it has a lot of undesirable ingredients and leaves us cursing ourselves for putting our stomach through the ringer.  What we really enjoy about a dish like jambalaya  are the flavors, so it's fairly easy to recreate a much lighter version of this spicy cajun dish.

If you have the butternut squash puree on hand this dish is a pretty quick weeknight meal - less than 20 minutes from chopping to gorging - and the precooked Andouille sausage is key.  You won't get the same flavor if you use kielbasa.  Depending on how spicy you like it, you can kick up the cayenne. 

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 small celery stalks, diced

Couple tbs of coconut oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

1 bunch of green onions, chopped (save some for garnish)

1 pack pre-cooked spicy Andouille sausage, chopped

1/2 can tomato paste

1 small butternut squash, roasted and pureed*

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

salt & pepper to taste

In a large cast iron skillet, saute onion, bell pepper, and celery in the coconut oil until they begin to soften.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add green onions, sausage, tomato paste, squash and all the spices.  Simmer over med/med-low until warm.  Add green onions to the top and serve. 

You can also serve it over some grated cauliflower if you want some 'rice'

*Cut squash in half longways and scoop out the seeds.  Place the flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven, or until you can easily pierce the side with a fork. Remove the meat and puree or just smash with the fork.