Food Storage Jambalaya

I wanted to try something different today and use as much as I could from my food storage. So with the exception of some of the meats, everything else was from dried or canned. It's not that you can't get dried or canned meats, on the contrary, I have found some fairly good meats for my food storage. It's just that I don't currently have any freeze dried meats (I'll looking at getting some soon from a couple of sources) and my only selection of canned meats currently are tuna, chicken, salmon and one can of clams. So in true food storage fashion, I'll just have to make due.

And that is the true beauty of Jambalaya. A true Louisiana dish of rice, vegetables, stock and whatever meat could be found lying around. The dish gained popularity outside of the south during the Great Depression of the 1930's precisely due to its throw-everything-except-the-kitchen-sink-in simplicity. With this I'm planning to make a Key Lime Pie which should compliment this very well (see my other post later today if I have time to pick up some limes).

So here goes my food storage Jambalaya cooked in a crock pot:

Food Storage Jambalaya (sort of)

Serves 8

3 cups white rice

7 cups chicken stock

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp chili pepper or red chili pepper flakes

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp salt

2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste

3 sausages, sliced thin (andouille, chorzo, italian, or what ever you got).

2 (12.5 oz) cans of premium chunk chicken breast (or 2 lbs fresh chicken, diced)

1 (7 oz) can salmon

1 cup diced ham

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans (or 1 cup kidney beans that have soaked over night)

1 cup dehydrated diced green & red bell peppers

1 cup dehydrated celery

1 cup dried minced onions

In a crock pot combine rice, seasonings and dehydrated vegetables. In a medium sauce pan combine chicken stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, pour over the rice mixture and stir. On top, place the meats (anything raw should go near the edges), kidney beans and tomatoes (including liquid). Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Stir and enjoy.