Creole Ham, Sausage and Rice

This is a lovely one pot dinner for a cold winter’s night and it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.

Serves

Ingredients

4 Strips bacon (cooked until crisp and then crumbled)
2 Italian sweet sausages (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 1/2 cup cubed cooked ham (use ham steak or leftover ham)
2 onions (chopped, medium)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 red or green or yellow sweet pepper (chopped)
2 Stalks celery (chopped)
1 Tsp chili powder
1/4 Tsp ground cloves
1 14 oz (398 ml) tin unsalted diced tomatoes or fresh that have been peeled and chopped
1 1/2 Cups cooked rice - 3/4 cup uncooked (See Easy Steamed Rice recipe)
1 - 1/1/4 Cups water
freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1 Tsp dried parsley or 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley


Prepare 3/4 cup(uncooked) of rice using the Easy Steamed Rice Recipe

In large frying pan cook bacon over medium heat, turning until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.

In the same frying pan, saute the onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add the ham and sausage and fry over medium heat until the sausage is browning and the ham is heated through.

Add the minced celery, pepper, chili powder and ground cloves to the mixture. Stir thoroughly. Add the chopped tomatoes, water and steamed rice. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

On top of each serving, add some crumbled bacon and parsley.

Serves


Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil. Add the rice and stir it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Cook the rice in the boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain the rice into a strainer and then fill the bottom of the saucepan that you just used with about 2 - 3 inches of water. Place the strainer on the saucepan (ensure that the rice is not sitting in water. Cover the strainer and bring the water to a boil (steaming the rice). Cook for at least 20 minutes, but can continue to steam it until it is ready to be eaten. To increase the number of servings, just add more rice to the boiling water and follow the other steps.
Variation 1

I will often cook some onions and mushrooms in a small frying pan and add them to to the cooked rice before serving. Sometimes I just add a tablespoon of butter to the rice and stir it in.
Variation 2

If you would like to cook brown rice, increase the initial cook time in the water from 10 to 14 minutes and then steam it until it is tender.
Variation 3

Cook the rice in chicken, beef or vegetable broth instead of water for the first 10 minutes and then steam over water as described above.