I checked the Jungle Shop, and of course it’s sold there (even in a pack of 12!) if not at the local grocery.

Stuff is good.  But more importantly – easy.  Dinner in a box.  What better?

Zatarain’s Jambalaya is the awesomeness of awesome.  theKid likes it.  Half likes it.  All my problems solved.  Except for the rest of them.  But hey, here’s dinner.

Saw a post somewhere about things discovered as an adult wished known as a child.

Feeding oneself.  Every single day.  Yes, there is that.  I mean … you don’t have to eat every single day, but it helps. 

What, again, is the Rule of Three?
               – three minutes without air
               – three hours without shade
               – three days without water
               – three weeks without food
               – three months without people

Well that’s comforting.  “
I’m sure I could go longer without people but not really sure I want to test the theory.  Onward, ho! (don’t call me that)

So, without further ado (always ado, so much ado) … Spicy, Meat-Flavored Rice!  Eat … THIS!

One box of Zatarain’s Jambalaya mix

Water, per instructions

½ cup?  One cup?  All cup onion (white or yellow works …. make a decision)

Garlic (one clove? Two clove? Three clove?  yesssss)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 meat links (the fam prefers Evergood hot link and/or/both garlic sausage … YTMV)

Pounds and pounds and pounds and pounds of shrimp, or just enough for everyone to get a nice portion … big prawns are better, but the fam will still likely fight over who picked ‘em all out and ate ‘em

½ cup butter

Kinder’s lemon butter garlic seasoning (also on the Jungle Shop)

Coarse sea salt (I like that kosher stuff but do you) and ground pepper

Chop the onions and garlic into small chunks

Do the same for the meat links

Clean and devein and unnerve (cut out that white, kinda slimy-snotty booger line running along what used to be the belly) the shrimp / prawns

Grab a good-sized (moreso large than medium) frying pan with lid (thrift store … here we come!)

Pour in the olive oil, heat to medium (kinda hot, mostly hot but not burning)

Add the chopped onions and garlic, coarse salt and pepper, fry it all up, constantly stirring to keep from sticking

Add meat chunks, stir some more until well incorporated

Add the Zatarain’s

Stir the rice mix, onions, garlic, and meat together really well then follow the directions on the box re amount of water to add … mix again after adding the water

Let it boil then cover and turn heat down to a simmer, about 20 minutes

While that’s cooking … in a medium-sized pan (saute works, other not-so-fancy works too, just make sure big enough) add the shrimp/prawns, butter, and Kinder’s lemon garlic butter seasoning (10 shakes?  20?  YTMV)

Heat to a low boil until the shrimp meat is opaque (great Scrabble word), give it a regular occasional stir
[question:  why does English use the same word for slaughtering large game for their horns and making eggs and fish so much delish? digress]

When the water is pretty much boiled off the Zatarain’s mix (see more rice than liquid) turn off the heat and mix in the shrimp/butter (take the lid off first), folding the buttery shrimp well into the mixture

Cover again, let it sit for about five minutes so all the flavors get to talking to each other.  Eat that.

You’re welcome.