{ New Orleans Eat Local Challenge: Low Carb Jambalaya Skewers }

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Eat Local Challenge crawfish n crunches jambalaya skewers
 { New Orleans Eat Local Challenge: Low Carb Jambalaya Skewers }
 If you are doing the New Orleans Eat Local Challenge, you don’t want to get burnt out eating salads or feel limited in your diet. Just get creative on the grill. This healthy summer recipe will help you power through June and become a true locavore. Now, we all know
jambalaya is rice based, so feel free to serve it with some Supreme Brown Rice from Crowley, La.
Here is what you will need for 4, but feel free to half it for 2 or have delicious leftovers:
  • Salt  – E.L.C. starter bags.
  • 1/2 lb chicken sausage (or regular sausage)- Cleaver and Co.
  • 1/2 lb chicken breasts, trimmed of fat – Cleaver and Co. Farmers Markets, Food Coop, Good Eggs
  • 1 bell pepper – Farmer’s markets*
  • 1/2 red onion – Farmer’s markets
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes – Farmer’s markets
  • 1 cup celery – Farmer’s Markets
  • 1T Creole or cajun seasoning to taste (low sodium options available) OR make your own: 1 T  garlic powder, 1 T onion powder, 1/4 t red pepper –  Good Eggs Food Coop, Maypop Herbs, Hollygrove.
  • 1/2 C pecan oil – Farmers Markets, Food Coop. Good Eggs, Hollygrove, Rouses.
  • 1 T oregano – Farmers Markets, Food Coop. Good Eggs, Hollygrove, Rouses.
  • 3 T garlic – minced – Farmers Markts, Food Coop. Good Eggs, Hollygrove, Rouses.
  • 1 T parsley – Farmers Markts, Food Coop. Good Eggs, Hollygrove, Rouses.

*hollygrovemarket.com, nolafood.coop, crescentcityfarmersmarket.org, goodeggs.com/nola germancoastfarmersmarket.org,

1) Chop your chicken breasts in large chunks. You want to make these abnormally large so they don’t dry out on the grill. They will cook much faster than the sausage. Chop your sausage in thin slices. They will cook slower on the grill.
2) Chop the rest of your ingredients in bitesize pieces.
3) Marinate your chicken for 6-8 hours in pecan oil , 1 T salt, your own creole seasoning, or locally made version, and parsley, oregano, minced garlic
4) After marinating, skewer your meat and veggies. Be careful not to overcrowd them so that they cook evenly.
5) Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Once the grill is hot, scrape grates with a wire brush to clean. With a towel, rub olive oil up and down your grill grates. This is so your food doesn’t stick, so be generous.
6) Place your skewers horizontally over grill grates. Cook for 5-8 minutes covered. Then rotate and cook 5-8 minutes more. You want to see crispy edges, but not dry out the meats.
7) Remove from grill. Can cover with tin foil to keep warm.
jambalaya skewers 2 crawfish and crunches

About the Blogger:

Shannon Gagnon is the recipe developer, food stylist and food photographer behind Crawfish & Crunches. She is known for turning delicious southern staples into slightly healthier versions that can be enjoyed all week long.  On her blog you can find just what the tagline says, “Realistic recipes, rich southern culture, and health conscious habits.” For the long version about how the site was born, read more.

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