Getting started - Jambalaya

I have always been a curvy woman, and one that loves food. After the birth of my daughter I was looking for a place to compile my recipes and thoughts about motherhood and nutrition /weightloss. I realized that I was sharing the same posts in a few different groups I was (am) a part of, and realized it would be easier to write in a blog and share with those who want to read it. So here it goes... 

I have decided recently to follow weight watchers Simply Filling technique. Although it is a bit more complicated, a simple explanation is eating healthy food (from the "Power Foods" list) until satisfied, while getting in the weight watchers healthy guidelines. Read more about it here. This week I will be sharing what I have gathered for recipes, and will do my best to link you to any original recipes I have modified. 

I had gone out for supper the previous week with some good friends to a new restaurant in Saskatoon called Bon Temps. I ordered the jambalaya and it was fabulous. As I was reminiscing about how good it was on our way home, I realized it would be fairly easy to make this into a simply filling meal! I searched until I found a recipe that had items I pretty much had on hand. Here is the original recipe I worked off of : slow-cooker-jambalaya

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1-3 cups bell pepper (I had some to use up, so I had closer to 3 cups. Also, I like red/orange/yellow more than green, but any combination would work!)
3- 4 cups tomato sauce (1 large and one regular no name brand cans)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp each or oregano, dried parsley, Cajun seasoning
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb frozen shrimp, tails removed
Salt and cornstarch (optional)

Instructions:
Sauté chicken until browned, then add vegetables and cook until tender. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, and spices. Simmer on low for a few hours, stirring once in a while (my slow cooker was dirty, otherwise I would have used that!). Near the end, add shrimp. I also used a tsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce a little, but tomato paste would also work. Salt to taste.

Pictured, I served over brown rice, but whole wheat pasta would also be tasty! My recipe made 10 cups at 3 pp each, or free on simply filling.