Nat's Birthday Jambalaya

So, my friend has a birthday coming up this week and we decided to make this Sunday Night Dinner all about him!  He has requested jambalaya, so jambalaya it is.

I found a great recipe on epicurious.com by Anna Beth and Vince Chao from the March 2011 Bon Appétit .  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-and-Sausage-Jambalaya-364172.  It includes chicken and sausage but in order to make it my own,  I'm going to tweak it to and eliminate the ham and replace it with shrimp at the end, because I've personally never eaten jambalaya without shrimp.  We'll also add some garlic, bay leaf, and use smoked paprika and probably fresh jalapeno and maybe a little chipotle sauce.  I like the smoky element.  We are currently in the okra debate.  To add or not to add.  I say no (remember, okra scares me), but the boyfriend says yes.  I guess, whoever goes to the store will make the final call. 

Due to the fact that jambalaya is a meal in its own right, we don't really have to do much beyond the one pot.  However, I will buy some sourdough bread (didn't have time to use my sourdough starter this week) and we will make a salad of some sort.  Maybe a lightly dressed caesar or something.  As for an appetizer, I'm just setting out a cheese, fruit, and cracker plate this week.  Trying to keep it simple.  Because it's a special occassion, we've got about 16 adults coming, and a couple of kids, so work space will be tight.  Plus, another friend is coming that I haven't seen in a couple years, so I'd much rather spend the time catching up with him, than busy in the kitchen the whole time he's here.  

Jambalaya is a pretty easy dish to make, but I've never done it before and I'm excited to try it.  I love to eat it, so I'm sure it will turn out great.