Chicken Jambalaya

I recently reconnected with a former writing colleague of mine, who is an awesome cook. He would frequently let us enjoy samples of his tasty dishes at the office. This is modified from one of his recipes that I discovered in an email printout from 1993! It is easy and delicious. I recommend baking the chicken as instructed; however, if you are in a hurry, feel free to substitue a rotisserie chicken. I bought a cut-up bone-in chicken from Wallace Farms and baked it early in the morning so it was ready to use when I started preparing dinner. This recipe also calls for smoked sausage. Be sure to get a clean (i.e., no junk in it) one. I purchased Open Nature brand smoked andouille chicken sausage from Dominick's and it was delicious. This one's for you, Matty!

Serves 6.

Ingredients
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1 cut-up fryer chicken (split breasts, bone-in, or boneless--just the equivalent to one cut-up fryer)
1 pound nitrate-free, natural smoked sausage, slice diagonally into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices (I used chicken andouille.)
2 - 28-oz cans diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted.)
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil, olive oil, or bacon fat (I used bacon fat, yum!)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
ground cayenne pepper
hot sauce (I used Frank's Original Red Hot.)
1 head cauliflower, pulsed in a food processor until a rice-like consistency

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
3. Bake white meat for 30 minutes and dark meat for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Chicken does not have to be cooked through.
4. Cut chicken off the bones and dice into medium pieces. (Discard the bones.) Set aside.
5. In a 5- to 6-quart sauce pan, warm oil or fat. Add vegetables and saute over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until onion starts to become translucent.
6. Add tomatoes and smoked sausage. Cover and simmer over low to medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add spices to taste.
   NOTE: I added 1 tsp cayenne and a generous sprinkling of hot sauce and it was perfect for my taste--spicy but no 911.
7. Add chicken to the pot, cover, and simmer an additional 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
8. While chicken cooks, place cauliflower rice in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until cooked. (Time will vary depending on your microwave.) Keep warm.
9. To serve, place a generous scoop of cauliflower in each shallow bowl or dinner plate. Top with jambalaya. Add additional hot sauce, if desired.