I made Blue Apron's version of Farro Jambalaya...
which was unlike any jambalaya I ever had. It was tasty but I did make a few modifications based on tips from other cooks. I used chicken broth instead of water. I added chicken andouille sausage and a tiny bit of chicken. I cooked the farro ahead because I didn't have the pearled kind and knew their cooking time wouldn't be enough. Same for dried kidney beans I already had in the pantry. And I added more seasoning. I discovered I had a really nasty can of cajun seasoning which contained msg, corn syrup and some other icky sounding stuff so I did NOT use it and I threw it out. Not sure why I had that in the first place. The cooks said it makes more like 4 to 6 servings and I agree, even though the recipe says 2.
Also, the store did not have okra. WHAT KIND OF STORE DOES NOT HAVE OKRA???!! Blamed it on a computer glitch when ordering last week, blah blah blah so I used zucchini instead.
All in all, it turned out great. Made my own cornbread on the side.
You can decide if it's authentic or not. You can view it in their cookbook on their website if you want to see pictures of the steps.
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Farro Jambalaya with Crispy Maitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
At the heart of many cuisines is a set of aromatics—fragrant vegetables that form the base of a dish’s flavor profile. In French cooking, it’s mirepoix (carrot, onion and celery). Similarly, in the Creole tradition of the Southern U.S., it’s bell pepper, onion and celery, collectively referred to as the “holy trinity.” We’re sticking with tradition here and using these aromatics, along with okra (which acts as a natural thickener), to create a hearty, authentic vegetable jambalaya.
Ingredients
¾ Cup Pearled Farro
1 15-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Can Red Kidney Beans
3 Ounces Maitake Mushrooms
3 Ounces Okra
2 Ounces Multicolored Heirloom Carrots
2 Scallions
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Stalk Celery
1 Yellow Onion
Knick Knacks
1 Mini Bottle Tabasco Hot Sauce
1 Tablespoon Blue Apron Cajun Spice Blend
(Smoked Paprika, Ground Mustard, Onion Powder, Garlic
Powder, Dried Oregano, Dried Thyme & Cayenne Pepper)
Makes 2 Servings
About 595 Calories Per Serving
Cooking Time: 25 to 35 minutes
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut the mushrooms into large pieces. Medium dice the celery. Cut off and discard the okra stems; cut the okra into ½-inch rounds. Slice the carrots into ½-inch rounds. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice the the scallions on an angle, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Remove and discard the stem, ribs and seeds of the bell pepper; medium dice the bell pepper. Peel and medium dice the onion. Drain and rinse the beans.
In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots, white bottoms of the scallions, bell pepper, celery, onion and as much of the spice blend as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly softened.
Add the farro to the pot of aromatics; cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted and fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes, beans and 4 cups of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, 16 to 18 minutes, or until the farro is tender.
While the farro and beans cook, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.
Add the okra to the pot of farro, beans and vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until thickened and slightly reduced in volume. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the jambalaya between 2 bowls. Top with the crispy mushrooms and green tops of the scallions. Serve with as much of the Tabasco hot sauce as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Enjoy!
= new reply since forum marked as read
of the tips suggested it. I did use the mushrooms but I think they only added them because they didn't include meat. I probably could have left them off since I added meat but they were pretty tasty just fried up. 