Jambalaya

When I'm trying to cook and eat healthy, I gravitate toward brown rice dishes. This dish is very hearty and filling.

The directions say to make this in the microwave. I personally have never made this in the microwave. I usually put the veggies and sausage in the oven til tender...approximately an hour at 350....add boiling water, lentils, etc...and then put it all back into the oven ...for another hour or so til rice is tender.

1 lb kielbasa or smoked sausage
1 tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 1/2 cups water
1 lb lentils, (rinsed and "checked over") :)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can tomato sauce (15 ounce)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Slice sausage 1/4 inch thick; place in a 4-quart round casserole with bell pepper, tomato, onion, celery and garlic. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Stirring midway through cooking, microwave on high 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Meanwhile bring water to a boil on a conventional range. To cooked sausage and vegetables, add lentils, rice, and boiling water; re-cover. Microwave on high 4 minutes, or until boiling. Microwave on 50% for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in tomato sauce, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Re-cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings. 1 serving - 387 calories and 6 g fat.