This tasty dish is adapted from an original found on Eating Well.
This recipe will most likely need your own personal touches to give you the depth of flavor and heat level you desire. My version is adapted just a tad from the original in that regard, but as Chef Jacques Pepin preaches: Never be afraid to make any given dish your own!
Right off the bat you know I no longer use white or even brown rice. Yes, brown rice is still in the low GI range at 50, but I'd much rather use my beloved barley with a GI of 35. For most heat infused dishes that call for crushed red pepper I tend to use Aleppo pepper instead as I've found it to be amazingly well-rounded in its flavor profile as opposed to the BAM!!! effect crushed red tends to deliver.
Regarding bell peppers... I almost always opt for the riper colors of orange or red because of family health needs. Nothing wrong with green if your stomach tolerates them. :-) In a nutshell... have fun with this dish... Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 oz Andouille sausage - chopped (try a smoked turkey sausage if red meats are an issue)
- 5-6 cups chopped fresh collard greens - stems/ribs removed
- 1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper - I prefer easier-on-stomach red or orange
- 2 stalks celery - thinly sliced (~1 cup)
- 1 lge yellow onion - chopped
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in puree - undrained
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme - crushed
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper - I prefer Aleppo for a more rounded heat profile and use 2 tsp
- 8 oz raw frozen peeled and deveined large shrimp - thawed - tail off
- 2 cups hot cooked brown rice - I prefer barley for a lower glycemic index
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Empty canned tomatoes into a bowl, cut up and gently mash with a potato masher.
Combine chicken, sausage, collard greens, bell pepper,
celery, and onion in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper and crushed red or Aleppo pepper.
Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 2 1/2
to 3 hours.
If using low setting, turn to High. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook for 30 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque.
Serve over hot rice or barley. Sprinkle with parsley.
Blessed be... and happy cooking!