Finding a dish that is both comforting and health conscious is few and far between, but Ashla Fails stumbled across one worthy of not only enjoying herself but sharing with our readers for this month’s Dinner’s Ready recipe.
“This recipe is one of many I have received from my dear friend Celena. About three years ago, a few of my friends and I started holding each other accountable while on our ‘Get Healthier’ journey,” Ashla shared. “My issue was finding healthy recipes that taste great and are filling. Thanks to Celena, this recipe hit the spot. It’s a healthier take on jambalaya and tastes just as good!”
Ashla is the Client Care Coordinator for ACCEL Academy School District, the first tuition-free public charter school in Alabama. She is also the mother to Audyn, a very busy five-year-old.
After school, Audyn juggles dance and karate lessons. She enjoys animals, being outside, praise and worship at church, activities with her family, and daddy-daughter dates with her dad, Demetrius Fails.
“Audyn and I eat out mostly due to the time constraints of her busy schedule. When I do cook, I try to cook something that will last us a couple of meals,” said Ashla. “However, since my mother typically picks her up from school during the week, we usually all end up congregating at my brother and sister-in-law’s. While there, we usually have dinner before heading home to get ready for the next day.”
Gathering together and being rooted in family is very important to Ashla and Audyn. You can often find Audyn fixing all sorts of things right alongside her Uncle Steve, cooking with her Auntie Alice, or reading with her Gaga.
“Our special tradition seems regular to us, but we always try to have Sunday dinner as a family. It started after my grandmother passed away, and my aunt would have everyone over for dinner after church. Any family or friends nearby would come over, and we would eat and have fellowship,” Ashla shared. “Even though my aunt is no longer with us, our Sunday dinners are still going strong.”
Audyn is Ashla’s only daughter and her “rainbow” baby. Her priority is always to spend quality time with Audyn and to make the most memories with her. This time of year, a lot of what the pair does together involves taking evening walks in the cooler weather and cooking good food.
“Audyn is at that wonderful age when she wants to help and be a part of everything, so as much as we can, we will all let her help to cook,” shared Ashla.
Celena’s Cauliflower Jambalaya
Ingredients:

- 7 oz smoked sausage
- 14 oz ground Italian sausage
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken breast
- 1/2 package diced ham
- 1/2 lbs. jumbo shrimp
- 1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 green onion (chopped)
- 1/2 bell pepper (chopped)
- 4 Tbsp Zataran Red Beans seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- pink himalayan salt
- Italian seasoning
- 2 – 10 oz bags cauliflower rice
Directions:


- Peel, devein and wash shrimp. Pat dry. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and salt. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Slice smoked sausage thin. Conecuh is our smoked sausage of choice. Set aside.
- Chop green onion, yellow onion and bell pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a pan, brown ground sausage. Drain oils from sausage into a bowl to use later and place sausage in a bowl. You will add later.
- Prepare cauliflower rice according to package instructions. Drain in a strainer to remove as much moisture as possible.
- In the pan, using the drained oils, sauté yellow onions and bell pepper. Lower heat. Add shrimp. Sauté two minutes on each side. Add smoked sausage, ground sausage, chicken, diced ham and cauliflower rice. Add bay leaves. Stir. Add green onion. Sprinkle red bean seasoning over the top. Cover the pan and simmer on low for five minutes. Enjoy!