Southern Jambalaya - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 bay leaf
1 lb cubed cooked ham

Preparation

Cook the onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in two tbsp of the oil in a Dutch oven, about 3-4 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes.
Remove shrimp mixture and reserve.
Add last tbsp oil to the pan along with the rice and cook over med-high heat about ten minutes, until the rice is a light brown, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
Stir in the broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, Tabasco, and the bay leaf.
Heat mixture to a boil then cover, reduce hear and simmer, about 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Stir in the reserved shrimp and also the ham.
Cover and cook until heated through.
Remove bay leaf, and serve.