RICE AND VEGETABLES:

2 c. chicken stock
1 c. raw long grain rice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1/2 tsp. salt, if using homemade or unsalted chicken stock (use no salt if using canned stock)
1/2 lb. med. or lg. shrimp, shelled & deveined
6 oz. smoked ham, cut in 1/2" dice (1 1/2 c.)
1 c. seeded & diced plum tomatoes (3 lg. plum tomatoes, about 8 oz.)
1 c. parsley, chopped
Green pepper
3/4 c. thinly sliced celery
1/2 c. chopped red onion
3 tbsp. minced parsley, plus additional for sprinkling on top of salad

JAMBALAYA DRESSING:

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. coarse grain mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. file powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Preparation and cooking time 35 minutes.

Bring chicken stock to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice, olive oil, thyme, bay leaf and salt, if needed and stir once. Reduce heat, cover, cook on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Place shelled shrimp on top of rice, cover again, cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until shrimp have turned pink and rice is just tender. Transfer to large mixing bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Add ham, tomatoes, pepper, celery, red onion and parsley to rice; toss to combine.

To make jambalaya dressing, whisk vinegar and mustard together in small bowl. Whisk in oil and add garlic, oregano, salt, Tabasco, pepper, optional file powder and cayenne.

Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to mix well. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary. Serve tepid or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. To serve, transfer salad to pretty glass bowl and garnish with additional chopped parsley, if desired.