First you can use almost any kind of meat you'd like.  The original recipe calls for chopped Italian sausage but that is difficult as it just flakes apart when you try to dice it.  I use knockwurst or if I want to spice it up I use Polish Kielbasa.  I have also had it with chicken.  So, after you decide what meat you like, dice it up and put it in a pan with some olive oil, the diced onion and the garlic.  Cook till the meat and onion are well done.  Them simply put in the rest of the ingredients.  I like shrimp so I put in a good pound or more of shrimp.  When I'm making it for myself I also spice it up with a half dozen splashes of Frank's Red Hot.  Bring the whole thing to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Depending on how hungry people are, this can feed from 4 to 8 people.  It's a nice one dish meal.  I also put it up in freezer conatiners that hold about 3 cups.  Then put it out in the morning and it's ready to microwave for lunch.