Anyway, on Wednesday night (yeah, I'm that far behind on my posts), my dear friend Meghan came over for dinner for a final visit before she moves to Charlotte, North Carolina. I have been fortunate enough to know this girl from working at Spring Rolls and she is a lovely person inside and out. I will miss her dearly. Since she's an adventurous eater, I subjected her to my very first attempt at Vegetarian Jambalaya, which to her delight (and my surprise) was delicious!
Vegetarian Jambalaya
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb vegetarian sausage (I used the Lightlife Gimme Lean)
4 large celery stalks, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (seeded if you are not keen on spice)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 C uncooked white rice (or brown if you prefer)
4 1/2 C vegetable stock
2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
1 Tsp smoked paprika
2 Tsp hot sauce (I used Tobasco)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crusty bread, for serving
In a deep pot over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Add in garlic and sauté until fragrant. Next add in the vegetarian sausage and break up until it resembles ground beef. This takes effort. The sausage is not nearly as pliable as regular meat. Cook until heated through.
Add in the celery and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Add in the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and cover. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (I neglected this step so some of my rice burned). The jambalaya is done when all the rice has soaked up the excess liquid.
Serve this spicy and filling dish with a few slices of crusty bread and a large glass of cool and fruity Pinot Gris.
I was able to get about six 1 1/2 C servings out of this recipe and each time it tasted better and better!
Next up: Honey Walnut Shrimp with Roasted Asparagus!
As someone who is non-vegetarian I thought this was pretty tasty. If you want to make it non-veggie I would add andouille sausage instead of veggie sausage.
ReplyDelete