Veg-Head Jambalaya
I often find myself in precarious dietary situations, when I am hankering for a hot meal that doesn’t come from the freezer and doesn’t take two hours to cook. This particular recipe is the result of lunchtime on a cold day in DC. It’s pretty tasty if I do say so myself, and only took me about 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. I used leftover rice from dinner the night before and water instead of the vegetable broth. I am not a vegetarian, but do tend to use a good deal of veg-friendly ingredients when cooking. I didn’t have meat on hand so I used tofu instead. The chipotles in adobo sauce and mushrooms gave me the hearty flavors I was looking for. The cayenne of course, is optional, but in my mind, mo’ spice is mo’ betta! So have fun, get to cooking, and in the words of my dad’s email signature, “Laissez bon temps rouler!”
Serves 4
Ingredients:
-1 tbsp. cooking oil
-1 medium sweet onion, chopped
-4 celery ribs, chopped
-1large green pepper, chopped
-cajun seasoning of your choice
-2 large button mushrooms, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 can of chipotles in adobo sauce
-2 tsp. paprika
-1 tsp. cayenne pepper
-1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
-2 roma tomatoes, diced
-1/2 cup and 2 tbsp. of vegetable broth or water
-2 cups cooked rice
Preparation:
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, and a generous sprinkling of cajun seasoning. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, open the can of chipotles in adobo and take three of the peppers out. Reserve remaining peppers for future use. Slice the peppers lengthwise and scrape off the seeds with the blunt end of your knife. Discard. MInce the remaining peppers and set aside.
Add mushroom, garlic, chipotles and additional seasonings. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tofu and stir to coat, take care not to overwork. Add tomatoes and broth. Cover and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Combine with rice. Serve with a fresh herb salad topped with fruits, nuts, and a sweet vinaigrette. The salad will slow the fire of the jambalaya.
