Meatless Jambalaya

This is another recipe I got from Angela Shelf Medearis' The Ethnic Vegetarian -- and this one is very good. I've made it before, but I think this was before I really knew what seitan was. I couldn't find any, and so I substituted tempeh, which really didn't do the trick. This is a one-pot meal made entirely on the stovetop. There's a fair amount of chopping and a variety of ingredients, but it's not too difficult and well worth the time.

From veggie cookie

This is a variation of Creole jambalaya, which starts with meat, then adding vegetables, tomato sauce, and rice. It's flavored with creole seasoning, which includes paprika, garlic, black pepper, onion, thyme, cayenne, oregano, and bay leaf. I used Morningstar link sausages, which aren't vegan, but otherwise this recipe could easily be made vegan.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons margarine
8 ounces seitan, drained and sliced
12 ounces soy link sausage, cut into thirds
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 medium green bell peppers, chopped (I used a leftover red bell pepper and one green)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups vegetable broth

Heat the oil and margarine in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add the seitan and sausage and cook for three minutes or until lightly browned. With the oils, the seitan does indeed brown, which is a pleasant surprise. Remove the soysage and seitan and set aside.

Cook the celery, bell peppers, garlic, and onion for about 8 minutes or until the onion is tender. I happen to like my bell peppers not quite so tender, so I add them later. Stir in the rice, tomato sauce, seasonings, and broth and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Remove the bay leaves and add the sausage and seitan, stirring to combine, and cook another 5 minutes or so just to warm them. Cover and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I really like this recipe, and after taking another look over the cookbook, I really like the whole cookbook. The explanations are wonderful; she begins with a description of the ethnic dish, describes the substitutions she's making, and provides really clear and thorough instructions on how to cook it. I'm certainly learning more about what makes a good recipe as I cook more dishes and stray from the meals I grew up eating. I think I'll be scouring this book for even more dishes to try.