Vegan Jambalaya, Say What?

Monday night my friend Jay was kind enough to cook us all dinner. He is just starting to discover himself in the kitchen and he made a great Cajun meal. The only downside for me was that I couldn't eat anything except the bread pudding. The upside for me was that I couldn't eat anything except the bread pudding :) 
Anyway, it really got me thinking about Cajun cooking and about how nice it might be to do a vegan recipe for Mardi Gras. Last year I made two absolutely delicious King Cakes, but they were smothered in thick, sugary, almond icing. I could have veganized that, but after Singles Awareness Day this past weekend, I really didn't have the stomach for any more dessert. Also, I'm always on the lookout for quick and tasty weeknight meals. After I finish with work and the gym, I usually am not in the mood to spend an hour in the kitchen. Not only do I not have that kind of time, but by the time I finish cooking, it's usually too late to eat dinner anyway.

Then, this morning, I realized that I had vegan sausage in the freezer, canned tomatoes, rice, and a shit ton of chili powder left over from Enchilada Saturday. I'm not entirely sure what's supposed to go into Jambalaya, but I had some at Disneyland's Blue Bayou once. I think that this pretty much makes me an expert. For this recipe, I used my favorite vegan sausage: Tofurkey's Tomato Basil. 

You need to be careful when buying veggie sausage, or any "veggie" product really. Read the ingredients, because a lot of them contain cheese or some kind of dairy by-product. Since a lot of animal-derived ingredients have complicated, hard-to-remember names, I'll either look for the words vegan on the packaging, or rely on one of the many vegan safe lists that exist out there.  
Trader Joes' Vegan Food List 
Peta's Vegan List

Vegan Jambalaya
1 vegan sausage
1 1/4 c. brown rice (I used 5 minute rice to speed up this weeknight dish)
1/2 can diced tomatoes
2 c. veggie broth
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. chili powder

1. Coat a large frying pan with cooking spray and cook veggie sausage over medium-high heat.
2. Wait for sausage to brown on one side, and then flip and repeat on the other side. 
3. Add brown rice and let it cook for a few minutes.
4. Add veggie broth, diced tomatoes, and spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. 
5. Give it a good stir and enjoy. It may not be the most authentic recipe, but it's fast and easy and perfect for any Tuesday night. 


Serves 2 at 330 calories each