Note: I apologize for the lack of pictures in this post, but somehow I had technical difficulties that prevented me from being able to upload them properly.
Back in college, I used to make this dish every time there was a party. I used to make it with spicy sausage and shrimp, but that's not going to happen anymore (since now that I'm older, I'm also smarter). These days, I make it with soysausage and seitan. If you've never tried seitan, you should. I've never found anything that works so well as a meat substitute. My local grocery store does not carry seitan, so I make my own (way more adventurous anyway). If you have a gluten sensitivity, do not eat seitan. It's primary ingredient is wheat gluten. For seitan, you will need:
1 cup vital wheat gluten (I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
1 tbs olive oil
the spices of your choice (match the flavors with what ever you're making)
Mix the vital wheat gluten and the nutritional yeast together in a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and knead for about 5 minutes. The dough should be elastic and roll into a ball or a loaf easily. Now, bring 2 1/2 -3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and place your dough ball in the water. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the dough to simmer for 30 - 45 minutes. When you remove the dough, it will be lovely and brown. Let it cool and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
To make my delicious jambalaya, you will need:
2 cups brown rice
1 strong onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbs olive oil (or other oil that you cook with- one tablespoon for your onions, one for your sausage)
The seitan you just made (or if you use store-bought, use one package)
1/2 package Lightlife soy sausage (or other kind of soy sausage)
2 or 3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes (you can use fresh, too, I've done both)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup ketchup
Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, thyme and parsley to taste
Get yourself a large soup pot and warm up your oil (put it at about medium). Add your onions and your garlic. Saute them until they are translucent. In a frying pan (I use my trusty old iron skillet), warm up your other oil and begin to crumble your sausage and seitan into it. You may need to add water to help the browning process. You can add spices to the meaty mix- I added some cayenne and mixed Cajun spices. While that browns, pour your rice over your onion mix and mix it around. Next, add your tomatoes and vegetable broth. Let the rice mixture simmer. Once your meaty mix is nicely browned, pour it into the rice mixture. Add your celery, ketchup and spices. You may need to add some water / vegetable broth. Allow it to simmer until the rice is tender (about 45 minute) and serve with crusty bread and a green salad! Yummy!!!!
Back in college, I used to make this dish every time there was a party. I used to make it with spicy sausage and shrimp, but that's not going to happen anymore (since now that I'm older, I'm also smarter). These days, I make it with soysausage and seitan. If you've never tried seitan, you should. I've never found anything that works so well as a meat substitute. My local grocery store does not carry seitan, so I make my own (way more adventurous anyway). If you have a gluten sensitivity, do not eat seitan. It's primary ingredient is wheat gluten. For seitan, you will need:
1 cup vital wheat gluten (I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
the juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
1 tbs olive oil
the spices of your choice (match the flavors with what ever you're making)
Mix the vital wheat gluten and the nutritional yeast together in a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and knead for about 5 minutes. The dough should be elastic and roll into a ball or a loaf easily. Now, bring 2 1/2 -3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and place your dough ball in the water. Lower the heat to a simmer and allow the dough to simmer for 30 - 45 minutes. When you remove the dough, it will be lovely and brown. Let it cool and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
To make my delicious jambalaya, you will need:
2 cups brown rice
1 strong onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbs olive oil (or other oil that you cook with- one tablespoon for your onions, one for your sausage)
The seitan you just made (or if you use store-bought, use one package)
1/2 package Lightlife soy sausage (or other kind of soy sausage)
2 or 3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes (you can use fresh, too, I've done both)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup ketchup
Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper, thyme and parsley to taste
Get yourself a large soup pot and warm up your oil (put it at about medium). Add your onions and your garlic. Saute them until they are translucent. In a frying pan (I use my trusty old iron skillet), warm up your other oil and begin to crumble your sausage and seitan into it. You may need to add water to help the browning process. You can add spices to the meaty mix- I added some cayenne and mixed Cajun spices. While that browns, pour your rice over your onion mix and mix it around. Next, add your tomatoes and vegetable broth. Let the rice mixture simmer. Once your meaty mix is nicely browned, pour it into the rice mixture. Add your celery, ketchup and spices. You may need to add some water / vegetable broth. Allow it to simmer until the rice is tender (about 45 minute) and serve with crusty bread and a green salad! Yummy!!!!
