CaityBakes: New Orleans Style (specifically, Vegan Jambalaya)

So much artery clogging food.
Calories don't count on Super Bowl Sunday.

I'm still recovering from a deep depression that set in late Sunday night as all the questionable officiating, inexplicable play calling, and inexcusable turnovers culminated in the first Super Bowl I've ever been truly upset over. After all, we've never lost one until now. And really, I was probably still a little young to fully care about our last one (albeit a positive outcome), and was probably at some swim meet staring down an opponent across a lane line instead of staring down an *ahem ahem* PED user through a television anyway.

The healthy breakfast I ate.
Because that's totally going to counteract
all the above-pictured food.

To fend off the depression, I've decided it's probably best to focus on the good things that happened Sunday, namely the New Orleans inspired dishes that were served alongside your standard "don't think about the ingredients just eat it" American football fare (read: cheese stuffed bacon wrapped hot dogs). This menu included Vegan Jambalaya (to appease my two roommates who somehow survive without eating eggs, cheese, butter, bacon...), freshly fried Beignets, and Hurricanes, aka that red drink that everyone stumbling along Bourbon Street has in their hand.

Oh hi Jambalaya.

Oh hey there beignets.

Well look at you,
you rum-filled Hurricane, you.

I'll give you the low-down on the Jambalaya here, with Beignet and Hurricane posts to follow.

This Jambalaya was a crowd pleaser, and I didn't tell anyone (except the vegans) that it was vegan, so until they all noticed the vegans consuming it, they thought it was normal people food. That's the sign of a good vegan dish, my friends. I initially fell upon this recipe because I wanted a Jambalaya that didn't require a slow cooker. Because I don't have one. I also wanted one that didn't include super obscure ingredients. Because I'm poor. So I found one that sort of fit those requirements, then tweaked it to make it, well, better, and the result was effing fantastic. My friend from Louisiana even gave her approval.

Here's what you'll need:
4 Vegan Sausages, sliced (try to go sausage instead of hot dog, I think it adds more flavor)
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Large Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
4 Stalks of Celery, chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or more if you like it hot)
1 15oz Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes (with green chiles if you want, to add heat)
1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Broth
3 Cups Cooked Brown Rice (so dry, that's about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to taste (If you have it. If not, pick something else with a kick to it.)

1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat on the stove. Spray with cooking spray. Add sausages and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Add peppers, onions, and celery, and cook until vegetables begin to get tender, stirring frequently, about another 5 minutes. Add garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, cayenne, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to a low boil, then turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add cooked rice and stir over low heat for about 15 minutes, allowing rice to absorb most of the liquid. Season with salt, pepper, and Tony Chachere's.

5. Now you can either serve the jambalaya, keep it over low heat until you're ready to serve, or put a lid on it, pop it in the fridge, and let the flavors mix for a few hours or overnight, then reheat over low heat to serve the next day. I did the latter, cooking this at about 8pm Saturday night, then reheating and serving at 3pm Sunday. It's amazing what a little time can do for the flavoring of a dish made in a pot.