Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Thank you friends for the birthday wishes. I had the most wonderful birthday I can ever remember having. It included  turtle brownies, dark chocolate caramel turtles and turtle Voopee Pies from Veganville Bakery that were to live for. The postal carrier dropped them off at exactly the right moment like  he had some sort of vegan pastry psychic ability. It was both spooky and exhilerating.

Today Sandy and I are teaching our first vegan cooking class at a local college. Shortly after beginning the vegan challenge I emailed the continued learning division of the college and proposed this class to them. I basically said, we will rock the veggie world of your food curious students.    We are fun, funky and two edgy veggies that want to share compassionate cuisine in an approachable way if you give us a chance. Apparently this is our chance. I think it may have been  my unbridled enthusiasm that lead them to feel as though it was not necessary  to ask whether or not we had any experience teaching cooking classes, which we do not…until today.  As I began to write this blog, create new recipes and cook and eat with abandon I became undeniably sure of one thing…I want to share this love of food, really good food with others. I thought the college would be the perfect place to start. We have a full class and I can’t wait to share our recipes and  passion for veg cooking so they too can change their world one meal at a time.

One the menu for Hearty Soups & Stews Veg Style 101 are:

Chick’n Noodle Soup for Your Compassionate Soul (previous post)

Hearty Baked Potato Soup (previous post)

& Sandy’s French Quarter Jambalaya  (new)

I found one of those small sized Pillsbury magazine-like, buy at the grocery checkout cookbooks at a rummage sale and the jambalaya recipe was in it like a hidden gem. Since then Sandy has tweaked it and made it her own but the original inspiration was courtesy of Pillsbury.

French Quarter Jambalaya

By S. Boulton

Inspired by Pillsbury

Ingredients

Cooking spray to coat

1 C chopped red pepper

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 C water

1 package Gimme Lean sausage

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 can 29 oz tomato sauce

1/2 Tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/4 Tsp  cayenne pepper  (start slowly and add more if you like it hot)

1/2 Tsp crushed fennel seed

1 C uncooked rice

1 14oz pkg vegan sausage (I used Gimme Lean brand)

1 15.5 oz can butter beans drained and rinsed

1 15.5 oz can of kidney beans drained and rinsed

1 15.5 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed

Make it Happen:

In large stock pot spray cooking oil to coat bottom.  Saute red pepper for about 1 minute, then add chopped garlic and continue to saute together for another minute.  Stir in water, crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper and fennel.  Start to simmer.

Spray saute pan to coat and brown the sausage for 5-7 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon as you go to make it more crumbled in texture.   Add to mixture in stock pot.  Add rice and beans and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I cant wait to tell you about class. I have a fabulous new apron and my vegan power bracelet for strength. Lookout veg curious home cooks, here we come.

Have a delicious weekend.

Tags: baked potato soup, compassionate eating, dairy free, going veg, plant based diet, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan chick'n noodle, vegan cooking class, vegan experience, vegan jambalaya, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe, vegetarian jambalaya, vegetarian Mardi Gras recipe, vegetarian recipe