Vegan Jambalaya. Gluten free.

Vegan jambalaya. Gluten free.

Happy meatless Monday friends! New week, new goals. This week I’m focusing on adding some additional running miles and keeping my eating super clean. What does that mean? Less processed foods (protein bars for me) when my RUNger hits and I’m too busy to stop cooking for clients to cook for myself. Funny how that happens. And tons more water early on in the day (avoiding late night potty trips disrupting my sleep).

I made this dish on Saturday and shared on Instastories/Snapchat & had about 35 requests for the recipe. I knew I better get on it and share straight away. This recipe is one of those flexible dump, one-pot recipe that covers veggies/beans and rice. This recipe can work for carnivores & vegans alike. Just add your favorite protein from tofu/vegan sausage or chicken/regular sausage to make it more substantial. Leftovers only get better as the flavors deepen and its great for quick lunch ideas or dinner. I also love this atop of my salad… as weird as that sounds. Leftovers would also be great on taco Tuesday!

Okay enough rambling… I have a ton of cooking to do so let’s get this recipe started.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 Poblano pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced (with or without seeds depending on your preference for spice)
1 – 4 cup container of vegetable stock (low sodium if possible)
1 – 14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes (crushed)
3 tablespoon of hot sauce (whatever brand you prefer)
3 tablespoon of liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 teaspoon of smoked chili pepper
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of brown rice (uncooked)
Green onions for topping, chopped

Method:

Into a large, heavy bottom Dutch oven or stock pot, add 1-2 tablespoon of olive oil to coat your pan.  Add the onion and peppers. Cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes or until softened a bit.  Add your garlic and jalapeño  and cook for an additional minute.  Then add the dry spices and stir to coat the veggies.  Cook the spices for 2-3 minutes to remove the raw flavor.  Then proceed to add  the stock and the rice.  Stir well to ensure that the rice is distributed throughout the pan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover your pan.  Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the rice is tender and cooked through.  Finally, add your drained beans and cook for another 4 minutes or so to heat them through.  Spoon into bowl and garnish with chopped green onions.

Sunday: 11 outdoor miles
Monday: Strength training/core/functional moves for my knee, spin (1h 30m)

Focus on daily goals versus weekly or monthly -they’ll be easier to achieve.

— Knead to Cook