And So It Continues...

The recipes are coming strong right now, people. I promise I'll get back to funny patient stories soon. 'Tis the season for veggie cooking! I bought a GREAT cookbook, The Climb Nashville Cookbook: A compilation of vegetarian and vegan recipes to benefit children in Africa. It is a GREAT collection of recipes with new and exciting ways to use veggies. There's no cream of mushroom soup in this book, people. :) The best part is, the $15 price goes straight to benefit a ministry supported by Otter Creek called Made In the Streets, a mission in Kenya that helps kiddos get off the streets and onto a better life.

I made Pam's Jambalaya last night, and it was scrumptious. It is inexpensive, healthy, feeds a crew, and uses a lot of veggies and rice. It is a great base recipe where the veggies and spices can be changed out based on what's in season and what's in your cabinet. Below is the recipe from the book and my variations.

It goes well with my favorite fish recipe: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan. This was discovered long ago by my sister, and it's been a family favorite ever since. It is actually the recipe that made me like fish. You can interchange the fish and cheeses with what you have on hand (I used orange roughy and feta, which was DELICIOUS!) I never add the butter as I don't think it needs it. I typically substitute it with plain yogurt or toffuti cream cheese. Easy, fast, and healthy!

I know I tweak recipes a lot, but don't let it intimidate you. It keeps you from constantly going to the store to buy 1-2 ingredients that could easily be substituted with something in your cabinet. Plus, it gives you several variations of one recipe so you don't get bored! Next time you have a recipe you want to try but not all the ingredients, see if you can tweak it with what you already have in your fridge. Mix it up! Go ahead... I double dog dare you.

PAM'S JAMBALAYA
1/2 c olive or canola oil)
3 c onions, diced
2 T shallots, minced
1 c bell peppers, diced
2 c eggplant, peeled and diced
2 c yellow squash, diced
1 T garlic, minced
3 c tomatoes, chopped
3 tsp salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
3 c rice (brown, long grain, or risotto)
6 cups watter
1 cup green onions, chopped

Heat the oil on medium heat, then add ingredients from onions to garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, then salt and pepper. Add bay leaves. Add rice and stir 2-3 minutes. Add water, stir and cover. Cook for 30-35 minutes until rice is tender, longer for brown rice. Only stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Garnish with green onions just before serving.

And here is my version based on what was in my cabinet yesterday:

Veggies: I used onions, eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic.
Spices: I used basil, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper
Rice: I used risotto. If you are trying to cut back on dairy, risotto really helps satisfy that craving, as it has a very creamy texture.
Size: I only made 2/3rds of the recipe and I still have a TON left over.

I ate some for breakfast this morning... yes, you read that correctly, and for protein I threw in a 1/4 cup of shelled edamame. Very tasty.