Vegetarian Jambalaya by Heidikins

Ingredients

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 ribs celery, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice 1 6 oz can tomato paste 5 cups vegetable broth 2 zuchinnis, sliced 1 1/2 cups okra, fresh or frozen) 1 can diced tomatoes OR 4 large tomatoes, diced 1 cup mock meat, such as Gimme Lean or Morningstar Farms Crumbles (optional) 1 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried parsley 1/2 tsp seasoned salt

Instructions

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix tomato paste with vegetable broth until smooth and set aside. In a large pot, sautee onion, garlic, celery and green pepper until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Add uncooked rice and allow rice to toast for one minute, stirring. Add tomato and broth mixture. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate skillet, sautee the okra, zucchini and mock meat until just barely cooked, about 3-5 minutes.

After the rice has cooked about 10 minutes, add the sauteed mock meat and veggies, spices and diced tomatoes, stirring well. Cover, and allow to simmer 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are fullly cooked and rice is soft. Serve with hot sauce if desired, and enjoy!