Jambalaya and cornbread

I was so hungry I could not decide what to make for lunch (and use as my first recipe here). I asked my boyfriend what he thought I should make. Of everything I made lately, I asked him, what was his favourite dish. He gave a few suggestions but finally decided on my vegan jambalaya recipe. A recipe I did last week.

I had been researching about Cajun cuisine last week and quite liked the story. I already knew the Cajun people were originally French Canadians (before they were called that) and had been forced out of their settlements and deported to the South of the U.S.A. I also supposed that since the climate there is very different from Canada's, they had to adapt their cuisine using ingredients that were more readily available to them. What I didn't know was that their religious beliefs made their way into their kitchen too: predominantly Catholics, they usually start off their recipes with the Holy Trinity (which is, for them, onions, bell peppers and celery). Sometimes, they also add the Pope (some garlic). Isn't that funny? I wish I could refer to these ingredients as such, but unfortunately no one will know what I will be talking about. ^^

Here is the recipe for my vegan jambalaya and corn bread:

VEGAN JAMBALAYA

Ingredients:

Olive oil to sautee the veggies
1/4 cup, diced onion
1/4 cup, diced bell pepper (I used yellow and green)
1/4 cup, sliced celery
1 quartered zuchini
2 tablespoons, crushed garlic
1 cup, brown rice
1 can, black beans
2 cans (10 3/4 oz or 305 g), peeled tomatoes
10 3/4 oz or 305 g, water (I used the empty tomato can)
Low sodium vegetable broth cube
Sea salt, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper and hot sauce to taste
Chopped parsley to decorate

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over high heat with the onion, bell pepper and celery until the onions are slightly translucent. Add the zucchini and cook some more until they are soft. Add the garlic and a little bit of salt. Add the rice and mix like if you were frying it. Then add the liquids: starting with the canned tomatoes, the beans (use their can juice too!) and the water. Add the broth cube and mix well. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes without touching it. After 20 minutes, you can remove the cover and stir it some more. Let it cook again and stir it occasionally. Lower the heat and let it cook until the rice is cooked through and the cooking liquid is almost all evaporated. At this time, add the oregano, cayenne pepper, cumin and hot sauce of your choice. Adjust seasoning to your taste. Serve in plates and decorate with chopped parsley.


CORN BREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups, cornmeal (for polenta)
1 cup, all purpose flour
1 tablespoon, baking powder
1 teaspoon, salt
6 tablespoons, vegan sugar
2 cups, soy milk
2 teaspoons, lemon vinegar
1/4 cup, canola oil

Directions:

Mix together the dry ingredients (floor, cornmeal, salt, sugar and baking powder) and slowly pour in the milk. Stir. Add the oil and vinegar and stir some more until everything is well combined. Grease a pyrex baking dish and pour the mixture in. Cook in a preheated oven for 30 min at 400°F or until cooked through and slightly golden around the edges.