Jumpin' jambalaya: re-create a New Orleans favorite without the meat - includes recipes

Before I became a vegetarian, jambalaya was one of my favorite dishes. Since then I haven't been able to replicate the taste. Can you provide a flavorful jambalaya without the meat?--R.L., St. Charles, La.

JAMBALAYA IS ONE OF the great classic one-pot dishes of the Louisiana kitchen--right up there with gumbo and crayfish etouffe. The name "jambalaya" comes from the French and Spanish words for ham, which is traditionally a featured ingredient. With rice as its base, jambalaya is a direct descendent of paella, the Spanish rice dish that usually features several varieties of seafood, chicken and sausage.

There are as many versions of jambalaya as there are Creole and Cajun cooks, since it's the kind of dish that would be made when there were bits of leftover meat. Typically, the main ingredients are cooked in chicken or beef broth and seasoned with chopped garlic, onions, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, bay leaves, parsley and thyme.

Any jambalaya worthy of the name has a delightful smokiness imparted by country ham or Creole sausage. Louisiana cooks are generous with the cayenne pepper, so it is also a fairly hot dish. A final dousing with hot pepper sauce is not uncommon among those who enjoy a serious tongue-lashing.

But therein lie the biggest challenges in preparing a vegetarian version of jambalaya: to find an appealing replacement for the meat, and to impart the smoky flavor. After attempts to prepare the dish with tempeh and seitan, we decided that tofu--first frozen, then thawed--provides the ideal chewy texture. In addition, the normally bland tofu sops up the delicious seasonings like a sponge. Liquid smoke, available at any supermarket, gives the jambalaya an appealing smoky undertone.

Although jambalaya is traditionally made with white rice, we opted to use long-grain brown rice. In addition to being more nutritious, the longer cooking time of brown rice melds the various flavors of the jambalaya into a luscious dish.

The Final Score

         Calories   Fat   Cholesterol   Sodium    Fiber
Before   457        20g   96mg          1,802mg   3g
After    307        6g    0             769mg     7g

Jambalaya After Redux

Put tofu in freezer one or two days before preparing this dish so that it develops the proper texture.

1 lb. firm tofu, frozen, thawed and squeezed

(see note)

1 Tbs. safflower oil or canola oil

2 cups coarsely chopped onion (1 large onion)

1 Tbs. minced garlic (3 to 4 cloves)

14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes or chopped plum

tomatoes, drained (reserve juice)

1 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 small

pepper)

1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 small

pepper)

2 large ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2/3 cup minced parsley

2 large bay leaves

1 tsp. liquid smoke (see glossary), or more

to taste

2 tsp. dried thyme leaves or ground thyme

2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice

Freshly ground black pepper

Hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

CUT THAWED and squeezed tofu into 1/2-inch chunks. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, heavy, non-reactive pot; saute onions and garlic until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, peppers, celery, 1/3 cup parsley, bay leaves, liquid smoke, thyme, salt and cayenne. Add enough water to reserved tomato juice to equal 2 1/2 cups. Add to pot; bring to a boil. Stir in tofu and rice.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let sit 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves. Add remaining 1/3 cup parsley, a generous amount of black pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste; mix well. Makes 6 servings.

NOTE: You may freeze tofu in its container, or drain it and repackage it before you freeze it. Allow about 4 hours to thaw at room temperature--or defrost in microwave 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze tofu with your hands (it will resemble a yellow sponge).

PER SERVING: 307 CAL.; 11G PROT.; 6G FAT; 53G CARB.; 0 CHOL. 769MG SOD.; 7G FIBER. VEGAN

Jambalaya Before Redux

We no longer include instructions for the "before redux" versions of recipes because once you compare the lists of ingredients and their nutritional values, we know you'll prefer the new version. The following ingredients make a traditional jambalaya, such as this one taken from THE NEW ORLEANS COOKBOOK by Richard and Rima Collins (Knopf, 1978).

2 Tbs. butter

4 cups onion

2/3 cup green pepper

1/3 cup green onion tops

1 Tbs. garlic

2 Tbs. fresh parsley

1 lb. lean pork

1 cup baked ham

6 Creole-smoked sausages

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. chili powder

2 whole bay leaves

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. cloves

1 1/2 cups white rice

3 cups beef stock

PER SERVING: 457 CAL; 32G PROT.; 20G FAT; 35G CARB.; 96MG CHOL; 1,802MG SOD.; 3G FIBER.

RELATED ARTICLE: GLOSSARY

Liquid smoke: A smoky-flavored seasoning made from distilled hickory smoke. Available in supermarkets.

Do you have a favorite meat recipe you'd like converted to meatless? Or a vegetarian recipe you'd like to make vegan or with less fat? Send it, along with any related personal anecdotes and your daytime phone number, to: Recipe Redux, c/o VEGETARIAN TIMES, P. O. Box 570, Oak Park, IL 60303; or e-mail it to 74651.215@compuserve.com (74651,215 within CompuServe). Only recipes chosen for publication will be converted.

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