I will be the first to say, I am not a master chef. I also get tired of eating the same things all the time. I was not born and raised with Cajun cuisine and can’t even pretend to cook Cajun food. And while I do enjoy cooking with my children (and hope it instills healthy eating habits), sometimes it adds extra stress on a particularly busy afternoon. Those are the days that I look for a quick and easy solution. This quick and easy vegetarian jambalaya, featuring Jambalaya Girl, fits just that meal that requires minimal effort. Even better is that it’s a one-pot meal which means less cleanup!
This jambalaya rice mix has the rice and seasoning blend already included in the box. It is made with a vegan beef broth so it’s vegetarian to begin with. Here’s where this meal seems a bit atypical of standard jambalaya. To make this vegetarian jambalaya mix a little more hearty, I added a cubed onion, celery, and bell pepper (as is typical of the trinity of Cajun cooking), and a few sliced carrots. I cooked this down in the pot first.
Then I followed the instructions listed on the box – 2.5 cups of water to a boil, add the box mix and bring to a boil again. I added a can of red kidney beans (though you can add any bean or bean mix you prefer) and let the pot simmer for the next 25 minutes as listed in the instructions. The end – dinner is served.
I cooked this around 3 pm so it had time to cool before serving and fit in with our busy evening schedule. My husband was impressed by how flavorful this was. He even asked how I cooked it (he must’ve known another source was behind the delicious meal). The most effort I put into this meal was dicing a few veggies and occasionally checking the pot for the next step, but otherwise, this relatively inexpensive meal practically cooked itself! As an added bonus, it’s always fun to support local women-owned businesses as all of Jambalaya Girl’s products are made in New Orleans. Next time you are looking for a quick and easy meal on a busy night, grab a box of Jambalaya Girl mix and proudly call out “yum yum, come get you some” when it’s done!
