Current Events > My gf: 'can you make Jambalaya but a veggie version?'

(+) Yeah! (+)

Look I try my best not to be snobbier than required but surely, surely in this instance you can't even call that jambalaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfalb5c7hjs&pp=ygUQSmFtYmFsYXlhIG5ldW1hbg%3D%3D

So there's multiple things at play here.

To start, you really can't. Jambalaya should be cooked in a way where the rice and all the other ingredients are made in the same pot. So... yeah. Not really the same without meat and seafood.

But it can be forgiven considering the soupy abomination that is jambalaya outside of Louisiana. Odds are what she's looking for is just the Cajun seasoning, rice and veggies

I have no idea what's a Jambalaya but according to Google it's rice cooked usually with ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp, or oysters and seasoned with herbs? I guess she wants you to substitute the meats on the dish for plant versions of the meats? Should still be in the spirit of the dish if you do it like that.... maybe lol

Ooh, good idea. I'll make that for my wife.

(I, for one, make what she likes)

Goldice posted...

So there's multiple things at play here.

To start, you really can't. Jambalaya should be cooked in a way where the rice and all the other ingredients are made in the same pot. So... yeah. Not really the same without meat and seafood.

But it can be forgiven considering the soupy abomination that is jambalaya outside of Louisiana. Odds are what she's looking for is just the Cajun seasoning, rice and veggies

I made it anyway and realised in the process that I had basically made a not very spicy jollof rice dish.

It was very good mind you, and a very cheap pantry one pot meal.

I dont like spicy food, but could mushrooms work?

pinky0926 posted...

I made it anyway and realised in the process that I had basically made a not very spicy jollof rice dish.

It was very good mind you, and a very cheap pantry one pot meal.

Okay, you can get some kudos again lol

MrFingers07 posted...

I have no idea what's a Jambalaya but according to Google it's rice cooked usually with ham, sausage, chicken, shrimp, or oysters and seasoned with herbs? I guess she wants you to substitute the meats on the dish for plant versions of the meats? Should still be in the spirit of the dish if you do it like that.... maybe lol

I'm very open to vegetarian and vegan food and happily make non animal dishes often, but I dislike when recipes try too hard to attempt to substitute meat or seafood. Usually what happens is you get something made out of seitan or tofu and it's a sad, dry, weird-texture shadow of what it's trying to imitate.

So i just omitted it altogether.

pinky0926 posted...

I'm very open to vegetarian and vegan food and happily make non animal dishes often, but I dislike when recipes try too hard to attempt to substitute meat or seafood. Usually what happens is you get something made out of seitan or tofu and it's a sad, dry, weird-texture shadow of what it's trying to imitate.

So i just omitted it altogether.

Yeah, I rarely do the meat substitute thing for my wife. I just make vegetarian dishes which can be done well without any meat or substitutions. Although, she does eat fish sometimes.

What's a definitional Jambalaya so I can see if subtitutions work

Blastia posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfalb5c7hjs&pp=ygUQSmFtYmFsYXlhIG5ldW1hbg%3D%3D

I still think about this scene every time I hear Jambalaya

Sariana21 posted...

I dont like spicy food, but could mushrooms work?

Texturally maybe, but you're just never going to get the deep, fatty richness that some spiced sausages and prawns will give you.

Lokarin posted...

What's a definitional Jambalaya so I can see if subtitutions work

Look I'm not from the south so I may be speaking out of turn here, but as far as I can make out the key missing ingredients here are chicken, cajun/creole spiced sausage (e.g. andoulle or chaurice), shrimp and okra. I omitted okra because I don't know if I've even seen it in a british supermarket, let alone a local corner shop that i was shopping at the other day.

Goldice posted...

So there's multiple things at play here.

To start, you really can't. Jambalaya should be cooked in a way where the rice and all the other ingredients are made in the same pot. So... yeah. Not really the same without meat and seafood.

But it can be forgiven considering the soupy abomination that is jambalaya outside of Louisiana. Odds are what she's looking for is just the Cajun seasoning, rice and veggies

Throw some veggie sausage in there and you're good.

I make jambalaya often but I go stupid heavy on the meat at times. I always at a minimum have andouille sausage and shrimp. But other times Ill add scallops, chicken, and even cod. I once made a batch of jambalaya that had like 10 pounds of meat in it haha.

However I can honestly say if I removed the meat the seasoned rice with the holy trinity (onion, celery, bell peppers) would still be good. And I personally always add a decent helping of portobello mushrooms.

Also Ive seen a couple posters reference it being soupy. My jambalaya is never soupy. Its like a paella or jollof. If I want soup Ill make gumbo. No idea why anyone would have a jambalaya be soupy.

That just sounds like Italian wedding soup at that point.

I've never liked making vegetarian versions of non-vegetarian dishes, I much prefer dishes that are intended to have no meat or seafood as they tend to taste better.

Enclave posted...

I've never liked making vegetarian versions of non-vegetarian dishes, I much prefer dishes that are intended to have no meat or seafood as they tend to taste better.

imitation crab goes hard with worchestershire sauce

pinky said hell nah wtf and walked off irl

Lokarin posted...

imitation crab goes hard with worchestershire sauce

Imitation crab is made of fish, it's not vegetarian.

Enclave posted...

Imitation crab is made of fish, it's not vegetarian.

ehhhhhhhhhh

I'm not gunna get into the "is fish vegetarian" thing, cuz some people think it is ... but yeaaaaaaa

Lokarin posted...

ehhhhhhhhhh

I'm not gunna get into the "is fish vegetarian" thing, cuz some people think it is ... but yeaaaaaaa

If fish was vegetarian then the term pescetarian wouldn't exist.

At my work we always do a vegetarian version along with our entree of the day. For jambalaya we use vegan andouille and fried tofu.

Lokarin posted...

ehhhhhhhhhh

I'm not gunna get into the "is fish vegetarian" thing, cuz some people think it is ... but yeaaaaaaa

That's called pescatarian, not vegetarian. My wife is pescatarian. I often just say she is vegetarian though because it is easier.

._.

I never had jambalaya

The bajoran diet is largely vegetarian with only one or two key exceptions mentioned on the show.

I am 100% certain that Sisko has an acceptably vegetarian recipe to serve his command staff when he starts cooking.

maybe with tofu?

Sometimes, the vegetarian is just wrong.

The Cajuns are outside yelling about something.

I can't figure out what they're actually saying but they are piqued.

If she wants Okra soup, she should just ask for it

Ratchetrockon posted...

I never had jambalaya

it's really good, though i don't think i can have it anymore (too much carb) unless i get the rice on the side and not much of it.

lol veggie Jambalaya. I think shrimp and sausage is the whole point of Jambalaya.

I had a vegan Jambalaya that had one of the Impossible sausage varieties in it and it was pretty good, though I don't think those are available in the UK yet.

The only knock against the dish was that plant-based shrimp just isn't there yet. I've tried a few different ones and while I don't mind them, I don't actually like them and I know a lot of people, even veggie oriented types, will hate it. it's probably going to take precision fermentation or cultured meat to get something identical to the real thing.

I don't have any particular attachment to Jambalaya though, and if I make something like it at home, I just throw in some mushrooms and tofu and call it a day.

Oh and duh, worchestershire is also made with fermented fish, not vegetarian either.

kingdrake2 posted...

it's really good, though i don't think i can have it anymore (too much carb) unless i get the rice on the side and not much of it.

At that point you'd just want a gumbo then. Jambalaya is a rice dish, you can't get rice on the side.

DnDer posted...

The bajoran diet is largely vegetarian with only one or two key exceptions mentioned on the show.

I am 100% certain that Sisko has an acceptably vegetarian recipe to serve his command staff when he starts cooking.

I've seen some good hasperat recipes

As somebody who ethnically is Cajun from the deep south, representing very proudly my Cajun culture this offends me to my core.

._.

ShadowMan033 posted...

As somebody who ethnically is Cajun from the deep south, representing very proudly my Cajun culture this offends me to my core.

I proceeded to show her various stalekracker videos on youtube to explain the problem

Starks posted...

I've seen some good hasperat recipes

Share your favorite? I'm excited to see if it's something I'll enjoy.

https://veganyumyum.com/2008/02/hasperat/index.html

I would use pickles instead of regular cucumbers.

Easily

Euripides posted...

If she wants Okra soup, she should just ask for it

Spicy Okra and rice is pretty good. My father makes that.

Starks posted...

https://veganyumyum.com/2008/02/hasperat/index.html

I would use pickles instead of regular cucumbers.

Missus likes it, but isn't big on vinegar. I know... not enough about cooking. What's a good swap-in if you're looking to replace vinegar?

DnDer posted...

Missus likes it, but isn't big on vinegar. I know... not enough about cooking. What's a good swap-in if you're looking to replace vinegar?

For some reason that page won't load for me, but in general the purpose of acid is to balance flavours and cut through heavy stuff. Lemon juice might work instead.

I think I'll get Cajun tomorrow thanks, we have this little place called Credeurs and it's the best Cajun food Ive ever had minus going to Louisiana and my dad's cooking (his middle name is literally Rue)

I hope they're still open