Brooke's Jambalaya

You've gotta love those dinners that are so easy to put together and taste great when you're finished. This is one of those recipes. The longest part is waiting for the brown rice to cook but if you had it cooked in advance...wow! This recipe is "Brooke's Jambalaya". I call it that because...well I made it up myself! I felt like something "jambalaya-ish" one night and this is what I came up with. (Whenever I make something up I always write down what I'm doing just in case it's a keeper!) It is one of our favorites. Here goes:

Brooke's Jambalaya

2-3 c. cooked brown rice

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped celery

1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice (I like to use the Italian flavored ones)

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional-Worcestershire sauce is not vegan)

1 tsp. liquid smoke ( I like the hickory flavor.)

1/4 tsp. dried leaf thyme

1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (More or less to taste. This is as far as I can go with my kids.)

2-3 whole bay leaves

1 can red beans (or kidney beans), drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce + 1 can water

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper in olive oil until tender. Add all ingredients except rice and simmer about 25 min. (I usually simmer it then entire time the rice is cooking.) Add cooked rice. Add more water or tomato sauce while cooking if needed. Can also add a few drops of hot sauce if you want more heat. Remove bay leaves before serving.