Creole Jambalaya

Photo: flickr user stu_spivack

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lrg shallot, minced

red bell pepper, diced

green pepper, diced

cup celery, chopped

pkt frozen artichokes, quartered

2 cups long-grain brown rice

cup tomato paste

cup plum tomatoes, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring

4 cups vegetable stock

15 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

cup frozen peas, or fresh

cup frozen corn kernels, or fresh

cup green onions, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Saute onions, garlic, and shallots until tender, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and celery. Saute 2 minutes. Mix in artichoke hearts for 1 minute. Stir in brown rice until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and saute patiently until richly brown. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, thyme, and liquid smoke. Stir in vegetable stock, deglazing bottom of the pan. Bring to simmer, cover, and reduce heat to as low as possible.

Cook 30 minutes without stirring or lifting lid. Stir in cannellini, peas, and corn. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Stir in green onions, adjust seasonings, and serve.