Favorite Recipes: Vegan Jambalaya & Humu Humu Cocktail

We recently returned from a week in The Big Easy with some of our best friends from our hometown of Boone, NC.  This trip had been a long time coming and we left inspired to try some NOLA cooking of our own!  

We found a basic Jambalaya recipe online and jazzed it up with some vegetables, beans, additional spices, and plant-based sausage.  Paired with a Humu Humu cocktail inspired by Port of Call, this Vegan Jambalaya may make you start humming along to "Iko Iko" upon first bite.  While you can make this in any kitchen, we love to use our OTZI grill while camping! (Save 10% off your purchase with promo code CANLIFE).  

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VEGAN JAMBALAYA

Ingredients

4 Impossible Sausages (spicy), sliced

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1 small Red Onion, chopped

1 cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

1 Red Bell Pepper (or Green)

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 cup Celery, chopped

1 cup Broccoli, chopped

1 cup Cauliflower, chopped

1 15 oz can Red Beans (or Pinto Beans), drained

1 15 oz can Cannellini Beans, drained

1 5oz can Hatch Green Chilies, chopped

2.5 cups Water

1 tsp Veggie Broth (instead of salt if needed)

1 15oz can Tomato Sauce, no salt added

1 15oz can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes

1.5 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Fennel Seed

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 cup Long Grain White Rice

Instructions

Roast Impossible sausages over an open flame.  Keep warm, then slice.  While we enjoy several plant-based sausage brands, we love Impossible for this dish.  One of the reasons we love this sausage is for its mouth feel.  While plant-based, it is not low in fat.  The coconut and vegetable oils give this sausage a satisfying burst of juicy richness.  It even chars over a grill similar to traditional Andouille sausage.  If you're looking to cut down on meats, this is one to give a try!

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, celery, and garlic, stirring frequently.

Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the Dutch oven and sauté until al dente. 

Add water, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies, and all of the spices.

Bring to a boil and add rice. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, stirring frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Add beans and Impossible sausage and cover. Simmer 5-7 minutes longer or until well heated, stirring frequently.

HUMU HUMU COCKTAIL  (Humuhumunukunukuapua'a)*

With the richness of the beans and plant-based sausage as well as the overall spiciness of the Jambalaya, the Humu Humu is an amazing pairing.  The high acidity, rich aromatics of the gin, and the sweetness of syrup and pineapple juice make this tropical combination work.  

Most of these ingredients can be found in any well-stocked liquor cabinet, but we found Orgeat syrup hard to find.  It is basically a simple syrup flavored with almonds; we used Torani Hazelnut syrup as an alternative.  While some purists might gasp at the swap out, we really like the nutty punch which this syrup adds to the cocktail...and in Hamlet's tiny kitchen, we can also use it in our coffee.  

Peychaud's Bitters is heavily associated with New Orleans most famous cocktails -- Sazerac, Vieux Carre, among others.  It has a more anise forward profile and a richer red color than the more common Angostura bitters, which flavor an Old Fashion, Manhattan, and about a million other drinks.  Learn more about their differences. 

Ingredients

2 oz Dry Gin

3/4 oz  Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup (or Torani Almond / Hazelnut syrup)

2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Sprig of fresh mint & lime wedge for garnish

Instructions

Mix ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, shake until well-chilled.  Serve in a lowball or rocks glass over ice, garnish with sprig of mint and lime wedge. 

*There was a lot of discussion about the name of this drink between ourselves and our New Orlean's tour guides.  Is it Huma Huma as listed in the Port of Call menu?  Is it Humma Humma, a rum based cocktail?  Or is it Humu Humu, which is short for the state fish of Hawai'i?  In truth, it's probably all of the above.  Who cares, enjoy it! 

This was a very yummy and drinkable cocktail that offered a great balance to the meal. We're going to experiment with adding some egg white to the cocktail shaker while mixing this drink.  The light meringue topper will add some creaminess to the acidic punch of the lemon and pineapple juices.  We'll let you know how it turns out!