Baked Jambalaya Casserole

There's nothing better on a cold evening than a dinner from the oven, and "Baked Jambalaya Casserole" (page 303) really hit the spot on one of those nights not too long ago. Start with skillet browned tempeh, add rice, onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and kidney beans, spike with Cajun style spices, pop into the oven, and what you end up with is a complete one-dish meal. I almost exclusively use brown rice when I cook, but the exception to this rule for me is a dish that calls for rice to be cooked as part of an oven dish with multiple ingredients. As many times as I've tried using brown rice under these circumstances, adjusting the amount of rice and/or liquid, the rice never seems to cook to completion. So, in this dish I gave myself permission to break my brown rice rule and used white instead. I suppose if you had cooked brown rice on hand, it would have worked to use that instead of uncooked white, and I might try that next time. I did omit the olive oil when browning the tempeh and veggies, so I was able to keep this dish oil free. This is a very satisfying dish, and don't forget to put the Tabasco on the table for extra heat when serving up!