A Recipe for the Winter

One of the most difficult parts of transitioning to a meatless diet is that you have to learn how to cook all over again. For example, during college I would cook a jambalaya every week, and I had to work at perfecting the recipe once I began substituting tofu for meat.

Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish made by cooking meat and vegetables and then adding stock and rice. I like it because it's healthy, cheap and easy-to-prepare. Also, one pot will last you half the week (so basically the perfect dish for college).

When I became a vegetarian, I thought that substituting tofu for chicken would be an easy change; however, for some reason the most finicky aspect of the recipe - cooking the rice - got thrown off and the dish would end up with rice that was either soggy or brittle.

But I worked at it and the dish has become one of my favorites, especially as the weather gets colder. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this meatless jambalaya:

1 package (14 oz) firm tofu packed in water, drained

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 large dark-orange sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

12 medium green onions, sliced (3/4 cup)

Before you start making the jambalaya, you have to drain the tofu and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. This step can take a bit of practice: I've found that the best way to drain the tofu is to place several layers of paper towels on a cookie sheet, and then add the block of tofu to the towels. On top of the tofu place several more layers of paper towels and firmly press the tofu to blot the excess water.

Once you've pressed out all of the water you can start cutting up the tofu; don't worry if you're having trouble cutting cubes though, the block of tofu can be a bit crumbly after you've gotten rid of the water.

Next, heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and cook the tofu in oil for six to eight minutes until it's a light golden brown. Then remove the tofu from the skillet and set it aside.

Add sweet potato and garlic to your skillet and cook for two to three minutes, until the sweet potato begins to brown. Stir in broth, rice, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper. Then heat to boiling. After your skillet has reached boiling, reduce the heat, cover the dish and simmer for 10 minutes.

Next, add your beans; then cover the skillet and cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Finally, stir in your tofu and green onions. After that, you just have to make sure that the dish is thoroughly heated and then it's ready to serve.

This jambalaya is low in fat and high in protein, and adding sweet potatoes helps to make it highly nutritious. But, above all, I think you'll find that this dish is delicious. Enjoy!