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A couple of years ago I received a review copy of Bryant Terry's cookbook Vegan Soul Kitchen and a number of the recipes became part of my regular repertoire.

I've lost count of the number of times that my daughter and I have made the potato salad for parties and picnics and it's always extremely popular. I was very excited to receive a copy of his new book The Inspired Vegan. The first thing I tried from it was this roasted winter vegetable jambalaya.

Although this recipe is really simple and doesn't take a lot of tending, it does take a fair amount of time. It's a great mid-week dinner if you work at home, because you don't have to pay a lot of attention to it, but otherwise, it's probably best cooked on a weekend.

I also missed the direction that said the brown rice should be soaked over night, so mine got soaked for about an hour. The rice was a bit toothy, but that was okay.

Combine the vegetables straight into the roasting pan, rather than a bowl as it says in the recipe. Really, who needs an extra bowl to wash? My only complaint with this dish was that I felt it needed more heat. I would up the amount of cayenne pepper next time, or even add a dried or fresh chili to it. I also forgot the parsley when I was grocery shopping, and it would have made a nice finish.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Jambalaya

1 cup diced yellow onion 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp cayenne Coarse sea salt 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup long-grain brown rice, soaked in water overnight, then drained 2 tsp tomato paste 3 cups vegetable stock 1 cup chopped canned tomatoes with their juice 1 cup peeled and 1/4" diced carrots 1 cup peeled and 1/4" diced parsnips 1 cup peeled and 1/4" diced sweet potatoes 1 cup peeled and 1/4" diced yellow potatoes 2 tsp dried parsley, or 1/2 cup fresh, chopped Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Combine the onion, chili powder, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over low heat. Sautee, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the rice, raise the heat to high and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the water has evaporated and the rice smells nutty. Add the tomato paste, and stir well to combine.

3. Stir in the stock and the tomatoes along with their juices, bring to a boil, and immediately remove from the heat. Set aside.

4. In a medium-size bowl, combine the vegetables, remaining olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Transfer the vegetables to a large, parchment-lined roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally for even roasting.

5. Once the vegetables are roasted, transfer them to the rice mixture. Stir to incorporate well, bring to a boil, cover and lower te heat to low. Simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and steam with the cover on for at least 10 minutes.

6. Before serving, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.