Kinda Homemade

*** First, a little fun announcement! Vegan superstar Sarah Kramer's Go Vegan iPhone and iPad app (filled with yummy vegan recipes!) is going on sale from the usual $6.99 to $2.99 from December 25th through January 2nd. Sarah and Tonya's Garden of Vegan was my first vegan cookbook, and I just can't get enough of those awesome recipes. So I wanted to share that with y'all. Anyway ...

Y'all know I'm not lazy, right? I typically don't shy away from making homemade sauces and such, but it's holiday time. I've been a busy little bee in my kitchen making homemade vegan food gifts (a la Joni Newman), so I've had little time to cook for myself.

It's time like these that I turn to jarred and canned sauces to start a meal. I ordered some Seeds of Change Jalfrezi Sauce from Vitacost.com a few weeks back. 

Jalfrezi is a type of curry made from vegetables fried in oil and spices until they cook down to a thick sauce. And while I'm certain I could make the sauce on my own, it sure was handy to pop open this jar and chunk it in a pan.

The Seeds of Change sauce is made with tomatoes, onion, red and green bell pepper, coconut, sunflower oil, and loads of spices, such as cumin, coriander, ginger, and cardamom. 

Since I've never had real Indian Jalfrezi, I wasn't sure what veggies were appropriate. So I consulted this recipe for Vegetable Jalfrezi on the Seeds of Change website for some ideas. But then I totally diverted from the recipe. Here's what I came up with — Beefless Jalfrezi with Zucchini and Mushrooms Over Brown Rice:

OMG, y'all! I've eaten lots of things from jars and boxes and bags, and while I'm not picky or food snobby, I have to say that this jarred sauce outdoes them all. It truly tastes homemade. Anyway, here's the recipe I came up with using the sauce.

Beefless Jalfrezi with Zucchini and Mushrooms Over Brown Rice

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1 Tbsp. avocado oil (or olive oil, but avocado oil is more fun!)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 small zucchini or 1 large zucchini, diced

1 8-ounce package button mushrooms, sliced

1 bag of Gardein Beefless Tips, frozen

1 jar of Seeds of Change Jalfrezi Sauce

Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid on medium heat. Add the onion, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute one more minute.

Add the zucchini and mushrooms and saute 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Gardein Beefless Tips and saute for about 7 to 10 minutes or until beefless tips are thawed and veggies are tender. 

Pour in the sauce. Cover. Lower heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes.