Baked Jambalaya Casserole

From "1000 Vegan Recipes"

All the flavor of jambalaya without a pot to watch. Once you put it together, just pop it in the oven and let it bake. This is a great way to make jambalaya for company, since you can assemble it ahead of time and then bake and serve it in the same dish. If you like vegan sausage links, you can use them instead of or in addition to the tempeh or kidney beans.

8 oz. tempeh
2 Tbsp olive oil (may omit)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup white rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt

1. In a medium saucepan of simmering water, cook the tempeh for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut into 1/2-inch dice. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 T of the oil or water over medium heat. Add the tempeh and cook until brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the tempeh to a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil or water over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper garlic. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes.
4. Add the vegetable mixture to the baking dish with the tempeh. Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, the rice, broth, kidney beans, parsley, cajun seasoning, thyme, salt. Mix well, then cover tightly and bake until the rice is tender, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.