Red Beans with mushroom soup, TVP, and spiral pasta

I tend to make dishes based on whatever I can find in my kitchen. I tend to buy things that look or sound good without buying anything with which to pair them. I am lax about following recipes, and I generally embellish them with things that I prefer.

Here is another one of those dishes.

This will provide 2 to 4 servings.

1 can red beans
1/2 cup of reconstituted TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
1 can of mushroom soup
1 can (14 to 15 oz) veggie stock
1 to 2 cups of spiral pasta, cooked (I used a spinach, tomato, and beet medley)
1/4 cup of scallions
1 small to medium jalapeno, deseeded and cut in 1/4" by 1/4" pieces (thinly sliced and julienned)
1 medium white onion, peeled & quartered
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of Chef Han's Cajun seasoning (any Cajun spice mix will do)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ears of fresh corn, cooked and de-kerneled
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Add as much water as necessary to cook the corn in a stock pot with a pinch of salt. Add the corn, and boil for about 25 minutes. Once it is done, remove all kernels into a separate bowl.

Boil 1 cup of vegetable stock with the Cajun spice and garlic powder. Add TVP and allow to reconstitute (about 10 minutes). Set aside for later.

Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add quartered onions and green onions. Heat until wilted but still crisp. Add the can of beans without draining. Mix well with the onions. Season with black pepper. Stir occasionally for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until hot. Reduce heat to low. Add the can of soup 1 spoonful at at a time, stirring each spoonful into the mixture. Add the corn and stir for about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the reconstituted TVP in the same manner.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package using the remainder of the veggie stock and an appropriate amount of water (I season this with a pinch of salt also). I only used about 2 cups of uncooked pasta to get the right amount. Once the pasta has cooked (about 10 minutes), drain and rinse with hot water. Return pasta back to the pan in which it was cooked, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Allow cheese to melt.

Scoop some of the pasta and cheese into a bowl. Top with the bean, veggie, and mushroom soup mixture. Serve hot.

Look for another recipe later this week with brussel sprouts. Mmmmm...tiny cabbages.