Review - Crescent City Gumbo - CL May 05

[manetta]

I made this for dinner last night and found it very good with a couple of tweaks. I added about a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce and a tablespoon of lemon juice to brighten the flavor a little. I did use a Butterball Turkey Kielbasa since the store was out of Andouille, but I would not do it again. The DH loved it, but I found the Kielbasa too salty. I definitely think using a good brand of Andouille like Aidels would make a big difference.

Had leftovers for lunch today and it warmed up nicely. All in all, this will be a repeater for us.:)

[ttubbs]

We had the Crescent City Gumbo (http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1054834) for dinner last night. We made it exactly as written. I thought it was ‘very good’, my wife could take it or leave it, and the kids, as usual, acted as if eating were some form of torture.

I do have one big complaint though. I hate cooking sprays. I almost never use them, and only then when baking. I never use them when cooking, and cannot understand why CL constantly calls for it in cooking. Their budget may allow for the purchase of new pans all the time, but mine sure doesn’t. On the other hand, my wife who I think would rather clean toilets than stand in front of the stove, just followed the directions as given. I now have a stainless steel pot that is black from spraying cooking spray on it after having heated it to medium-high.

[Okiedokie]

ttubbs, thanks for the link, but unless a person has a subscription to Cooking Light it won't work for us. Thanks. ;)

[ttubbs]

Really! I did not know that!
How's this?


Crescent City Gumbo
From Cooking Light


Creole gumbos all share one ingredient: okra, which came to America with African slaves (the stew's name stems from ochingombo, a Bantu word for okra). This version is inspired by Jessica B. Harris's favorite gumbos served at New Orleans restaurants.

Cooking spray
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound low-fat smoked sausage (such as Healthy Choice) or turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups (1-inch) slices fresh okra
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 2/3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 teaspoon oil, chicken, and sausage; sauté for 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan (leave drippings in pan). Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and red pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove from pan.
Add remaining oil to pan. Add flour to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 10 minutes or until roux is light brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add chicken and sausage, onion mixture, tomatoes, okra, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in parsley and shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Discard bay leaves. Serve over rice.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups gumbo and 1/3 cup rice)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 353(24% from fat); FAT 9.4g (sat 1.5g,mono 3.8g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 29.4g; CHOLESTEROL 130mg; CALCIUM 124mg; SODIUM 863mg; FIBER 4g; IRON 4.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.3g

Jessica Harris
Cooking Light, MAY 2005

[Okiedokie]

;) Yep, ttubbs, that's right. :o I don't have to tell you I don't have a current subscription. Mine has expired. Thanks a lot for posting the recipe. :)