Faux Gumbo
A healthier version of gumbo, taken from the "Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook" - but it sure doesn't taste healthy! Now I've never had real gumbo, so it may not be nearly as good as the real thing. I do think it is quite delicious though.
Ingredients:
4 Tsp margarine
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
6 scallions, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 14 1/2 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 C low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup okra, trimmed and sliced
1/2 Tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/8-1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
1/2 C regular long-grain rice
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
One 2" piece kielbasa, sliced
Directions:
In a large non-stick skillet, melt the margarine. Saute the bell pepper, celery, scallions, and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, broth, okra, thyme, bay leaf, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, 15 minutes.
Stir in the rice and simmer, covered, for 15 more minutes.
Add the shrimp, chicken, and kielbasa; simmer, covered, until the shrimp and chicken are cooked thoroughly. Remove the bay leaf.
Now, we've always done more garlic than it calls for (usually 3-4 cloves), but then again, we really have a thing for garlic. We've also left out the celery, neither of us is a big fan of it.
We have also made it without the okra. Yes, I can hear you say "you can't make gumbo without okra!" Well, it's still tasty, but it is definately much better with the okra, I wouldn't recommend leaving it out.
I would love to see someone comment on how this compares to real gumbo.