We've posted a gumbo recipe before but we've made a few changes here and there to get to this one. We really like this version. Gumbo seems such a cold-weather dish so we're always excited when the weather turns cool: it's gumbo weather!
1 pound of chicken thighs (Thighs are really flavorful but you can also use chicken breasts, a whole hen, or turkey.)
2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (We've used smoked turkey sausage, venison sausage, in addition or instead of andouille, combinations of all three - it all works.)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 white onions, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
2-3 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, pour off fat, and reserve meats.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is almost the color you prefer – anything from peanut butter to chocolate milk to coffee will do. This gives the arms a good workout (you’re welcome!). Make a figure eight pattern while you stir to help prevent lumps and uneven cooking.
Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil and cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
Add the chopped green onions and parsley. At this point, if possible, let the gumbo cool and refrigerate overnight or freeze. It seems to taste better if it has time to sit for a bit.
Serve over rice.
Recipe can be doubled or tripled. Make your friends happy by giving quart containers of frozen gumbo for Christmas gifts.
Showing posts with label soups and stews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soups and stews. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sausage, Cannellini, and Spinach* Soup
(*original recipe calls for kale, which we didn't have so we used spinach)
1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1x3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 lb. sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, rolled into bite-size meatballs
Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage meatballs, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the sausage to the soup and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
The broth was so good. We used homemade chicken stock, and that may have been why. This soup was easy, inexpensive, and really tasty.
The next time we make we're going to make a few changes:
- andouille sausage. We used mild Italian and the soup could have used a little more flavor. Plus I don't like fennel at all, which the Italian sausage had in it.
- um, kale, as the recipe calls for, if we can find it anywhere.
- possibly dried beans instead of canned.
Variations:To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat lovers: Use vegetable broth for the soup. Reduce the sausage to 1/2 lb. and cook the meatballs in the same fashion. After stirring the cider vinegar into the soup and seasoning to taste, set aside 1-3/4 cups of the soup for the vegetarian before adding the meatballs.
Calories (kcal): 430; Fat (g): 18; Fat Calories (kcal): 160; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 20; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 48; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 1160; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 12;
1-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1x3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 lb. sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, rolled into bite-size meatballs
Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage meatballs, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the sausage to the soup and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
The broth was so good. We used homemade chicken stock, and that may have been why. This soup was easy, inexpensive, and really tasty.
The next time we make we're going to make a few changes:
- andouille sausage. We used mild Italian and the soup could have used a little more flavor. Plus I don't like fennel at all, which the Italian sausage had in it.
- um, kale, as the recipe calls for, if we can find it anywhere.
- possibly dried beans instead of canned.
Variations:To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat lovers: Use vegetable broth for the soup. Reduce the sausage to 1/2 lb. and cook the meatballs in the same fashion. After stirring the cider vinegar into the soup and seasoning to taste, set aside 1-3/4 cups of the soup for the vegetarian before adding the meatballs.
Calories (kcal): 430; Fat (g): 18; Fat Calories (kcal): 160; Saturated Fat (g): 5; Protein (g): 20; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 9; Carbohydrates (g): 48; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3; Sodium (mg): 1160; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 12;
Monday, January 18, 2010
Gumbo
It's winter and I know that because we're cooking gumbo. Jeffrey and I spend lots of Sunday afternoons in the kitchen making gumbo. We cook a big batch and freeze it. There's nothing easier than pulling it out of the freezer and cooking a pot of rice to go with it.
Chicken, Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo
· 1 pound of chicken thighs (Chicken thighs have more flavor but you can also use chicken breasts, a whole hen, or turkey.)
· 2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (We've used smoked turkey sausage, venison sausage, in addition or instead of andouille, combinations of all three - it all works.)
· 1 cup oil
· 1 cup flour
· 2 bell peppers, chopped
· 2 white onions, chopped
· 4 ribs celery, chopped
· 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
· 2-3 quarts chicken stock
· 2 bay leaves
· 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
· 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 1 bunch of green onions, tops only, chopped
· 2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
· Filé powder to taste
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, pour off fat, and reserve meats.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is almost the color you prefer – anything from peanut butter to chocolate milk to coffee will do.
Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil and cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
Add the shrimp, chopped green onions, and parsley. Heat until shrimp is pink.
Serve over rice.
Recipe can be doubled or tripled; it freezes well.
Chicken, Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo
· 1 pound of chicken thighs (Chicken thighs have more flavor but you can also use chicken breasts, a whole hen, or turkey.)
· 2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (We've used smoked turkey sausage, venison sausage, in addition or instead of andouille, combinations of all three - it all works.)
· 1 cup oil
· 1 cup flour
· 2 bell peppers, chopped
· 2 white onions, chopped
· 4 ribs celery, chopped
· 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
· 2-3 quarts chicken stock
· 2 bay leaves
· 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
· 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 1 bunch of green onions, tops only, chopped
· 2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
· Filé powder to taste
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, pour off fat, and reserve meats.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the roux is almost the color you prefer – anything from peanut butter to chocolate milk to coffee will do.
Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil and cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
Add the shrimp, chopped green onions, and parsley. Heat until shrimp is pink.
Serve over rice.
Recipe can be doubled or tripled; it freezes well.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday Supper: Soup and Cornbread
Winter Soup
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
28 ounce can tomatoes
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
1 large potato chopped in small dice
2 16-oz packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon salt (That seems like a lot of salt but it seems to need it. You can cut back on the amount, of course, and add other seasonings.)
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
Brown meat in large pot. Add onion, bell pepper and celery – cook until soft. Add other ingredients and simmer 3 or 4 hours. Freezes well.
If the recipe sounds familiar, it's a reprint from last season. It's easy and tasty and makes a big pot full of soup. Three of us ate it for dinner last night and we put up five containers in the freezer for other Sunday night suppers.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Winter Soup
The original recipe is called Red Wine Vegetable Soup, although the first ingredient listed is ground beef. There is red wine but not so much that you can’t call it something else.
The recipe comes from a cookbook called The Sharecropper cookbook. It’s full of easy, tried and true recipes. The illustrations come from stitchery pictures embroidered by the late artist, Ethel Wright Mohamed. One of her original works hangs in the Smithsonian. She hails from my hometown of Belzoni, Mississippi.
This soup is a good one to put on the stove and walk away. Those are my favorites.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I put the whole bell pepper. Otherwise, the half would have lounged in the refrigerator until it rotted.)
3 ribs celery, chopped
28 ounce can tomatoes
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
1 large potato chopped in small dice (The original recipe called for 2 potatoes. Next time I may try a sweet potato instead. Living on the edge, that’s me.)
2 16-oz packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon salt (That seems like a lot of salt but it seems to need it. You can cut back on the amount, of course, and add other seasonings.)
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
Brown meat in large pot. Add onion, bell pepper and celery – cook until soft. Add other ingredients and simmer 3 or 4 hours. Freezes well.
Makes a ton o’ soup. You could easily halve the recipe.
The recipe comes from a cookbook called The Sharecropper cookbook. It’s full of easy, tried and true recipes. The illustrations come from stitchery pictures embroidered by the late artist, Ethel Wright Mohamed. One of her original works hangs in the Smithsonian. She hails from my hometown of Belzoni, Mississippi.
This soup is a good one to put on the stove and walk away. Those are my favorites.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped (I put the whole bell pepper. Otherwise, the half would have lounged in the refrigerator until it rotted.)
3 ribs celery, chopped
28 ounce can tomatoes
2 15-oz cans tomato sauce
1 large potato chopped in small dice (The original recipe called for 2 potatoes. Next time I may try a sweet potato instead. Living on the edge, that’s me.)
2 16-oz packages frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon salt (That seems like a lot of salt but it seems to need it. You can cut back on the amount, of course, and add other seasonings.)
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
Brown meat in large pot. Add onion, bell pepper and celery – cook until soft. Add other ingredients and simmer 3 or 4 hours. Freezes well.
Makes a ton o’ soup. You could easily halve the recipe.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Gumbo
In my book, cooking the first soup or stew of the season is a wondrous thing. Of course, I am a big goober but cooking and smelling and eating this gumbo made me very, very happy in a way that only fall and wintry things can.
Sunday afternoon was the perfect day for it. It was overcast and looked like winter outside. There was enough of a hint of fall in the air to justify gumbo.
· 1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
· 2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly.
Brown the sausage, pour off fat, and reserve meats.
I had some cooked chicken on hand so I shredded it and added it to the mix rather than browning some chicken.
· 1 cup oil
· 1 cup flour
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it.
Or you can use Tony Chachere's roux mix, which is what we did.
· 2 large bags of frozen chopped onions and peppers, thawed
· 4 ribs celery, chopped
· 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
We sauteed the veggies in the skillet we'd browned off the sausage to give them a bit of flavor.
Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
· 2-3 quarts chicken stock
· 2 bay leaves
· Creole seasoning to taste
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken, and sausage. Bring to a boil, and then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
· 2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley (we used dried parlsey because our local grocery didn't have fresh parsley)
· 1 bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped
Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes.
· Filé powder to taste
We couldn't find the filé powder in the cabinet, so we didn't use it.
You know how when you crave something and then you get it and it is so good? That's what this was, not to mention how much fun it'd been to get in the kitchen and enjoy it.
I like to chop and measure and stir. I like to, you know, cook, and I don't feel like I've done any cooking in a while. It felt good to be in the kitchen on a gloomy Sunday afternoon, warm and cozy and with good smells all around, looking forward to a delicious, hearty meal.
We're having it for dinner tomorrow evening and I'm already looking forward to it. I bet it will be even better than it was last night and it was plenty good last night.
This yielded a bunch. I know; I'm very scientific and accurate. The three us each had a generous bowl-ful and I put up five or so containers full, containers being an assortment of sizes. I'd say it yielded about a gallon of gumbo if I had to guess.
Sunday afternoon was the perfect day for it. It was overcast and looked like winter outside. There was enough of a hint of fall in the air to justify gumbo.
· 1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
· 2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly.
Brown the sausage, pour off fat, and reserve meats.
I had some cooked chicken on hand so I shredded it and added it to the mix rather than browning some chicken.
· 1 cup oil
· 1 cup flour
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it.
Or you can use Tony Chachere's roux mix, which is what we did.
· 2 large bags of frozen chopped onions and peppers, thawed
· 4 ribs celery, chopped
· 3 tablespoons of minced garlic
We sauteed the veggies in the skillet we'd browned off the sausage to give them a bit of flavor.
Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
· 2-3 quarts chicken stock
· 2 bay leaves
· Creole seasoning to taste
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken, and sausage. Bring to a boil, and then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
· 2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley (we used dried parlsey because our local grocery didn't have fresh parsley)
· 1 bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped
Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes.
· Filé powder to taste
We couldn't find the filé powder in the cabinet, so we didn't use it.
You know how when you crave something and then you get it and it is so good? That's what this was, not to mention how much fun it'd been to get in the kitchen and enjoy it.
I like to chop and measure and stir. I like to, you know, cook, and I don't feel like I've done any cooking in a while. It felt good to be in the kitchen on a gloomy Sunday afternoon, warm and cozy and with good smells all around, looking forward to a delicious, hearty meal.
We're having it for dinner tomorrow evening and I'm already looking forward to it. I bet it will be even better than it was last night and it was plenty good last night.
This yielded a bunch. I know; I'm very scientific and accurate. The three us each had a generous bowl-ful and I put up five or so containers full, containers being an assortment of sizes. I'd say it yielded about a gallon of gumbo if I had to guess.
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