Gumbo

Gumbo

adapted from several recipes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes

Makes: 2.5 quarts (8-10 servings)

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart

1 lb smoked sausage

1 lb smoked ham

1/2 cup bacon grease

6 TBS coconut flour

6 TBS almond flour

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)*

1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)*

1 large celery rib, chopped*

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 - 32oz boxes Kitchen Basics Unsalted Chicken Stock

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Hot cooked cauliflower rice

Directions

Cut the chicken, sausage and ham into bite sized pieces. Cook the chicken over medium heat in a large dutch oven until browned.  Put into a separate bowl and wipe out the dutch oven. *You can skip this step if you use rotisserie chicken.

Heat bacon grease in dutch oven over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the coconut and almond flours. Continue whisking constantly until the roux is a deep mahogany color. It will almost look like really dark peanut butter. 

Stir in onions, celery and green peppers. Cook about 5 minutes and add in garlic. Cook another 5 minutes or until tender. Gradually add the chicken stock while whisking. Add the meats, thyme, red and black pepper. 

Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 3 hours. Serve over hot cooked cauliflower rice. 

*I make my life easier by buying a cajun mirepoix mix in the vegetable freezer section at my local Kroger. 

**You can omit the chicken and add 2 lbs medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

Green Goddess Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite summer salads from growing up. My mom actually got this recipe at a cooking class in 1985. That makes this a timeless, classic. 

Green Goddess Chicken Salad

adapted from Marilyn Harris

Ingredients for salad:

8 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 can sliced water chestnuts

1 lb asparagus

Green Goddess Dressing (see below)

Salt and pepper to taste

Place cooked chicken in a bowl large enough to toss with ingredients. Drain and dry water chestnuts, place in bowl with chicken.

In a shallow saucepan, large enough for the asparagus, bring water to a boil. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus. Prepare a bowl of ice water and set to the side. Place asparagus in water for 3-4 minutes. Immediately place in ice water bath following. Dry asparagus and cut into thirds. Place into bowl with chicken and water chestnuts.

Ingredients for dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise (I used Hellman’s - you can make your own too)

1/2 cup greek yogurt (I used Fage 5%)

4 green onions, trimmed and sliced

1/2 cup fresh parsley 

2 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp Swerve

Add mayo, yogurt, green onions and parsley to food processor. Blend until it’s well mixed and you only see green flecks. Add lemon juice and Swerve. Mix until incorporated. 

Add dressing to chicken, water chestnuts and asparagus. You may not need to add all of it. Use only to your preference. Chill for about one hour before serving. 

Enjoy!