Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Living in the Midwest for more than a couple years is enough to make you long for fresh shrimp. It's also long enough to figure out no matter how much you love shrimp, there's just no substitute for Gulf Coast shrimp.

Because of this time away from the south, I can this might have been my first seafood gumbo. Crazy right? I have more than perfected my skills at Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, even gluten free. Thankfully, once you've got the roux down, what you put in it is all relative.

One of the things I like most about this recipe in comparison to chicken gumbo?  It cooks much faster!

This photo doesn't include crab meat, but I promise you the next time I make there will be some in there.  It is not a requirement by any means, because it was still a bowl of gumbo happiness, but oh, you'll be wishing there was some crab!

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 oz crabmeat, optional
1/2 cup vegetable oil  
1/2 cup gluten free flour blend, or all purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped  
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped  
2 celery ribs, sliced 
6 cups hot water 
3-5 garlic cloves, minced  
2 bay leaves 
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet 
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning 
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
4 green onions, sliced  
1 teaspoon parsley 
a good shake of Filé powder, about a teaspoon
Hot cooked rice 
Optional: chopped green onions 

1. Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until browned. Move to large bowl and reserve drippings in cast iron pot.

2. Add 1/2 cup oil to the pot along with the gluten free flour blend and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes, or until roux is a light chocolate color, or darker than peanut butter.

3. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until tender. Cook garlic until it becomes fragrant.  Be sure not to let it burn.  Gradually add 2 cups hot water, whisk or stir vigorously until smooth.  Add rest of water and bring mixture to a boil; add sausage, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes.

4. When about ready to serve, add peeled shrimp. If desired add green onions and parsley. Do not overcook.  Once shrimp have turned opaque you are ready to serve.

5. Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove gumbo from heat. Sprinkle with filé powder, if desired. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Red Curry Chicken and Chickpea Soup

I am a huge fan of red curry and this soup is one of my favorites.  I think I say that about all my soup recipes. 

This one is so good though.  Just a bit of heat to warm you up,very hearty to fill you up.

Red Curry Chicken and Chickpea Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 6 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced or 1 cup onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped, about a cup
• 3 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 2 cups chicken stock, more if desired
• 2 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups arugula, packed
• ¾ tsp sweet curry
• 2 tsp Sirachi sauce, less if desired
• ¼ tsp dried basil
• dash of corriander
• dash of worchestershire
• salt to taste
• black pepper

Directions

1. Heat your olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add in your cubed chicken and cook over medium heat until almost fully cooked, about 6-7 minutes. Add in your shallots or onions and continue to cook until they are softened, about another 5-6 minutes.

2. Add in the curry paste, curry powder, kosher salt, black pepper, ginger, coconut milk, and 2 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil.  Bring back up to a boil, then add in the drained and rinsed chickpeas and carrots and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender crisp.


3. Turn heat of and stir in arugula. Adjust seasonings as desired and enjoy!

Shrimp and Sausage Creamy Cajun Pasta

As much as I love my Creamy Shrimp and Cheese Grits with Spicy Andouille recipe, it has come to my attention that not everyone is a fan of grits.  You fellow southerners are thinking, "Who are these crazy people, right?"  

Well, they do indeed exist and for them I've taken the delicious creamy sauce I've come to adore,  added some Parmesan cheese goodness and tossed it all with my favorite pasta. Gluten free, of course.

I can honestly say, I like this just as much.  Totally reminds me of pasta dishes from one of our favorite restaurants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It's really that good y'all!

Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

Shrimp Seasoning

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

Cajun Seasoning to coat, preferably Tony's Chacherie's

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

12 oz andouille cut into small pieces

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 large clove garlic

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for topping

3 tablespoons green onions

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Directions

Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse, drain and season shrimp and set aside.

Begin boiling water for your pasta.

Shrimp and Cream Sauce

Melt butter in pan and brown andouille on medium high.  Remove sausage and set aside.  With grease still in pan, saute shallots and celery until almost tender.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

De-glaze pan with white wine and add shrimp and andouille and cook for a minute or two. Just long enough for the shrimp begin to pink up.

By this time your pasta is ready to drain and set aside 

Add cream, green onions and once heated through, and thickens slightly.

Add in drained pasta and Parmesan cheese. Once all melted,

finish with parsley and serve.

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Lettuce Wraps

I searched for the perfect Lettuce Wrap recipe for quite a while. This is the combination of the ingredients we liked the best. Once you have all the ingredients in your pantry, it's a pretty quick and easy dinner to throw together.

Here are the basic ingredients I used for the sauce.



I mixed this all into the browned chicken and vegetables...



Add in water chestnuts and green onions, serve. We enjoy it with romaine lettuce or fancy green leaf lettuce. :)


½ teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil -If you are using a non-stick pan you can eliminate
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
2 whole Carrots, Diced
1 red bell pepper 
2 stalks Celery, Diced
1/2 cup, Minced Onion
1 pound Ground Chicken or Turkey
3/4 can Water Chestnuts, diced
1 bunch Green Onions, diced
2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
2 pinches red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoon Teriyaki sauce
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoon Oyster Sauce, optional
1 Tablespoon Sriracha, or white cooking wine
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar, optional
1 head Romaine Lettuce or leaf lettuce, if you prefer


Directions


In a large, flat, non-stick pan or wok heat oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Be careful not to burn Stir-fry until fragrant. Add the onions and chicken and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until done.


Meanwhile, mix all of the sauces together in a bowl including the sugar. Stir well.


Add the carrots and celery and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.


Mix together sauces and sugar and then pour into your meat/vegetable mixture. Continue stirring so all the flavors combine. Toss in chestnuts and green onions.


Serve in lettuce/cabbage cups of your choice and enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This a great summer grilling recipe.  Although you could definitely use a grill pan or even your oven if you'd like.

It's inspired by a tortilla wrap recipe from Pampered Chef, but being gluten free I don't get to enjoy tortillas anymore.  Not only is the lettuce a great vehicle for these yummy ingredients, they lend another layer of coolness to the spicy chicken.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

sprinkle of McCormick's Kicken Chicken

BBQ rub, like Penzey's BBQ 3000, to coat

2 medium stalks of celery, chopped finely

2 green onions, chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and Julienned

2-3 oz Blue Cheese, crumbled

2/3 cup mayonnaise 

Dash of Garlic powder

3 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce

Green leaf lettuce

1. In shallow dish or bowl coat chicken with oil and vinegar.  I generally like to cut each breast in half lengthwise so that it grills more evenly.  Lightly dust side of chicken with the Kicken Chicken rub. I only do one side because it's fairly spicy.  If your good with spice, by all means go for it.  Cover both sides with BBQ rub. Let marinate until grill is hot or longer if possible.

2. Grill chicken. Once cooled for 5 minutes, chop chicken and toss in Frank's Hot Sauce.

3. While chicken grills, chop celery and green onions. Julienne carrots and set those aside.

4. Mix celery, onions, garlic powder, blue cheese and mayonnaise together in bowl. Set aside.

5. Assemble your wraps, building layers of chicken, dressing and carrots onto of lettuce.  Enjoy!

Pasta Carbonara with Grilled Chicken

It's been ages since I've made Pasta Carbonara. But when my friend raved about this recipe, I knew I had to give it a go.  And given the response at the dinner table, I'm sure it will make it's way back into our menus.  Maybe not very often as it's far from low-cal, but it is very delicious.
 

 Pasta Carbonara
 adapted from Food Network 

Ingredients

For chicken
3 large chicken breast, cut into strips
Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt & pepper

For pasta
 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 oz slab bacon, cooked and chopped
1 teaspoon diced garlic, about 2 cloves
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup cream or half and half
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 oz pasta of your choice

1/2 cup frozen peas, if desired
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons butter, if needed

Directions
1. Toss chicken breasts in seasonings and vinegar.  Allow to marinate for 10 minutes, if time allows.  Grill either on a pit or in a grill pan until done, about 4-5 minutes per side. Set aside and chop.

2. Put the water in a large pasta pot and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding peas about halfway, leaving past slightly under cooked.

3. Cook bacon however you perfer. I use the microwave and a bacon rack so that the grease drips away.

4. Add the oil to large saute pan. You can use a bit of the bacon fat, if you prefer. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant . Add the wine, cream and black pepper. Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in chopped, cooked bacon and chicken.

5. When pasta is just undercooked, remove it from the water and add it to the pan with the sauce. Gently stir for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1/2 the cheese and the egg white and stir, being careful not to break the noodles. Add the egg yolks and lightly toss. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the remaining cheese. If using half and half, you may find you need to add a bit of butter to loosen the sauce a little after the addition of eggs.  Enjoy.

Pizza Supreme Soup

Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup in the winter. Especially if said soup taste just like a slice of supreme pizza! 

This is no wimpy, frilly "girl soup" either.  This one is hearty and definitely one that will keep you full and appeal to the boys in your life.  Well, my boys still didn't touch it but only because they wouldn't touch a piece of supreme pizza either. They stick to Italian Sausage mainly.

Pizza Supreme Soup

1 pound Italian sausage
1 bag of frozen mixed peppers and onions
 or one cup red and yellow peppers, sliced and one cup of onions
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2 pinches of red pepper flakes
3 oz chopped turkey pepperoni
4 oz chopped hard salami
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
4 cups chicken stock/broth
2 large handfuls of Spinach/Arugula mix
3/4 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
Mozzarella cheese, grated

Brown Italian sausage. After a few minutes, add the onion, green pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. (I used Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's).

When the onions are translucent, add pepperoni and salami.  Cook for a few minutes.

Then add the stock, tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes.

Finally add spinach and olives. (If you are adding mushrooms add those now.)

Once spinach has wilted to your liking, garnish with mozzarella cheese.

This is definitely risen to the top of my favorite soup list!

Curry Chicken with Vegetables

I can't pretend I am an expert in any middle eastern foods, but I do know what I like and I do like this, quite a lot actually. ;)

I was hoping to find a spicy, saucy curry with a complex mix of seasonings and lots of vegetables.  I did some research and ended up combining what I thought was the best of many recipes.  What I came up with was really good and I happily ate the leftovers for several days!

I think the vegetables used in this recipe could be very interchangeable.   Don't have red bell peppers, but got some carrots? Feel free to just mix in your favorites.

The only thing we thought it as missing was the addition of red curry paste.  I've added this to the ingredients. The only reason it wasn't in mine is because I was out.  I had used it all on my last batch of Red Curry Soup. (I'll share that one soon. The last time I made it I used white sweet potatoes. It wasn't as pretty, so I didn't photograph it.)

Curry Chicken with Vegetables

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons curry, plus more for seasoning chicken
1 teaspoon corriander
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 small broccoli crowns, chopped
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup zucchini, chopped plus more julienned, if desired
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (leave out if you don’t like your dish to be spicy)
salt and pepper to taste
oil for cooking
Sirachi hot sauce
Cajun seasoning

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and then garlic saute for a few minutes to soften. Coat chicken in salt, pepper or Cajun seasoning and about a teaspoon of curry.  Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until almost cooked through.  Add rest of seasonings and tomatoes. Heat until seasonings become flagrant.

2. Add chopped vegetables. Stir the corn starch with the coconut milk until smooth. Add to the pan and cook until vegetables are desired tenderness and sauce begins to thicken. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and Sirachi sauce to desired heat.

3. Serve over julienned zucchini steamed breifly in microwave or rice.