Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Gumbo and Sniffles

So.....I've been feeling under the weather this week, all week. Nothing major, just a bit.....oogy. My neck has been hurting, and energy has been low, and dull headaches have popped up at the most inopportune times. No big deal, just a little nagging annoying feeling. So I thought I should combat that with some major comfort food!!!! This is one of my all time fave breakfast/ lunch/ dinners. I know it's not exactly gourmet, but it is delish and makes me happy every time I eat it!!!!
Ezekial muffin with peanut butter and strawberry rhubarb preserves. Ohhhhhh so happy in my belly. :) If food could hug.
So yesterday, I had the morning off, and it was raining all morning. I sat around lazy drinking joe until 10:00! It was glorious. So, what with the rain, and accompanying thunder/ lightning I decided to make gumbo! I have never made gumbo before, but I had some home grown okra in my freezer, just begging to be either fried or put in soup. Like the good little healthy eater I am, I opted for soup. Now I am not sure what the real gumbo recipes have in them, but mine was DE-LISH. And only about 160 calories per cup to boot!!!!
So steamy.

I had a cup with a 1/2 grilled cheese on ezekial bread.
Makes ya wanna curl up on the couch with a book and puppy, huh?
The gumbo got rave reviews, and now the 5.5 quarts I made yesterday at lunch are gone.....and I only got ONE cup. My mother in law requested the recipe, and our friend Chris told me "I don't want the recipe, I just want you to cook this for me all the time whenever I want it." Haha! I'll take that as a compliment...I think.
Today I started with an early client so I had my usual 4:50 am wake up, and guess what. BAM!!!!!!!! I got hit with a yucky crud summer cold. Sore throat, coughing, aches, chills, snot, ew, ouch. Even my skin hurts. I believe my body is telling me to SLEEP. I had a couple of naps this week that should have clued me in on my lack of Z's, because they were so deep. Ya know the kind I'm talking about? When you wake up and feel like you have sandbags strapped to you weighing you down? I also noticed I did not wake up when my alarm clock was going off all week. Why do I find it difficult to listen to my body until it SCREAMS at me? Do any of you ever feel that way? What are some signs you recognize from your body? Do you notice when it tells you to put on the brakes a little bit? Or does your body have to screech to a halt before you will pay attention?
This is my date for the evening:

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

  • 8 andouille chicken sausage links
  • 6 oz rotisserie chicken breast, shredded with forks
  • 2 tbsp creole seasoning
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 8 oz chicken stock
  • 16 oz water
  • 1/2 C leftover spaghetti sauce I found in the freezer
  • 20 ish baby carrots, chopped
  • okra
  • 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 c brown rice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Brown chicken sausage in bottom of soup pot, then sweat out onions, garlic and carrots. Add, chicken stock and stir, making sure to pick up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the veggies, and cover with water, then add tomato sauce and rice. Bring to a bubble, then simmer for 20 minutes or until rice puffs. This is a very quick cooking soup, because all the ingredients are already cooked, or just need to be heated through! This made 5.5 quarts, and 1 C = approx 160 calories. Yum yum!

See ya soon!
- A

1 comment:

  1. Okra, how I love thee, let me count the ways!!!
    Okra and I have been in a long term love affair for 27.6 years. Thank you Southern family.

    It's the best food put on the planet, right there with coconuts and avocados. I am now craving some okra and its damn near midnight.

    Memba when Rebecca fried okra on her grill, in the 85 degree heat, in her BIKINI?????? I tell this story to all the Yanks to see the look on their face. Claaaassssic 'Becca.

    I think imma make this this weekend and also with a side of tempura okra. Oopst!

    And who doesn't heart a grilled cheese?

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