Cathy's Louisiana Gumbo

Once you have your roux (whether homemade or from a jar), put it in a big stock pot and add water. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook for about 30 minutes. Add chopped white onions and green onions. Put in skinless boneless chicken breasts that have been cut into 3rds, add bite size pieces of your favorite sausage and let cook for at least an hour. About 15 minutes before it is finished cooking, you can also drop into the pot hard boiled eggs and/or shrimp and/or some okra (but okra usually make the gumbo a little slimey and some people don't like that).

You serve this gumbo (gravy and meat) over rice in a bowl (not on a plate like rice and gravy), but in a bowl like soup, with potato salad on the side. Or if you are a real cajun you just plop the potato salad down inside the side of your bowl

The only other thing that I do, so that there is no grease floating on the top of my gumbo, is that I brown all of my meat in a skillet before I put it in the gumbo. It seals the meat and cooks out most of the grease and it just seems to make the gumbo taste better.

Hope this makes sense!

hugs,
Cathy

I just got back from picking up my car from getting her smog check. All is well. I would hope so the car is only 4 years old hehehe. I did some shopping...woohoo Joann Fabrics is having a 30-66% off sale and boy I went nuts... eeek!

Cathy that recipe sound yummy. There's no other seasoning other than the roux? So let me get this straight... Flour (plain old flour) and oil (I can use olive oil?) okie then the next question is, you say put the roux in a pot. How much roux do I make, then how much water do I add hehehe <G> do you season the chicken with salt or garlic as you brown it? I think the rest is I got down. Sounds yummy, I'll let you know what happens when I try it out. Probably next week sometime. Thank you so very much! That recipe sounds almost like my Italian potato and sausage soup. Let me share it with you...

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1 pack Italian Sausage (I like the Johnsonville Brand)
4-6 large Russet Baking Potatoes
1 Large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves (diced)
4 Cups Kale
2 Cans Chicken Broth (I use the dry broth cubes 2 cubes)
4 Cups Water
1 Cup 2% milk (original recipe calls for heavy whipping cream I changed for 2% milk)
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Prepare:
Cook the Italian sausage in a 350-degree oven for approximately 30 minutes. Then I like to shread the sasuage into bite size pieces and drain them on a paper towel but you can cut them into slices if you prefer that.

While cooking the sausage in oven. Boil water and broth in a large pot. Cut the potatoes in half long ways and then start slicing the halves into 1/4 inch thick slices. Dice onions any size I prefer same size as potatoes. Then place the onions, potatoes, and garlic into cooking pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. (I prefer to cook them so they are not to soft and just barely hard because they have to cook a little longer with sausage). Add sausage, salt, and pepper to taste. Then simmer for another 15 minutes. During last 5 minutes or so, put heat on low, and add the kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

I figured about 1 cup = 200 calories. But I've recently made changes to the recipe so you might want to try to calculate it out yourself. The recipe calls for 4-6 potatoes, but I substitute more kale in place on the potatotes. Soup comes out really yummy. I don't make it to often, but when I do, it usually turns out to be the only thing needed for dinner and sometimes for lunch the next day. Oh and becareful to not cook the potatoes to soft before adding in sausage... tends to thicken the soup to much and becomes pasty. ALmost like mashed potatoes hehe...

Thanks again!

Cathy, the pineapple syrup is great over cottage cheese and dh used to make a great honey mustard with honey but this time he used the pineapple syrup, YUM came out pretty darn good. He uses hellmans dijonase mustard, hellmans mayo and the syrup. Its great for dipping meats like ckn, tky and even tky sausate. I did sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon over my cheesecake slice after dinner tonight, its YUMMY!!!! it makes great whipped cream.

Enjoy!

ok lots of food talk here - let me get to the pineapple syrup first...

Leenie...do you mean that you mix the pineapple syrup with coolwhip and it's good? or do you add it to heavy cream and whip? details girlie! you know I need details LOL the honey mustard sounds good - I would have never thought of that.

Ok SueMarie - I use a 16 oz jar of roux to 8 quarts of water. So I guess you could try using 2 cups of the roux once you have it made to the 8 quarts of water. or you could use 1 cup roux to 4 quarts of water but everybody at my house would laugh at a little gumbo like that. ;-)

I don't think you can use olive oil to make the roux. I have never tried that but I would think it would give it a funny taste. We just use regular vegetable oil around here. About the other seasonings - I forgot that I season the chicken before I cook it down. I use Tony's Creole Seasoning, but if you don't have that there you could just use salt and pepper or whatever seasonings you like.

once you get the gumbo going you can add salt and pepper to taste.

BTW - your potato and sausage soup sound YUMMY! ok nobody laugh but what is a "kale"?

later gaters

Cathy; thats exactly what I meant to say.I can't seem to find the thread you are talking about though.

I got energetic today... decided to wash the car and did something but good to my back. I am in such pain.. it hurts to stand. I get up and have to stay bent over and come up oh so slowly. I've iced and iced but I'm tight over my hips and my lower back. Even Robaxacet isn't working.

Today and tomorrow are my "off" days at the gym... why is this happening??? I don't want to miss time at the gym come Monday!!

Oh NO JudoMom, I have a bad spine and this happens to me all the time, I know how badly your hurting right now...oy. Just be careful and don't worry about the gym. If I were you I'd be really careful going to the gym for about a week, you don't want to mess with your spine and create further injury. If your feeling good in a few days, you know you can always get on the tredmill and walk slowly. This might even help it feel better but not now, in a couple days. Feel better !!! You know I usually hurt my back doing the stupidest things, like just turning to get out of the car or picking up a piece of paper, silly huh.

Good Morning Ladies,

I'm pooped, yesterday I ate to much LC cheesecake lol , but today I'll be better, I promise.

How's everyone this fine day ?

HEY SUE !! you changed your avitar....l you are such a pretty lady w/a great smile

Good Morning Gang!

I went for a 2 mile walk this morning before getting ready for church!

Lynnie - the thread is under Weight Loss Surgery at http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=78

JudoMom - so sorry about your back - take special care of it and get better quick! ok!

Leenie - step away from the cheesecake! and hand it to me! ya know I love that cheesecake. It's dangerous for me to be around that stuff. ;-)

hope everybody has a great day!

hugs,
cathy

I love the heat!

Hubby is out roller blading and dd 12 is gone for an hour walk.......they are so keen to get in shape.....I just dragged my butt out of bed......dd 6 is still sleeping....she wasn't feeling well when she went to bed last night.....she has a birthday party today and I am not sure she will be going..


Our holiday was great.....April where do you live in BC? We drove 14 hours over two days to go to Surrey to see my aunt who is in a home......my mom's sister.....my mom was no help at all! My dd's had fun though and it was an adventure being just the 4 of us............we did some touristy stuff and hauled my aunt in her wheelchair around to go to Wal-mart....her favorite destination in the world.....heaven help us! WE saw Stanley park and the ocean...it was really great....the drive was great through the mountains......

It was the 8th anniversary of Zach's death on the 16th....the day we drove home.......he would have been 10 had he lived.....he was 2 when he died....needing to drive and my mother was a great distraction! I did have some sad moments though.....was listening to Shania Twain "It only hurts when I breath" yesterday on our way back from the water slides and I was bawling........but over all I am holding it together!

Judo how is your back today.....back injuries are so debilitating.....is it improving....it takes time and rest and alternate antiflammatory and analgesic......at least that is what worked for me many years ago......if it is too bad go to the ER.....they can start an IV and push some stuff......happened to me a few years back at Xmas....and I still had too much to do so they fixed me up good!


Cathy way to go on the walk.....you are really doing well....we had to walk up big hills at the outdoor waterpark yesterday and my legs are sore today...I am in such lousy shape......I dragged my hiney up there anyway!

Leens it sounds like you are having a good weekend....when do you have some time off work? Or are you on holidays and I missed it....where the **** does a person find low carb cheesecake? We went to quizino's last night and it was so good .....I have never been there before........

Anyhow I just got a call and I must run......sorry I didnt' get to everyone else but I am slowly catching up on all the posts

Be well everyone!

Eliz

Morning Ladies…

Wow busy day yesterday. After the smog check we went over to my parents place to help my dad sand his kitchen cabinets and varnish them. Well James did. I went shopping LOL! Everyone’s have a 50% off sale! I went to Joannes and then I went to Fashion Bug I got some really great work shirts for like 8-10 bucks each. We’re heading over there again today to help out again. This is gonna be a two weekend project it looks like. They have a HUGE kitchen.

Okie ladies, Kale… that’s the same thing I said when I saw the recipe…. What the heck is it? Well lets see if I can describe it. I know it’s got to be easy to find because I see it in several grocery stores. Kale is a vegetable, kinda like cabbage. This is what I got from a website…

Here’s another website… Kale
But the picture is a bit deceiving.

Here’s a good picture Collard Greens and Kale

When you go to the grocery store I like the stiff leafy kale. *crunch*

If you guys try it out let me know what you think. This is similar to Olive Gardens Toscana Zuppa soup, but this is a recipe I got from my grandmother.

Judomom – OUCH! I know that feeling all to well, I hurt my back playing softball in high school, and now I have to be very very careful with what I do because it’s easy to throw it out again. I was out for 3 months… could barely lift my legs and move even a inch. UGG! I hope you feel better soon!

Leenie – Yeah, I was having a brat war with a few ladies in another forum, then someone called me a brat in this group so I left the picture of me sticking my tongue out up hehehe… course it was suppose to have been changed back in june before I went on vacation but I forgot. Gotta love cheesecake huh? I ate way more than I should have a the last two days in a row. I’m bouncing around 350 – 354 lbs. I gotta get back on track hehehe I’ve been slacking.

Liz – I love the heat to…specially out here in California. I prefer cold weather tho, but I can handle the heat here. Back east really killed me. Specially the humidity. My asthma took over and got the best of me back there. *big hugs* I know the pain you talk about, tho I didn’t lose a child. My grandmother. January 15th. Everytime the date comes around it gets hard. Its hard especially for my older sister since January 15th is her birthday as well.

Take care everyone… off to go sand some cabinets! (or shop ) Which reminds me, I do have to get a CBEST study book. I’m scheduled for the 7ths of August! Whew!

April - Oh yes, that's what I mean. Instead of having to log on to a website to insert stuff, I have the program on my computer (installed on the harddrive) so that I can run it off my computer and not have to worry about the internet. So when you run it, it shows up on your desktop. Exactly like you said.

Sue...