Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo

This morning I was half watching a cooking show while marking essays and saw a recipe that I thought I'd try out tonight.  My husband is fairly picky when it comes to vegetables (seems wrong for a farmer to not like a lot of vegetables eh? I'm working on it!).  I didn't tell him what was in this dish until he finished.  He was pretty impressed!  This recipe is a great way to mask some nutrient rich vegetables.  Hope you like it!  I'm happy that we have plenty leftover for a quick meal tomorrow.  Serves: 6

 

1/3 c canola/vegetable oil
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped (I used red onion)
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
Cayenne pepper, to taste  ( I used about 1/2 tsp)
2 tbsp tomato paste

2 c okra, chopped (Couldn't find this fresh so I used the frozen stuff)
2 stocks Swiss chard, chopped
3 spicy pork sausages, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
3 c water
1 tsp sea salt
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined (1 lb = 1 bag PC raw shrimp)
Chopped fresh Italian parsley, to garnish

1.       In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, about 5-7 minutes.

2.       With a wooden spoon, stir in onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes.

3.       Add cayenne pepper and tomato paste, then mix well to combine. Gently fold in okra, Swiss chard, sausage and bay leaves. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add water and salt, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes.

4.       Add shrimp, then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until shrimp is light pink and opaque. Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley, if desired.

I served without the rice, as more of a stew.  Neither my husband nor I had even heard of Okra.  I was pretty good.  Not much of a flavour to it - - almost looks like a jalapeno pepper.  I will definitely cook with it again.