Quick Gumbo Food

SUNNY'S QUICKEST SAUSAGE "GUMBO" EVER

Steps:

• In a large pot on medium heat, add the butter and sausage. Cook, stirring, until color and a light crust forms on most sides of the sausage, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper and onion blend and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the bright red of the paste becomes a muted reddish brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning blend and cook it the same way as the tomato paste, ensuring the spices bloom and become fragrant. Add the stock, bring to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Pour over prepared rice and hit with a shake of your favorite hot sauce.

VALERIE'S VERY BEST GUMBO

Steps:

• Warm 1 cup oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until hot. Add the flour to the pot all at once, whisking until the consistency is uniform. Cook the roux, whisking occasionally, until it is the color of a tarnished penny, about 20 minutes. Do not let it darken any further. Carefully add the celery, bell peppers, onion, chopped scallions and garlic to the pot, working away from you as the hot roux may spatter. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables, about 1 quart, and stir to combine. The roux may separate. Add the tomatoes with their juices, andouille and smoked sausages, cayenne, bay leaves, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper and the remaining stock, about 1 more quart. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the okra and cook, stirring, until the gel dries out slightly, about 3 minutes. Add to the Dutch oven.
• Taste the gumbo for seasoning and adjust as desired. Add the chicken, cook until warmed through and serve, or simmer up to 2 hours more to concentrate the flavors, adding the chicken 20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with the reserved sliced scallions and serve over rice. Serve with hot sauce and file powder if using.

QUICK ROTISSERIE CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• Cook the sausages in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausages from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the flour is a deep caramel color, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, Creole seasoning and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in the broth; add the chicken, tomatoes, okra, Worcestershire sauce and sausage.
• Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender and the broth has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Serve the gumbo over the hot cooked rice topped with the scallions. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.
• Photograph Courtesy of Time Inc. Books/Alison Miksch.

ONE GREAT GUMBO WITH CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, and 1 pound of the diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of poultry seasoning. Brown on all sides, about 2 or 3 minutes. Chop your veggies while it's working. Add half the andouille to the pan and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chicken and sausage to a dish and repeat with remaining chicken and sausage, remembering to season the diced chicken as you go. Return pan to heat and add butter. When the butter melts, add chopped celery, peppers, onion and bay. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes to begin to soften veggies. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the broth and bring liquid up to a boil. Add okra, chicken and sausage to the boiling broth, then stir in your tomatoes and half of your fresh thyme. Bring back up to a bubble, reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors and adjust your seasonings. Serve gumbo with chopped thyme and scallions to garnish. Scoop cooked white rice into the center of bowlfuls of gumbo using an ice cream scoop. Enjoy!

QUICK & EASY CHICKEN-SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Cook sausage over high heat in Dutch oven 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Remove sausage with a slotted spoon.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Add enough oil to drippings in Dutch oven to equal 3 tablespoons, and whisk in flour; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes.
• Add onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in broth and next 2 ingredients.
• Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add sausage and chicken; simmer, covered, 5 minutes.
• Serve over rice.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• In a heavy Dutch oven, combine flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir about 10 minutes more or until mixture is reddish brown. , Add the onion, celery, green pepper and green onions; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, water, okra, paprika, salt, oregano and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. , Add shrimp and parsley. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until seafood is done. Remove from heat; stir in Cajun seasoning.

EASY SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• Cook and stir oil and flour in a skillet over medium heat until mixture is thick and the color of peanut butter, about 20 minutes.
• Stir onion, green bell pepper, and celery into flour mixture; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Add Cajun seasoning, garlic, and black pepper; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock over vegetable-sausage mixture; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

"BIG EASY" GUMBO

Steps:

• In 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Gradually stir in flour with whisk; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until flour is chocolate colored. (Do not burn mixture.)
• Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, Creole seasoning and garlic. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth. Add chicken, sausage and black-eyed peas. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in shrimp; cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp are pink.

HALF-HOUR CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; if desired, serve with cornbread.

QUICK SHRIMP GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in sausage; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until sausage begins to brown. Add green pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, seasonings and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. , Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in shrimp. Cook 3-4 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in rice. Remove from the heat. , Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve with lemon slices if desired.

QUICK AND EASY GUMBO

Steps:

• Saute frozen veggies in oil in a dutch oven until tender, adding all spices. Stir ocassionally.
• Add broth, tomatoes, chicken and rice to vegetable mixture and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until rice and veggies are done.
• Enjoy.

QUICK 'N EASY GUMBO

Steps:

• Pour a glass of nice red wine and have a drink.
• Put some Italian opera on the stereo and turn volume up.
• Start a big pot of rice, I prefer white rice to serve this gumbo over.
• Rice is on the top shelf to the right.
• Cut meat into nice bite-sized slices, keeping fingers clear of blade.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a big pot and slowly saute meat with garlic and onions.
• Try not to eat too much of the meat while you cook or allow family members to.
• Precooked meats like the pork will speed process.
• Uncooked meats like chicken or shrimp can be quickly boiled in chicken broth and tossed in later.
• Never under cook chicken.
• Saute until lightly browned.
• Add broth to the pot and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to medium and then add all the other ingredients one at a time starting with firmer vegetables first (they need more cooking) and soft last.
• Toss in spices last.
• Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are blended and cooked to your liking.
• Not over cooked or too soft is how I like it.
• Maybe fifteen minutes tops.
• The longer you cook the more the flavors will blend, but I prefer separate identifiable flavors so I cook less.
• Now taste your results being careful not to burn your tongue no matter how hungry you are.
• You're going to need that tongue later.
• Add ingredients according to your liking.
• I like to toss in some of the wine I'm drinking and I always add more garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
• Don't make it too spicy or your wife will not enjoy it.
• Serve over rice in big bowls.
• Put salt and pepper and Tabasco on the table for others to adjust flavors to their liking.
• You can now add more Tabasco to your own bowl and give your wife a wink.
• Turn off the TV and try talking to each other for a change.
• Finish the bottle of wine and go for a walk around the neighborhood after dinner to aid digestion.
• Enjoy!

QUICK CHICKEN "GUMBO"

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Saute garlic, onion, and bell pepper, stirring often, until onion is translucent (about 3 minutes).
• Add chicken to skillet and sear on all sides. (about 3 - 5 minutes).
• Sprinkle seasoning over chicken. Add broth, tomatoes with their liquid, hot sauce, and okra. Stir to break up okra.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until everything is heated through and slightly thickened.

QUICK GUMBO

Steps:

• Peel and devein shrimp, reserving heads and shells in a 6-quart stockpot. Add 12 cups water, 1 stalk celery and bay leaves, and simmer 30 minutes over medium heat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, and saute okra over gentle heat, stirring continuously, until dry, about 20 minutes.
• In another large skillet, heat remaining oil, and saute remaining vegetables with salt, cayenne and pepper until soft. Strain stock into clean pot, add vegetable mixture with thyme and simmer 30 minutes. Add shrimp, and simmer 10 minutes. Turn off flame. Add crab meat and oysters. Season with cayenne and pepper. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving over rice.

EASY GUMBO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add garlic, celery, bell peppers, onion, oregano, Creole seasoning, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and mix well. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Pour in chicken stock, water, rice, okra, sausage, tomatoes, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until sausage is heated through and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken and heat through, about 5 minutes more. Adjust seasonings to taste.

QUICK AND SIMPLE NEW ORLEANS GUMBO

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Stir in rice, celery, onion, and garlic. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine 2 remaining cups of chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken, kielbasa/polish sausage, green pepper, thyme, pepper, bay leaves, liquid smoke and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture. Stir in shrimp. Cook, uncovered, 4 - 6 minutes or until shrimp just turn pink and gumbo is thickened. Discard bay leaves.
• Remove rice from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes; stir in parsley.
• Place 1/2 cup rice in a bowl, and serve 1 cup of gumbo over the top.

QUICK AND EASY SAUSAGE AND CHICKEN GUMBO

Steps:

• Combine flour and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it forms a thick paste the consistency of cake frosting. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the flour turns dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. The darker the roux, the more depth of flavor, but don't burn it.
• Add onions, bell peppers, okra, celery, garlic, Creole seasoning, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender, 3 to 6 minutes.
• While vegetables are cooking, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add unopened bag of rice and boil, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove bag from water and drain. Cut open bag, pour rice into a bowl, and fluff.
• Stir chicken, kielbasa, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth into the cooked vegetables. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes. Serve gumbo over warm rice.

GUMBO IN A JIFFY

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook sliced sausage until browned on both sides. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and water; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and corn; cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. If desired, top with sliced green onions.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, whisk in flour. Continue whisking until the roux has cooked to the color of chocolate milk, 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the roux. If you see black specks in the mixture, start over.
• Stir onion, bell pepper, celery, and sausage into the roux; cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning; blend thoroughly. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken, and simmer 1 hour more. Skim off any foam that floats to the top during the last hour.