Cook the Enemy Gumbo

Recipe in SL September 2023 here

 

1 cup canola oil
1 cup (about 4 1/4 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lb. andouille sausage, sliced (about 4 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large [13 oz.] onion)
2 cups chopped green bell peppers (from 2 medium [1 lb. total] peppers)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery (from 3 to 4 large [about 8 oz. total] celery stalks)
6 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
8 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1 lb. frozen cut okra
1 1/2 lb. medium peeled and deveined raw shrimp
Hot cooked rice

Prepare roux:
Stir together oil and flour in a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until mixture turns the color of milk chocolate, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Cook sausage and vegetables:
While roux cooks, heat a large skillet over medium. Cook andouille in 2 batches in skillet, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3 to 6 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer andouille from skillet to a medium bowl; set aside. Add onion, bell peppers, and celery to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside until ready to use.
Simmer gumbo:
Stir cooked onion mixture into roux in Dutch oven. Gradually add stock, whisking constantly. Stir in salt, thyme, cayenne, bay leaves, and cooked andouille. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Finish and serve:
Stir frozen okra into mixture in Dutch oven; cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until okra is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand until shrimp is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve over hot rice.  

 

Greek Diner Lemon Chicken

Found in SL Jan/Feb 2026 issue here

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, plus more leaves for garnish
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp grated lemon zest, + 1/4 cup fresh juice from 1 lemon, divided, + more zest and wedges for garnish
2 tsp kosher salt, divided
4 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 small white onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 2 tbsp)
1 cup uncooked white basmati rice
2 cups unsalted chicken broth
Crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together oregano, paprika, black pepper, lemon zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Add chicken; cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside on a plate.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet; heat over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a simmer over medium, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Return chicken to skillet, gently pressing into rice mixture. Remove from heat.

Cover and bake until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Add lemon juice, and fluff rice with a fork. Top with more lemon zest, oregano leaves, and crushed red pepper. Serve with lemon wedges. 

 

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co Shrimp Etouffee

Found the recipe here.

2 pounds unpeeled medium fresh Shrimp
3 cups Water
2 cup chopped Onion
4 cloves Garlic peeled and minced
2 tablespoons Butter melted
1 cup slices Green Onions
3 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/3 cup chopped fresh Parsley
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
Hot Cooked Rice, enough for 8 servings to serve
Parley to garnish
Lemon Wheels or Wedges to garnish

Peel and devein shrimp, reserving the shells and tails. Set shrimp aside.
Place shells and tails in a medium saucepan.
Add water.
Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Pour the liquid through a wire mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the shells and tails. Set strained stock aside.
Place prepared onion and garlic in a large skillet.
Add melted butter.
Place skillet over medium high heat. Stirring constantly, sauté onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.
Add 2 cups of the reserve stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in prepared shrimp and green onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl or cup, combine cornstarch and an additional 1/2 cup of the reserved stock. Stir to mix well.
Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into shrimp mixture. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Serve over rice, garnished with parley and a lemon wheel or wedge.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co Shrimp Creole

 Found the recipe here.

2 tablespoons Butter
1 small Onion peeled and chopped
1 small Green Pepper seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped Celery
2 cloves Garlic minced
One 16-ounce can whole Tomatoes undrained and chopped
One 8-ounce can Tomato Sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/8 teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh medium Shrimp peeled and deveined
Hot Cooked Rice to serve

Add butter to a Dutch oven.
Place over medium heat.
When butter has melted and is hot (do not burn), add onions, green pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly, until tender.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme and ground red pepper. Stir to mix well. Cook for 15 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached, stirring constantly.
Add shrimp. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.
Serve hot over hot cooked rice.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo

 This looks more like the gumbo I grew up eating. Hoping it taste as good.

1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
2 pounds boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
2 quarts Water
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 cups chopped Onion
1 3/4 cups chopped Celery
1 1/2 cups chopped Green Pepper
1/2 cup chopped Green Onions
4 cloves Garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Thyme
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
3 Bay Leaves
One 14 1/2-ounce can Chicken Broth
One 8-ounce can Tomato Paste
1/2 pound smoked Sausage sliced
1 pound unpeeled medium fresh Shrimp
Hot cooked Rice to serve 

Preheat oven to 350°F.
To a Dutch oven or large cooking pot, add chicken and water.
Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is done.
Remove from heat.
Remove chicken from the broth. Set aside to cool.
Strain the broth in a large container. Set aside.
When cooled to the touch, chop chicken into pieces. Set aside.
Place the flour in a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan.
Place pan in preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until very brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Set aside.
Pour oil into the Dutch oven. Place back over medium high heat.
When oil is hot and shimmering, add onion, celery, green pepper, green onions and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until tender.
Add browned flour, thyme, oregano, black pepper and bay leaves. Cook, stirring until smooth.
Add reserved broth (from cooking the chicken earlier), chicken, canned broth, tomato paste and sausage. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Peel and de-vein shrimp and remove tails.
Add to the broth mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Do not overcook the shrimp.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Serve hot over prepared rice.

Hunan Beef

This spicy dish came through email from Blog Chef and can be found here. We doubled it for 6 with no leftovers so keep that in mind if you make the original recipe amount.


1.5# flank steak, sliced into thin strips
2 egg whites
2 tablespoon cornstarch
oil for frying
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
Several drops sesame oil to taste
4 garlic cloves (minced)
8 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoon dry sherry
¼ teaspoon salt

Boil/Steam broccoli, drain, set aside for mixing with beef.
In a medium bowl combine beef, egg white and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside. In another bowl mix together soy sauce and chili paste. Mix in cornstarch, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Set aside.
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375°. Deep fry strips of beef in batches for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sauce mixture to the wok and cook until it becomes thickened and bubbly. Mix in cooked beef strips and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broccoli. Remove from the pan to a platter and set aside.
Serve over white rice.

Cindy's Mexican Rice

This was the most delicious, flavorful rice I think I've had. I've tried mixes and various recipes but they just didn't taste good. You have got to give this recipe a go.

2 tbsp of coconut oil
4 cups of rice
4 tbsp tomato bouillon crumbles
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp minced jarred garlic
big handful of cilantro
6 cups of chicken stock or water & add 4 tbsp chicken crumbles

Melt the oil in your pot. Add the rice and lightly brown it. We cooked this on med-high heat.
Add the chicken stock, bouillon, cumin, black pepper, garlic, cilantro. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and let it cook until the water has evaporated. I can't remember how long this took, maybe 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Check the rice for tenderness and if you need to add more stock.
We ate this with shredded cheese and sour cream and refried beans and salsa all mixed together on a tortilla or with tortilla chips. It was awesome!

Slow-Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken

This recipe came in an email and it was one of several recipes from something I signed up for. This is from Foodie With Family. We made it today and had it after church tonight and the kids ate every piece. It was everything she said it was! We forgot the sesame seeds at the end but it was still awesome.

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (we used bone in breasts)
salt and pepper
¾ cup honey (1½ cups)
½ cup soy sauce (1 cup)
½ cup minced onion (1 cup)
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup (¾ cup)
1 tablespoon canola oil (2 tbsp)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (2 tbsp)
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger (2 tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (2 tbsp of minced from the jar)
¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (1½ tsp)
4 teaspoons cornstarch (3 tbsp)
¼ cup of water (½ cup)
Serve with: Hot cooked rice, Sesame seeds, Scallions, thinly sliced

Very lightly season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place them in the slow cooker. If you're using breasts, cut into chunks or you'll need to shred it before serving.

Whisk the honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, canola and sesame oils, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes together in a mixing bowl and pour over the chicken thighs. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate or bowl and cover lightly with foil, leaving the pan juices in the slow cooker. Shred the chicken before putting back into sauce.

Stir the cornstarch into the water with a fork or small whisk until dissolved. Whisk the mixture into the pan juices in the slow cooker. Re-cover the slow-cooker and turn the heat to high. Let it cook and thicken for 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer the chicken back into the slow-cooker. Serve the pieces of chicken over the hot cooked rice, spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Fried Rice

Bobby at BlogChef.net created this recipe and you can find it here. Now if I could only remember to cook my rice a day ahead it might be an even bigger hit at my house. Though I did just try putting it in the oven and baking it at 400° for awhile and that seemed to dry it out some.  
 

3 cups white rice                                                       6 cups
1/8 cup sesame oil                                                   ¼ cup sesame oil
1 cup frozen veggies                                                2 cups frozen veggies
½ cup onion (chopped)                                           1 cup onion 
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or more)                    4 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs (slightly beaten)                                           3 eggs
1/3 cup soy sauce                                                    2/3 cup soy sauce

Boil peas and carrots until tender; drain.

In a wok heat sesame oil. Add onions and garlic and stir fry until tender. Add peas and carrots.

If you want to add chicken or pork or shrimp, this is where we added it, already cooked.

Lower the heat and add the eggs and stir fry until finely scrambled.

Add the rice and soy sauce and blend well. Stir fry a few seconds or until heated thoroughly.