Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Based off of a friend's recipe, plus these recipes from Allrecipe and recipezaar. Below is my version, using chicken sausage since I don't eat the real thing!




Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb chicken breasts
1 package of al fresco Spicy Jalapeno chicken sausages (package of 4), cut in half vertically, then sliced into bite size pieces
1 large onion, chopped into bite size pieces
2 bell peppers (I used red and green), chopped into bite size pieces
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 cups chicken stock (I used bouillon cubes)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
About 2 cups frozen chopped okra
Optional: Hot Sauce (preferably Louisiana brand)
Brown rice, cooked

Directions:
Boil the chicken until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Once cooked, shred into bite size pieces.

Heat oil over medium heat in saute pan. Add sausage, onions, peppers, celery, and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and celery is soft.

Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large soup pot 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.

When you're happy with the color of your roux, add 2 cups of chicken broth, stir, making sure there are no lumps or anything sticking to the bottom of the pan. Then add the remaining 2 cups of broth. Add in the sausage/vegetable mixture once that is soft enough as well as the reserved shredded chicken. Add bay leaf, cajun seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add okra and another 1-2 cups of water depending on how thick you would like the gumbo. Simmer for another 20 minutes.

Serve gumbo over brown rice, or mix rice into the gumbo right before serving.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti

Adapted from this Paula Deen recipe.


Ingredients:
Pam Cooking Spray
3 chicken sausages (I used these since I had them leftover)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons oil
1 (15-ounces) can pumpkin puree
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground sage
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound ziti pasta, cooked
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 pan with the Pam.

Cook sausage in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until fat is rendered about 8 minutes. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and set aside. Discard any fat from the skillet in excess of 2 tablespoons.

Add onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and oil to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until soft; about 3 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree, chicken stock and sage. Mix together and add salt. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in sausage. Simmer until the sauce comes together and is thickened slightly.

Add cooked pasta and parsley to the skillet and gently toss all the ingredients together to coat. Pour rigatoni mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Apparently today is World Vegetarian Day!! Luckily, I was already planning to make this veggie dish, and by using veggie stock instead of chicken, it's easily made vegetarian! Recipe adapted from this Rachael Ray recipe.



Ingredients:
1 quart vegetable stock
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 (10-ounce) box cooked frozen butternut squash
Nutmeg, grated, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
7 or 8 leaves fresh sage, slivered
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 box frozen sweet peas
1 box frozen corn kernels

Directions:
Bring 1 quart stock plus 1 cup water to a simmer in a sauce pot then reduce heat to low.

Heat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat with olive oil. When oil ripples, add the onions and garlic and soften 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and toast 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and cook it out completely, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle in stock in intervals, a couple of ladles at a time. Allow liquids to evaporate each time. Risotto will cook 18 minutes, total, from the first addition of liquid. Defrost the squash in your microwave in a dish to collect any liquids and stir in squash the last 3 minutes of cook time, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. In the last minute of cooking time, stir in butter in small pieces, sage leaves and cheese, serve.