chicken and okra gumbo

i have been feeling pretty homesick lately and thought a tasty pot of gumbo might help. it was a lot of fun to make because kevin and i made it together. i spent several days searching for some filé (ground sassafras leaves), but it is not available in Vegas... i cried... LOL! however, we made the gumbo without it and it was just as wonderful!! it just reminded me that i'm not in Louisiana anymore! SO... here's our recipe... bon appétit

Chicken and Okra Gumbo

1 whole chicken boiled and deboned
4 stalks celery diced
1 onion diced
2 medium green bell peppers diced
1 16 ounce bag sliced okra
4 cans chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic
2 teaspoons parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning and salt to taste


~ heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot, then add 1 cup flour. this is making a "roux" and is used to thicken your gumbo and give it that pretty brown color.

~ it depends on your preference how long you cook the roux. kevin likes darker gumbo and i like lighter gumbo, so we met in the middle... this is what it will look like when it's ready... the longer you brown the flour, the darker it will get... if you cook it too long it will burn!!! so be careful!

~ to the roux, add your mirepoix *cajun style - "the trinity"* that would be your diced onion, bell peppers, and celery. cook them in your flour/oil mixture long enough to get them soft.

~ once your veggies are done add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

~ while you're waiting for your gumbo to boil, if you get a little thirsty, enjoy a nice cold beer from Abita Springs... yep, that would be in Louisiana... actually, kevin worked across the street from the brewery when we lived there! cool huh?!

~ once the broth and veggies come to a boil add your chicken, okra, and your seasonings (garlic, parsley, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, white pepper, Tony's, and salt)

~ return to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 30-45 minutes. the okra will also thicken the gumbo.
~ serve over rice and with some crusty french bread and a tall glass of sweet tea!

Ahhh... the taste of home!

i do these every year, couldn't resist!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

curried pumpkin and carrot soup

O.M.G. i had no idea pumpkin soup would taste so good!!!! LOL! i am really excited about this because this was my first attempt and i didn't really use a recipe, just played around with the ingredients... hope you guys like it! i'm sure you could do it with more pumpkin instead of the carrots if you want... i may try that next time!

Curried Pumpkin and Carrot Soup *i'm being lazy and don't want to list all the calories, but it ended up making 10 cups and 1 cup was 115 calories*

1 medium pumpkin
4 cups baby carrots
1 onion
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice *for roasting*
1/2 cup milk
4 chicken bullion cubes dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
4 cups milk
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
salt/pepper to taste


- preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- melt 1/2 cup butter or margarine in roasting pan
- clean all of the seeds out of the pumpkin and set them aside for roasting
- peel and cube the pumpkin and cut the onion into quarters.
- combine pumpkin, onion, and carrots in a roasting pan, tossing with butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice.
- roast for 30 minutes (or until tender but not blackened) *you may want to cut up the carrots, they were not as soft as the pumpkin after 30 min.*


- let roasted veggies cool.
- add chicken bullion broth and 1/2 cup milk, then puree with a hand blender/food processor/blender.


- mix pureed veggies with 4 cups milk in a large pot.
- season with curry powder, garlic, onion, cumin, salt, pepper, remaining pumpkin pie spice and bring to a boil.
- i topped ours with some shredded parmesan cheese and ate it with french bread. it also sat overnight and got pretty thick... you can add more chicken stock, milk, or water to make it thinner if you like... i kinda liked it thick!