Charlene's Recipe

Seaside shrimp and sausage gumbo

Category: for the heart

Serves 6: 1 cup per serving

1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
vegetable oil spray
4 oz reduced fat smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
3 cups frozen bell pepper stir fry mix (bell peppers and onion)
1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cups water
10 oz frozen sliced okra
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 medium bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp red hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/4 cup water
1 cup uncooked rice
8 oz peeled raw medium shrimp
1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
1/2 tsp salt

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour flour in Dutch oven and cook for 3 minutes or until golden, stirring constantly. Pour into a small bowl.
Lightly spray Dutch oven with vegetable oil spray. Increase heat to medium high. Cook sausage for 3 minutes or until richly browned, stirring constantly. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Put bell peppers, tomatoes with liquid, 1 1/4 cup water, okra, lemon juice, sugar, bay leaves, thyme and hot pepper sauce in Dutch oven, scraping bottom and sides to dislodge any browned bits.
Whisk remaining 1/4 cup water into flour. Stir mixture into gumbo. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until bell peppers are very soft, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, prepare rice using package direction, omitting salt and margarine.
Stir shrimp into gumbo. Cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp are pink on outside and opaque in center. Remove from heat.
Stir in remaining ingredients, including sausage and rice.