Back Home Again in Layton

Well a big welcome home to my beautiful daughter Brynn from her adventures in West Yellowstone.   We teased her that she would come home with a boy friend with cowboy boots and a big belt buckle.   Didn't happen, but she had a great time.   We also enjoyed visiting her several times.   Now if we can only talk her in to doing it again next year so we have an excuse to go up more often.    The poor thing though is in shock having to live with 5 boys again in a small house.   Her brothers are all really glad she is home and so are her parents.   I am still waiting for her to bake something for me since she learned how to bake at the bakery from Mrs. Salmon.   Her cherry pie is to die for!!!!!!!   And so is everything else she makes.    If you didn't make it to West Yellowstone this year, you have to plan to go next year and stop by the Woodside Bakery next to the playmill and stay in the Hadley's Motel.   Anyway, enough talk of delectible pies and brownies and cakes and such.   I love to cook and especially love Gumbo.   For those who don't know and aren't Cajun, Gumbo is a Cajun soup that is flavored by a roux made of oil or fat and flour that has been cooked in a cast iron pan for about 45 minutes till the roux is almost black in color.    Then the Cajun Holy Trinity (Peppers, Onions and Celery) is added and cooked down then added to your soup base.  Obviously that isn't health concious, then I found a great trick that is almost as good.   Here is my recipe.....enjoy!

H's Almost Fat Free Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
2 roasted chickens (bought the already cooked ones at the store. Could use just breast meat.)
1 package Jeanie-0 Turkey Kielbasa
2 large cans Swanson's 100% Fat Free Chicken Broth, Low Sodium
3/4 cup flour
2 Red Peppers
2 Grenn Peppers
2 large Onions
5 Stalks Celery
2 cloves garlic minced
Cajun Seasoning - I love Tony Chachere!!!   could use cayenne instead, less sodium.
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or Pam cooking spray
Cooked Brown Rice
Optional is cut okra or file' powder for thickening.

in a 400 degree oven put flour on baking sheet and bake.   Stiring often to not burn.    Flour witll turn to a dark brown color.    If you burn it, through it away and start over.
Mix flour in with cold water to make a slurry.   Mix well so there are no lumps.
Pull chicken from the bones, or pull breast meat apart.
In non-stick pan, brown sliced kealbasa.   I cut it in half and then then chop to make half moon shapes.
add olive oil or pam spray to non stick pan and sautee all the vegetables after dicing.   Cook till softened.
Heat broth in large pot.   When boiling, add flour slurry and stir to avoid lumps.   Add vegetables, chicken, kielbasa and cajun seasoning.   
Put 1/2 cup brown rice in a bowl, and add a ladel or 2 of the gumbo over the rice.    mmmmmmmmmm!!!

To report on my weight loss......I am down 25 pounds now in 6 1/2 weeks.  
"Lookin good Billy-Ray.   Feeling good Louis."