Sausage Gumbo (with no okra!)

I'm scared of okra. I don't know why. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that it looks like evil  jalapeno peppers.

So, this is officially okra-less gumbo. 

What did I use instead? CORN! I love the frozen sweet corn from Trader Joes. This particular bag had been in the freezer for...a while. It was beyond freezer burned. It was fine though...the ice melted pretty quickly after the corn hit the soup, and my gumbo only tasted a bit like college freezer ;)

Yum...corn popsicles! 

The original (and okra-filled) recipe is from Eating Well magazine waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy back in 2005. I've added some things, and subtracted some things, and made some po' girl substitutions. Regardless of how you decide to make it, you'll find that it fills you up and gets your nose running! 

Save the leftovers in an old spaghetti sauce jar in the fridge. If you put the soup in the jar while its still hot, then stick it in the fridge, the jar will reseal itself and you can save the soup for a while. Or if you want to save it for a long time, put it in some tupperware and freeze. Just don't add the rice at the end, or the rice will sop up all of the liquid. Add just enough rice for what you'll use right away, and save the rest in the fridge for later.

Okra-less Sausage Gumbo

(adapted from Eating Well)

Makes 4 servings/about 168 calories per serving

Ingredients

• 6 ounces hot (cajun, italian, etc.) turkey sausage links, removed from casings (or cut up)
• 1 teaspoons canola oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (I use canned tomatoes, and the juices from the can)
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups frozen chopped corn (or okra...if you really have to)
• 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked

Directions

1. Cook the brown rice (either on the stove or in a rice cooker, if you have one). Set aside.

2. Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels.

3. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add oil. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring to coat the vegetables, until the flour browns, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to release their juices, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, cover, and bring to a boil.

4. Return the sausage to the pot, along with corn; reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. 

5. Add the rice, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy! 

-Stephanie

Bunch of Crock: Crock-pot Enchiladas

I love putting food in a big warm pot and coming back to it 4 hours later.


If you're a college kid who doesn't have a crock pot, you'd better ask for one next birthday/valentines day/christmahanukwanzaa. Seriously. You could put something together, set it in here, come back after class and your shift at the library and have a hot meal waiting.


It's like a husband, but easier to maintain!


Anyways, this recipe makes a lot. You can keep the extras in the fridge for 1 week...I could probably do two weeks, but I like to live on the edge food-wise. If you don't want to make 8 enchiladas, halve the recipe. And again, if you don't have all the ingredients, don't worry about it.


(I asked my mom if I needed cumin, and she said "Hell no, that stuff smells like body odor anyways." True story.)

Crock Pot Enchiladas

Makes about 8

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced (any color)

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided 

2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa

12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn or BOTH*

Optional: 1 cup leftover meat - chicken, pork, hamburger, or shredded beef

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, meat (if using), and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the crock pot and spread it around evenly.

I really needed a bigger bowl. And more cheese.

Scoop about 1/3 cup of the mixture into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and place it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of cheese. Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. 

"Leave and get on with life for 4 hours..."

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt. Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. 

It looks better melted...
in fact, it looked so good I forgot to take pictures and I ate it right away.
 Nom. 

Happy eating,

Stephanie

*BOTH! These are wonderful. I hate pure corn tortillas, but the flour ones aren't as "good" for you. I bought these at Fred Meyer.

Black Bean Soup

I try and keep things somewhat healthy...I mean, if I only have so much money for so much food each month I had better make it worth it.


This recipe for black bean soup is WONDERFUL.  It's cheap to make, healthy to eat, tastes amazing, and makes plenty of leftover soup. 


As in all of my cooking adventures, you need to be willing to substitute things. I don't ever have limes around, but this recipe calls for lime juice. What do I do? Use that bottled lemon juice. Or lemonade. Use whatever, really. If you don't have Worcestershire sauce, either buy some and use it, or don't buy it. It's your money! 


The cilantro makes this taste almost salsa-y. And if you use smoked chipotle instead of chili powder the recipe is even more amazing. But let's be real...that shit's expensive...I only use it when I snag some from a trip to the grandparents :)

Leftovers! Also, this is not at my house...the kitchen's too nice. 

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 medium onions, chopped 
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 
  

Directions

Put the bacon into a pot and place it over medium heat. Cook about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Consume.