Creole Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo

I am FINALLY feeling pretty normal again and cooking! You have no idea how hard it was to start a food blog right when I got pregnant--well some of you may know. Yep, big news, I am pregnant! Food was not my best friend, nothing seemed appetizing to me, which is pretty much the worse thing ever, for serious. BUT now I'm back and loving food and cooking again. My amazing husband gets a break...he has been a trooper and cooking dinner almost every night while I would lock myself in a room where I could not smell anything, the joys :)

This dish was full of amazing flavors, and comfort food to it's finest. My 2 year old daughter just gobbled this all up like it was her job; and for all you mommas out there, nothing makes you happier than when you see your child eating your meal!

Ingredients: 

Served 4-6, takes about 1 hour total (35-40 minutes of that is downtime)

1.5 cups of rice

1/4 cup oil for frying

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6-7 mushrooms, sliced (you can use a can)
• 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken breast meat
• 1 cup large shrimp, cleaned and cooked until just pink
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with liquid
• 1 cup chicken stock or bouillon
• 1 tsp parsley (or 2 Tbs fresh)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it, I only put 1/4 tsp)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 
  

Directions

1. Cook the rice in 3 cups of salted water.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn), for 5 minutes or until mixture is the color of a copper penny. Reduce heat to low and stir in bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms (if they are canned mushrooms, add them in step 2). Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Add chicken, chicken stock (or bouillon) tomatoes with green chile peppers, mushrooms, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Stir together, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cooked shrimp in the last 3 minutes to heat them up and to cook them fully.

Oh yes, enjoy this one on me!

Cathy