Friday, March 16, 2012

Healthier Gumbo with Flaxseed & Coconut oil

Here is a healthier version of my Gumbo. Using turkey sausage cuts down on the fat.  Using brown rice instead of white adds fiber & also has lower glycemic index. Flaxseed adds fiber and is super heart healthy. Flaxseed has lots of Omega 3's which are anti-inflammatory. And I keep reading & hearing great things about coconut oil. Dr. Oz & lots of others believe that adding 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to your diet everyday reduces belly fat. I've just recently started using the coconut oil, so hope to post more recipes with it later.

 HEALTHIER GUMBO   
 
1 pkg. Turkey smoked sausage (cut in 1/4 in. pieces)
chopped onion 
2-3 tbsp Coconut oil
1 pkg. frozen okra
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 can RoTel tomatoes
chopped jalapeno or a couple dashes of hot sauce 
2 cups brown rice
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
chicken broth (about 4 small cans)
shredded cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-4 pieces depending on how much chicken you want) OR use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store
Cayenne Pepper or Cajun Seasoning (a few dashes)
Minced garlic (to your taste)
2 handfuls of large thawed frozen shrimp (if desired)

 Place sausage & onion in soup pot with a coconut oil and stir fry a few minutes until sausage is browned & onions are tender. Add chicken broth, rice & flaxseed & bring to a boil for about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, okra, chicken and Cayenne Pepper and garlic to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Add more chicken broth if needed, depending on how soupy you want it.

Add a couple of handfuls of large shrimp to the pot the last 5 minutes.  I use thawed frozen shrimp. FYI – if you cook the shrimp too long, it will be rubbery. The frozen shrimp is already cooked, so you just need to incorporate it into your soup.

2 comments:

  1. this is a soup, but a gumbo is a roux. dont get me wrong, this soup looks amazing. but you might consider incorporating all of these ingredients into a roux. with a good roux, if you cook the shrimp first with the sausage and veggies before adding flower and then chicken broth, if you cook the shrimp the entire cook time, if you cook it long enough, the shrimps will melt in your mouth like butter. and i love coconut oil and i add flax seed to most everything anymore. tacos last night, to casseroles..

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  2. I am not a chef. I know that a "true" gumbo is made with a roux. I also know that a good roux takes a lengthy amount of time. I am just a normal person trying to help people by sharing recipes for healthy food that is easy to prepare. I would never leave a negative comment on someone's blog. I'm a firm believer in "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".

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