Several years ago I visited my son's 4th grade classroom to share some regional foods of America. It was a lot of giggles seeing kids try okra for the first time and explore some of the southern foods they don't get to have often here. One of the class all time favorites (with bells, whistles, several helpings and begging for more) was this chicken gumbo! Who knew? Well, the irony of this one is that it was all made from freeze-dried food. It was all dried including the okra. I still can't find it freeze dried anywhere besides my friends at North Bay Trading Company! However, I'm having a hard time actually not eating it! It's like popcorn, but good for me!
I love fresh tender okra too. I swear, I should have been born in Georgia. Wait...did someone from Macon lose a daughter in Logan, Utah in the mid 70's? If so, she's been living quite comfortably with the Mormons and needs more okra! Okay. Admittedly, I seriously belong in my family. We have some southern relatives back in the family tree so that probably explains my okra-fetish. Admittedly, I'm also out of okra. That's embarrassing. 5 years later, this is still a favorite around my house. I'm making these again this year for Christmas!
This is a classic chicken Andouille gumbo. Using freeze-dried sausage along with the smoke and spices in this recipe mimic the andouille sausage traditionally used in good Southern Gumbo. I get all my freeze-dried ingredients from my own website: Thrive Life Chef Tess and the powdered sauce mixes from a place called Firehouse Pantry Store.
Chef Tess Chicken and
Rice Gumbo
1/2 cup instant rice
1/3
cup freeze dried sausage
2 T
ultra gel or cornstarch
1/3
cup dehydrated onion
¼
cup tomato powder
1/3
cup freeze dried celery
2T
worcestershire powder
2T
dehydrated parsley flakes
1T
dehydrated minced garlic
½
tsp buffalo wind sauce powder
1 ½
tsp chicken bouillon powder
½
tsp hickory smoke powder
In a Quart Sized Jar layer the ingredients, shaking the powdered ingredients into the solid ones. Top with an oxygen absorber and close tightly.
In a Quart Sized Jar layer the ingredients, shaking the powdered ingredients into the solid ones. Top with an oxygen absorber and close tightly.
To
Prepare meal: Combine contents with 4 ½ cups boiling water. Simmer
5-7 minutes. Yields 6 cups
If you omit the rice, it is lower carbohydrate for diabetics.
There you go.
Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess
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