A few weeks ago, a couple of my brothers and I attended a conference in San Diego on diabetes.
Overall, we learned a great deal, and I loved one of they key thoughts for the day: “What are the complications of controlled diabetes? Absolutely nothing.” Certainly an important thing to remember if you’re dealing with this disease. Now, on to the gumbo recipe, which was given to us by Bobby Deen, the son of Paula Deen. We all had it for lunch at the conference, and I hope you’ll give it a try. It was fantastic.
Vegetarian Gumbo
serves 8
2 tb canola oil
4 tb all-purpose flour
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cleaned and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 oz sliced brown mushrooms (I also chopped them)
3 tb garlic, crushed
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (I used Trader Joe’s)
6 oz vegetarian spicy sausage
1 14.5 oz can no salt diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup okra, chopped
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I used McCormick)
Black pepper to taste
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, until flour turns golden-brown and smells toasty, about 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, mushrooms and garlic; cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes, sausage, okra, roasted red peppers, Cajun seasoning and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until gumbo begins to thicken and flavors are blended, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in the green onions and parsley.
