Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: Cajun Country Cooking by Connie Vines,

Flash Back to the Past! 

It's Cajun Cooking!

I miss Justin Wilson's Cajun Cooking Show.

I watched him on weekends. My husband is from Louisiana and enjoyed the mini-vacation to the south when he watched his shows.

Gotta love Justin Wilson's funny stories.  And, no matter what was on the stove, everything needed more wine! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4umRMJlrs

Gumbo Ya Ya an anthology for women who like Cajun romance, includes recipes for delicious Cajun meals.  All are home-cook friendly.

                                                                Gumbo and rice

Instant Pot Gumbo is so easy to make! Loaded with sausage, chicken, and shrimp, this is a family favorite!

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes Total: 45 minutes

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 cup celery chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

13.5 ounces Andouille sausage cut into rounds

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

3 cups chicken broth

1 pound chicken cubed

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (or to taste, I used Tony Chachere’s)

10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles (aka Rotel tomatoes)

14 ounces fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

1 cup okra sliced

1 pound shrimp peeled, deveined

4 cups cooked rice

Instructions

I spray my Instant Pot with non-stick PAM for easy clean-up

Set Instant Pot to "Saute" function and add olive oil. Add peppers, onion, celery, garlic, and sausage. 

Sausage, peppers, celery, onion, and garlic are cooked in an Instant Pot to make Instant Pot Gumbo.

Saute for 3-5 minutes or until vegetables become soft. Remove all vegetables and sausage. Set aside. 

Sausage, peppers, onion, and celery. Immediately add butter and stir, scraping up any cooked bits from the bottom of the pot.

 

When butter is melted, add flour to make a roux. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly forming a light roux. If you want to make a "dark roux", cook for 30-40 minutes until the roux becomes a dark, golden brown color. Turn the cooker off. 

Add chicken broth, cooked vegetables, and sausage, chicken, Creole seasoning, diced tomatoes with chiles, fire-roasted tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. 

Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Turn the steam release handle to the “Sealing” position (see notes above about avoiding the "burn" notice).

Chicken, tomatoes, may leaves, salt, and pepper in an Instant Pot.

Press "Manual" and select “High Pressure." Set time to 20 minutes. When time is up, turn the cooker off.  Quick-release by turning the valve to "venting". 

When pressure is fully released, remove the lid and stir in okra. Press "Saute", and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

Okra added to the gumbo in an Instant Pot

Add shrimp and cook an additional 5 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. 

Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve with rice. 

A bowl of Instant Pot gumbo made with chicken, sausage, shrimp, peppers, onions, okra, and seasonings with rice served on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 224mg | Sodium: 1517mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1410IU | Vitamin C: 49.4mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3.6mg

Remember: Instant Pot instructions may vary by manufacturer.  I have a Pioneer Woman version, the instructions and the buttons are different.

More adventurous in your dining?

You will find my recipe for fried gator 'bites' in my Gumbp Ya Ya anthololgy! 

                                                                    Fried Gator Bites

Happy Reading and wishing Ya'll adventures in cooking,

Connie