Cajun Gumbo

One of the few dishes that Jander can cook without supervision is gumbo - cajun-style. If you've never been to Louisiana, you probably never tasted it or even heard of it. In fact, when discussed in conversation, most of our friends are curious as to what 'gumbo' really is! Well, it's a thick soup or stew-like mixture of meat and/or seafood and vegetables normally served over rice. We also add tons of cajun spices (we like Tony Chachere's seasoning blends) to give it a slow spicy burn in the mouth and throat. This dish is absolutely yummy and perfect for the winter!

The base for the soup is a thickening powder which gives it a nice brown color. We normally add a can of diced tomatoes, diced potatoes, carrots, green beans, and okra. As for the protein portion, we like chunks of dark chicken meat or sausage, shrimp or crawfish (to make it an truly authentic cajun dish).

After several hours of slow cooking, here is a picture of the gumbo we made today! We skipped the rice but dipped it with Italian bread instead. It tastes even better the next day so we always make a big pot for leftovers.