Viva Italia Gumbo Ratatouille W Sausage And Chicken Recipes

ONE GREAT GUMBO WITH CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, 1 turn of the pan, and 1 pound of the diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of poultry seasoning. Brown on all sides, about 2 or 3 minutes. Chop your veggies while it's working. Add half the andouille to the pan and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chicken and sausage to a dish and repeat with remaining chicken and sausage, remembering to season the diced chicken as you go. Return pan to heat and add butter. When the butter melts, add chopped celery, peppers, onion and bay. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes to begin to soften veggies. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the broth and bring liquid up to a boil. Add okra, chicken and sausage to the boiling broth, then stir in your tomatoes and half of your fresh thyme. Bring back up to a bubble, reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors and adjust your seasonings. Serve gumbo with chopped thyme and scallions to garnish. Scoop cooked white rice into the center of bowlfuls of gumbo using an ice cream scoop. Enjoy!

ITALIAN-STYLE GUMBO RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook rice as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour and 1/4 cup cheese; cook and stir 5 min. or until mixture comes to boil. Add sausage, celery, peppers and onions; cook 15 min., stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth and shrimp; cook 10 min. or until mixture is heated through and shrimp are done, stirring occasionally.
• Spoon shrimp mixture over rice; top with remaining cheese.

RATATOUILLE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Trim and discard the stems from the zucchini and summer squash and slice them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
• Peel the onion and dice into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the peppers in half, remove and discard the stems and seeds, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Remove and discard the stem from the eggplant and cut into 3/4-inch chunks.
• Cut the Italian sausage into 1/4- to 3/8-inch-thick slices and place in a large stock pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add the zucchini, squash, onion, and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables start to soften. Add the eggplant and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender. Stir in the tomatoes and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are cooked through. Serve warm.
• Food Trivia
• Everyone has their own version of how to cut an onion without crying. I'm not convinced that any of them work, but the most popular versions seem to be: 1) freeze the onions for half an hour before chopping; 2) peel them under running water; 3) don't slice the onion root, which releases the strongest fumes; 4) breathe through your nose while chopping. And we can't forget to include holding a piece of bread in your mouth as you chop, although I suggest you try this one when no one else is around.
• VEG OUT
• Do I even have to say you can leave out the Italian sausage?