Chicken Jambalaya Soup

Chicken Jambalaya Soup

Tonight's post is Jambalaya that eats like a soup; perfect for a chilly winter day.  
 
My husband loves Jambalaya, and I had the mix on hand and I thought, why not in a soup?  This is a perfect lunch as you can make it ahead and keep it warm until ready to serve.  And it really is a chicken soup that will  "warm your soul." 

This is a quick and simple recipe that you can spice up or tone down.  It takes a little help from the grocery store, so it’s perfect when you don’t have a lot of time.

You can use lower sodium products in any combination if you want to keep this on the healthier side.   Fresh chives at the end are optional.

What a great way to use leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken!

Here you go:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced green bell or frying pepper

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

7 ounces pre-cooked Andouille sausage, sliced into bite sized rounds

8 ounce Jambalaya mix, regular or lower sodium

1 tsp. Creole seasoning (optional – omit for a milder dish)

48 ounces chicken broth or low sodium chicken broth (suggest Tuscan style)

1 1/2 cups pulled cooked chicken (white or dark meat or both) - skin removed

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, lightly chopped

Fresh chopped chives for garnish, optional

Directions:   

Add oil to soup pan or Dutch oven.   

Sauté the onion, pepper, and celery for about three minutes until softened. 

Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add the Andouille.   Cook over medium heat for about five minutes until the fat begins to render out.

Add the Jambalaya mix along with 32 ounces of the chicken broth.   Reserve the rest of the broth. Stir in Creole if seasoning using and the thyme.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, but about 25 minutes until rice is tender. 

Once the rice is ready, add remaining broth, and reduce heat, uncovered, until warmed through.

 

 

Top with fresh chopped chives and enjoy!

Notes:  Jambalaya mixes can vary in heat depending on brand.  Suggest adding the extra Creole seasoning after you taste the coup if you are not sure about the heat level.  If using a brown rice Jambalaya mix, adjust cooking time per recommendations on the box.   

I’ll see you soon.

 

 

 

Special Feature: The Food of Chile

Before I begin this post, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Chile of the recent earthquake.  We were not anywhere near the area where we had the earthquake, but my thoughts go out to family members of those we met in Santiago who live in that region of the country.

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                                          Seafood Salad at La Perla, Santiago, Chile

My husband, Dan, and I both compete in the amateur cooking contests, as you know.  As a prize for one of the contests Dan won, we were both guests of Santa Rita winery for his prize in the "Kick it Up a Nacho" contest.  Interestingly, he was a last minute entry.  We just got back this week.  What a great trip.

This post isn't going to be a travel-log.   I am not endorsing any of the establishments here.   I wanted to share some of my favorite that I had in Chile, so that you can get an idea as to what type of food to expect if you travel there.

Tonight's post will be a little different as I am not providing recipes as these are not my dishes.  But I wanted to show you the types of food that ate while there.  I will give you an idea of how these were prepared. 

I was amazed at how many American chains are in Santiago.  From fast food to Chinese, you can find it all.  But who wants to eat someplace where you can eat at home?

Let me start with my favorite meal.  As guests of the Casa Real at Santa Rita, we were treated to breakfast each day, and one lunch and two dinners at the hotel.  By far my favorite was this almond crusted salmon that we had for lunch.  Deliciously seasoned and perfectly. It was served with peeled, boiled potatoes and asparagus sautéed with translucent onion.  The almond crust was superb. 

I am going to try to recreate this dish.  I'll be posting my version very soon!
 

The salmon was served with a starter of pumpkin soup.  The pumpkin was pureed with other vegetables to create this delicious appetizer.  The soup was quite savory. 

My second favorite meal on property was at the Dona Paula restaurant on the Santa Rita winery grounds, just a short walk from Casa Real.  The Dona Paula is a national monument, and is said to have housed the 120 soldiers who helped win Chile's independence.    It was a delicious swordfish with the best lemon caper butter sauce I had ever eaten.  It was served with creamed spinach pie.

At the same meal, Dan had the mushroom sauced sirloin with fries.

We also had our last night at Casa Real.  It was sirloin with sautéed mushroom and onions and accordion potatoes.  The starter for this meal with a delicious warm shrimp and zucchini salad with a lime and cilantro vinaigrette

.  

The meals at the Santiago portion of our trip were not included (except for the daily buffet breakfast offered by the hotel).  We found a wonderful local seafood restaurant at the mall called La Perla.  The seafood salad you see at the top of this page -- we liked it so much that we ate it for lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.  It was big enough to split.  We also split a plate of crab empanadas (it comes in four pieces) on Saturday.  On Sunday we tried the beef empanadas instead.  I have to say, they were good, but I preferred the crab, especially with a drizzle of the lemon oil that they bring to your table.   The sauces you see in the picture below are served with bread.  I rather enjoyed the artichoke and cilantro sauce with crusty bread.  Yum!

There were more food experiences, such as a delicious Chilean Sea bass we were served for dinner the first night at Casa Real.  I will also be posting a great Trip Advisor review about a great wine and tapas bar we found in Santiago.  The wine bar was on our own dime, and unfortunately, we dug into the tapas before thinking about taking pictures. I did get pictures of the establishment.

Finally, you're probably wondering what you get for dessert?  We had a couple of great custard dishes (with chocolate), but I found this was the most interesting.  It was type of gelatin with blueberries with a cream sauce on the side. 

As you can see, the food in Chile, while perhaps not as adventuresome as Peruvian cuisine, is heavy on seafood and beef.  At the restaurants, you can also find more traditional dishes such as seafood casserole and seafood soup.   Jellies, jams and sauces are served with freshly baked bread.  This is a sampling of what we had. 

I hope you enjoyed this culinary journey, and I'll see you soon!

Lentil and Barley Soup

Looks good, huh? 

I don't know if I lost any weight; I will find out at my weigh-in on Saturday, but eating all of these "Power Foods," I feel amazing. 

Something came to mind yesterday:  When I was a "Skinny Mini Me" about 15 years ago, I used to eat like this often.  I guess with all the cooking contests and my interest in food, I've gotten away from it.  But I'm learning that one can still be a "foodie" and eat incredibly healthy. 

If you are doing Weight Watchers ®, according to the calculations I ran on their site's online e-tools, this recipe has a points value of only 3 for approximately a 1 1/4 cup serving.* 

Even if you are not watching your weight, it's a healthy "Power Food" option as a side dish for lunch or even a main dish with a nice side salad for dinner. 

If you want to decrease the points value even more, you can leave out the barley.  However, Google the health benefits of barley, and you'll see why you might want to include it.

Here you go:

Ingredients:

1/2 tbs. canola oil
1 cup sliced carrot (plus carrot greens, optional)
1/4 chopped celery
2 medium scallions, chopped, (white and light green parts only)
1 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups chopped uncooked kale
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
24 ounces cold water
1 1/2 cups dry green lentils
1 tsp. garlic powder
15 ounces whole peeled canned tomatoes with juice from can
1 tsp. course sea salt
1 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
32 ounces 50% reduced sodium vegetable broth
1/8 cup pearled barley (cooked by package directions)

Directions:

Add oil to soup pot.  Toss in the carrot, celery and scallions.  Cook for about three minutes until the vegetables soften. 

Add the carrot greens, if using.  Reverse a few for a garnish.  Mix well and cook for about a minute.

Add the rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper.  Continue to cook for about a minute until the fragrance of the rosemary and the red pepper release.

Add in the kale in batches, until it wilts.

Sprinkle in the nutmeg and toss with the kale. 

Add the water, the lentils and the garlic powder. 

Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon.  Mix well to combine ingredients. 

Add the sea salt, the cheese and the vegetable broth.  Stir. 

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, about 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, cook the barley per package directions and keep warm.

Portion out even amounts of the barley and add to bowls of soup. 

Enjoy!

I'll see you soon with more light and healthy recipes that foodies like me will love.

*Not an endorsement of the weight loss program, and no compensation was given to blogger. 

Garden Chicken Soup with Dumplings

I roasted a small chicken last night and had leftovers.  I also had leftover chicken in the freezer.  Being it's been cool down here lately, I thought chicken soup might be good.  I didn't have any noodles so I decided big dumplings might to the trick.  

Check out this dish.

Ingredients:

Leftover chicken on the bone
Seven cups of water, divided
2 medium onions
1 bay leaf
6 or 7 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1/2 large head cabbage, chopped
1/2 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons chicken soup base, more to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the Dumplings: 

2 cups baking mix
2/3 cup 2% milk

Directions:

Boil chicken in four cups of the water for about an hour, covered, until the chicken falls off the bones. 

 

Remove the chicken from the pot and once cooled, remove the bones.  Be sure to get any bones out of the pot that might have fallen in during the cooking process.   Skim the soup for fat.  Keep the chicken warm.

Add one peeled onion, whole to the pot along with the bay leaf.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, about two hours.

Add in all other ingredients for the soup.  Cover and continue to cook for at least an hour.  

About fifteen minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, mix the baking mix and the milk.  Drop big spoonfuls of the dough onto the top of the soup.   Cover and let the soup simmer lightly until the dumplings are done.

Enjoy!  

Lower Sodium Chicken & Vegetable Soup with Rice

So many people are watching their sodium intake these days.  It's not always easy to make delicious lower sodium soups at home.   I eliminated the salty soup base or broth which I normally use and opted for flavorful seasonings which make the soup tasty without all the salt.  The cannellini beans add in extra protein.  You can substitute red kidney beans if you like.

You can always add a little extra seafood seasoning at the table if you feel that you really need it.  I don't think you will.  

The vermouth is optional. 

Ingredients:

1 chicken leg quarter, skin removed
2 chicken wings, skin on
1 chicken back, skin on
6 cups of water plus one reserved
4 stalks celery, divided
1/2 large onion, peeled and halved again
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp seafood seasoning (I used Old Bay)
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. ground sage
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup extra dry vermouth
2 tbs. baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tbs. Italian seasoning
Cooked white or brown rice

Directions:

Add chicken to soup pot and pour in six cups of cold water.   Add two of the celery stalks, whole, the onion, and the bay leaf.  Sprinkle in the garlic powder, onion powder, seafood seasoning, salt, ground sage, and pepper.  Stir and add the vermouth to the pot.

Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, covered, for at least an hour and a half.  

Remove the wings and the chicken back.  Using two forks, gently debone the chicken leg quarter and remove the bones from the pot, leaving only the chicken in the soup.  

Add in the remaining celery, chopped, the carrots, the beans and the Italian seasoning.  Add an additional cup of cold water.  Bring to boil again and reduce to simmer, covered, for another 45 minutes. 

Skim fat as needed from pot. 

Serve over cooked rice and enjoy.

Here's to healthier eating!

Tribute to the 13 Colonies Part XI - Skinny New England Clam Chowder

My summer series is winding down.  I appreciate those of you who have written me who have enjoyed the regional variations on these recipes.  I'll be doing one more post, combining Delaware and Maryland either this weekend or early next week.  Then it's back to the old format where I post a variety of recipes.

Tonight we are traveling to New Hampshire.  New Hampshire has a long and interesting history in the founding of the US.  If you have the opportunity, read this Wiki.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire

I am told from friends who lived up there that New England clam chowder is a favorite in the state.  I have to admit, I am more of a fan of the red Manhattan chowder.  This version is lighter.  I recommend using the fat free half and half to create a thicker soup.  I've made the soup with 2% milk and it's perfectly fine, but it doesn't have as much body as it does when you use the half and half.

Makes two servings.

Ingredients:

1 small russet potato, peeled and diced, about 1 cup
1 can chopped clams, 6.5 ounces, drained but juice reserved
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
2 tablespoons cream cheese with chives, 1/3 less fat variety
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of Gumbo File
Fresh chopped chives

Directions:

Add diced potato, clam juice and cold water and one tablespoon of the butter into a sauce or stock pot.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, about ten minutes until potatoes are just under fork tender. 

Mash a couple of the potatoes with the back of a fork to add thickness to the soup base. 

Add the half and half, cream cheese, pepper, salt, and remaining tablespoon of the butter.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, whisking to make sure that the mixture doesn't boil over or scold.  You should start to see the soup thicken.

Add the clams.  Pull the soup from the heat.  Cover and let stand for about three minutes. It will continue to thicken.

Pour the soup into crocks and top with paprika and Gumbo File.  Fresh chives are optional.

Enjoy!

Cajun Market Chicken and Rice Soup

This soup reminds me of something that you get at one of those quaint markets in New Orleans; the type of place where you can buy a huge Po' Boy and freshly made soups by the quart for lunch.  I just love the pulled dark meat chicken in this soup as well as the robust New Orleans flavors.

Cajun Market Chicken and Rice Soup

The Cajun rice mix makes this soup complete.  If you cannot find the brand I used, simply add equal parts of onion powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika as well as a little butter to the cooking water while preparing white rice. 

Hot sauce is optional.

Note:  Chicken soup base can usually be found on the aisle in your grocery store where you buy the canned stock or broth.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Bay Leaves
5 cups cold water (one reserved)
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
1 15 ounce can diced tomato (do not drain)
2 small carrots, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
1 5.5 ounce package Knorr Cajun Sides Garlic Butter Rice Mix*
Louisiana hot sauce for passing at the table (optional)

Add oil to Dutch oven.  Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and desired amount of salt and pepper.  Brown on both sides, about five minutes.

Add bay leaves and five cups of water.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for 45 minutes.

Skim fat from soup.

Mix soup base with remaining cup of water until it is dissolved.  Add to soup pot. 

Add rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning and onion. 

Bring to boil again and reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Carefully remove chicken and bay leaves from pot.  Let chicken cool slightly so that you can pull chicken away from bone.  Discard bones and bay leaves.

Skim fat from pot.

Add canned tomatoes and juice.  Add chicken back to pot along with carrots and celery.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Prepare rice mix per package directions.

To serve, add a big scoop of prepared rice to the bottom of a soup bowl.  Add soup.  Top with hot sauce if using.

Great with crusty bread or garlic bread.

*Not an endorsement and no product was supplied to blogger.

Thanksgiving Leftover Recipe I - Turkey Chili

On Black Friday, you are probably doing one of two things;  shopping or working.   But, what about all that leftover turkey?  Either way, you need a no-fuss recipe.

This chili dish is mild enough to serve to the in-laws if they are still hanging at your house.  I suggest following this recipe and serving a little hot sauce on the side for those who want more heat. 

I served this over Orzo.  I also served a side salad with bacon and Ranch and a few corn chips on the side.  

A great Black Friday meal because you can put this in the crock pot in the morning and you can forget about it.  If you are surprised by the additon of the soda to the chili, don't be.  This adds a little sweetness and you'll have to do less thickening.

Leftover Turkey Chili

4 cups leftover  roast Turkey, pulled from the bone
1   15 ounce can Diced Tomato with Mild Green Chili
1  15 ounce can Kidney Beans with Chili Seasoning (Suggest Bush's)*
1 small Spanish Onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
1/2 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
Sea Salt, to taste
1  12 ounce can 7 Up or Sprite
1 cup Water
1 tablespoon Corn Starch

Other:

Fat Free Sour Cream
Mexican Blend Cheese
Pickled  Jalapeño Pepper Slices for garnish

Combine all ingredients except for corn starch in slow cooker.  Stir well.  Cook on low for at least 7 hours.  

During the last part of cooking, remove about a cup of the juice from the slow cooker.  Whisk in corn starch.   Return to slow cooker. 

Increase heat until high.   Bring to boil until chili is thickened.

*No product was supplied to blogger and not an endorsement. 

Late Summertime Minestrone

Late Summertime Minestrone

PS (8/22/11): I just found out this evening that this blog was featured on Real Women of Philadelphia, "Live Richly," on August 3rd. Talk about being too busy lately to stop and smell the coffee. Imagine my surprise when I found out!

Many thanks to the editors for featuring my blog and an even bigger thanks to all the ladies at RWoP. What a great bunch of TALENTED home cooks! 

http://www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com/post/community-blog-roll-mary-kay-labrie-your-international-tour-guide

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Something about late summer that often brings on a round of colds and the flu.  It might be your job to get yourself and everyone else in your household healthy for back to school. 

This weekend, soup was on our menu as the hubby and I were both under the weather.  I didn’t want to make a soup that was too heavy or too winter-like, as it’s still in the 90’s outside.  I came up with this version of Minestrone which uses fresh veggies and whole gain penne pasta.  It’s not only lighter and delicious, but it’s just what the doctor ordered.

*Note:  I like to use sliced baby carrots for this dish because I think it looks pretty, but use whatever you have on hand.

**Note 2:  Substitute Vegetable Broth for Chicken Broth if you want to keep this dish vegetarian.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup Baby Carrots, thinly sliced*
¾ cup chopped Celery
2/4 cup thinly sliced Red Onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed dried Rosemary
Pinch or two of Crushed Red Pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons Course Sea Salt, more or less to taste
4 cups All Natural Chicken Broth**
1 – 28 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
1 – 15 ounce can Cannellini Beans or Light Red Kidney Beans, undrained
¼ cup Marsala Wine
Two Pinches of ground Allspice
2 cups Broccoli Florets
2 cups sliced Zucchini (slice into half moon shapes)
½ pound Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
1/4 cup 2% Milk
1 cup seeded and chopped Tomato
Shaved Parmesan Cheese
Chopped Fresh Basil for Garnish, optional

Add olive oil to Dutch oven.  Turn to coat bottom of pan evenly.

Add carrots, celery and red onion.  Sauté for three minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.

Add garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper to vegetables.  Continue to cook over medium-low heat for two minutes, making sure that the garlic does not burn.

Add sea salt and stir.  Cook one more minute.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, Marsala wine and Allspice.  Stir well.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover but leave the lid ajar a bit so that the soup begins to reduce and thicken up; about 30 minutes.

Add broccoli, zucchini and penne pasta.  Bring soup back to a boil, uncovered, about 10 – 11 minutes until the pasta is cooked. 

Stir in 2% Milk.

Serve in big bowls with a side of crusty bread or garlic bread.  Top with fresh seeded tomato, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Suggestion:  If you have any leftovers, let it cool and then freeze it.  The pasta won’t have a chance to expand and soak up all of the remaining soup juices.  Thaw and reheat it in the microwave. 

Soup Therapy!

Potato, Leek and Kale Soup

Bet you never thought you’d read that title on a food blog? 

One of the cool things about being a home cook over a pro is that you can admit your mistakes and move on.  Yeah, we do like to brag when we make the perfect leg of lamb or the most succulent Cornish hen. 

I’m sure, like me, if you cook, you’ve made mistakes.  Admit it, you have.  In fact, I might actually devote a blog to that one day.

Today’s attempt at soup was not a major mistake.  It was a bland, failed attempt at improvisation.  Long story short, I was in the grocery store on Sunday.  Sunday was the day that the cold front came into Central Florida.  Wimps that we are, I was freezing my be-hind off.  (That’s southern for another word, in case you didn’t figure it out). 

The woman at the cooking station was giving out samples of Potato Soup with Sausage and Spinach.  I tasted it. It was pretty darn good, but not fantastic.  I took a recipe and I proceeded to purchase alternative ingredients to make it even “better.” 

I selected turkey sausage over pork.  Got to stick to the diet.  Plus, I had all that leftover prime rib and ham yesterday.  I decided to use Kale and Leeks instead of Spinach and Onion.  Of course, I have to up the amount of water, as I had to braise the Kale.  So I would add extra bouillon from what the original recipe called for, and I’d even get a little fancy and add some freshly grated nutmeg and a bit of parmesan cheese at the end.  Oh, and I was going to use fat free half and half instead of heavy cream.  Less Turbo Jam to have to do tomorrow!

I have a home office.  This recipe was so easy I could make it on my lunch hour and it would be ready in fifteen-to-twenty minutes to eat.  I assembled all the ingredients.  Oh, this was going to be so good.  I mashed the potatoes in the end using the hand blended method.  The texture was perfect!

Well, much to my dismay, it was bland.  It was good, but nothing to boast about.  So here I am; the author of a food blog.  I am humbly asking my readers for help.  I know you are out there.  Even though only four of you “follow” this page, the stats tell me that on average, we have over 80 viewers a day.  If you would be so inclined, either post a comment here as to how I can make this soup better, or go to our discussion thread on Facebook.   The link is listed under "Contact Us."

So, tonight I’m making Linguini with white clam sauce.  Another one of those recipes I haven’t perfected.  I’ll keep you posted!

Comfort Foods

To me, the colder months mean comfort foods; slow cooked pot roast, roasted chicken with root veggies, or savory stews or soups. 

The other night the temperature dropped to 23 degrees in central Florida.  23!  Burrr…

Okay, before I hear “It’s minus two” up north – we are not used to this weather down here!  Our local newscast had to give tips on “Staying warm.”  They amounted to “Cover up” and “Wear layers.”

Yes, the sunshine gets to our brains down here in the Sunshine State.

None-the-less, Floridians like their comfort foods, too.  I grew up in Pennsylvania.  I think the difference between northern and southern comfort food – especially in this part of Florida - is that we tend to gravitate toward traditional southern meals, or Cuban or Cajun influenced dishes.   I love them all. 

So the other night when I actually had to crank on the gas heat and dig out my flannel nightgown, I came up with this quick, hearty and easy recipe for Gumbo that I know you will enjoy; even if you live in the Great White Tundra.

Let’s get cooking!

N’Orleans Style Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo File’

4 tbs. Canola Oil, divided

1 – 6 oz boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, chopped into bite sized pieces

Pinch of course Sea Salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ cup All Purpose Flour

1 medium Green Bell Pepper, chopped

½ medium Sweet Onion, chopped

3 stalks Celery, chopped

2 ½ ounces fully cooked Andouille Sausage, sliced into ½ inch rounds and then halved

1 – 12 oz Light Beer

32 oz. good quality Chicken Stock

1 tbs. Cajun Seasoning

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

24 medium Frozen Uncooked Shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ tsp. Gumbo File’ (more for sprinkling)

Steamed White Rice

Chopped Fresh Chives (for topping)

Add 1 tbs. Canola Oil to cast iron skillet or Dutch oven.  Add chicken, salt and pepper.  Brown chicken, about four-to-five minutes.

Remove chicken and reserve to bowl.

Add remaining oil and flour to make a roux.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring every fifteen-to-thirty seconds.  Do not let this burn.  Do not try to do anything else.  Watch it and stir.  After about 15 minutes, you should end up with a mixture that looks like melted peanut butter.

Add the Trinity; bell pepper, onion and celery along with the sausage.  Cook over medium heat, about 3 -5 minutes until vegetables soften an the sausage renders fat. 

Remove to a bowl and reserve. 

Add beer.  Deglaze the pan, scrapping the brown bits from the bottom. 

Add chicken stock.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer, uncovered, about 20 – 25 minutes.

Add vegetable and sausage mixture back to Gumbo.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer another 15 minutes.

Add frozen shrimp.  Cook five minutes.  Add chicken and turn off heat.  Add in Gumbo File’.

Stir and let rest about five minutes, covered, before serving.

To serve, ladle Gumbo into bowls.  Top with steamed white rice, chives and a little extra Gumbo file’ – just a sprinkle (optional).

Tip:  Making a Roux isn’t easy.  It takes practice. If your Gumbo is too thin, remove ¼ cup of the hot cooking liquid to a glass heat proof bowl.  Whisk in 1 tsp. of corn starch.  Return to Gumbo and bring to boil (about five minutes).  If you need to use this step, do this BEFORE adding the Gumbo File’.