Slow-Cooker Chicken Gumbo

I had been trying to think of something yummy to make... so Jordan suggested Gumbo! Well, from what I heard about Gumbo, it can be very involved... I am not quite ready to be a multi-tasking cook... I get overwhelmed and very very messy! I really wanted to make it for him since he kept on suggesting it.. so I took on the challenge. I asked a couple of my cajun friends for recipes and looked up online "healthy gumbo" recipes. The one that I thought would be, I hate to admit it, the EASIEST was one from FoodNetwork.com posted by Robin Miller in 2006. I followed the recipe, mostly, then added a few of my own little zingers to make it our own!

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6-8 hours
Level: EASY!!!
Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 (10 oz) package frozen okra, thawed (or not, whatever) mmmm...
2 links andouille sausage, diced (THIS SAUSAGE ROCKED!)
1 C chopped onions
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper) (I added WAY more, we like it spicy!)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (I added more later, and a little salt)
2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 C reduced-sodium tomato juice
2 C cooked brown rice
THEN! Jordan made a few changes of his own! He added:
1/2 lb shrimp (next time we'll use a whole pound!)
1 crab leg (for flavor... you can remove it or eat it at the end!)
Jordan likes it a little soupier, so HE added:
1 C water... ( I would have added another cup of broth myself.. for flavor.

Now! Comes the oh so difficult part...
THROW IT ALL IN THE CROCK POT! Mix it well... Cover... and Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. I cooked mine for 8 on low. Then pour it over some delicious cooked brown rice!

Jordan now has a new favorite meal... He said so himself! YEAH! Cooking healthy can be delicious and EASY!!! Try it... play with it... and let me know what you think! We LOVED it!

Just call me Susie Homemaker, I suppose.

I have been on a cooking KICK lately! I have been loving cooking, trying new recipes, experimenting and everything that comes along with it! (except the dishes) Jordan isn't an extremely picky eater, but picky enough. I really have to think about what I cook now. The purpose of the food you put in your body is more important than how yummy it is, I've learned being married to a health-nut. It makes it challenging to make yummy dishes. Basically, I have been cooking with a few staple ingredients: Chicken, beans, brown rice, vegetables, whole wheat pasta, spices, eggs... and basically that's it... it gets frustrating thinking of variety. I am lucky enough to have a few friends who have given me different ideas and recipes! I have tried some and tweaked them to make them a little 'healthier'. Believe me, I was extremely skeptical to make a few of these meals a little more on the healthy side... I thought it would make them taste bad or not be as exciting... I was wrong! Cooking healthy can be delicious and EASY!!! I'm going to post a few of my recipes and hope that some of you will try them and let me know what you think! I will put up pictures later, but for now, I'm going to post each recipe as a separate entry in case you would like to look one up later!

ENJOY! (and please let me know if you have any other ideas!!! they're welcome!)