Recipe: Seaside Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is a New Orleans holiday favorite. Try this reduced-fat, reduced-salt version, which uses turkey sausage, fresh shrimp, and all the flavors your family will savor.

Serves six; one cup per serving

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil spray
• 4 ounces reduced-fat smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
• 3 cups frozen bell pepper stir-fry mix (bell peppers and onions)
• 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 10 ounces frozen sliced okra
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
• ½ tablespoon sugar
• 2 medium bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• ½ teaspoon red hot-pepper sauce (optional)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 8 ounces peeled raw medium shrimp
• ½ cup snipped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Preparation Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Put flour in Dutch oven and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden, stirring constantly. Pour into a small bowl.

Lightly spray Dutch oven with vegetable oil spray (being, careful not to spray near a gas flame). Increase heat to medium-high. Cook sausage for 3 minutes, or until richly browned, stirring constantly. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Put bell peppers, tomatoes with liquid, 1 ¼ cups water, okra, lemon juice, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, and hot-pepper sauce in a Dutch oven, scraping bottom and sides to dislodge any browned bits. Whisk remaining ¼ cup water into the flour. Stir mixture into gumbo. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until bell peppers are very soft, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare rice using package directions, omitting salt and margarine.

Stir shrimp into gumbo. Cook for 5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink on the outside and opaque in the center. Remove from heat.

Stir in remaining ingredients, including sausage and rice.

Nutrition Information

1 ½ Starch, 3 Vegetable, 1½ Lean Meat

Calories: 233

Total Fat: 3g

• Saturated Fat: 0.5g;
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 2g

Carbohydrates: 38g

Sugar 7g

Fiber 3g

Cholesterol 63mg

Protein 13g

Sodium 437mg

This recipe was a project of the Southern University Dietetic Internship class at University Medical Center.