NEW recipe for Revised--that is Food Allergy Friendly--Gumbo

The weather turned cooler, and all the magazines were starting with Halloween cookies and Thanksgiving sides--- too soon I thought.
So, instead I thought soup or stew --but something new.
And as I leafed through some cookbooks and took a look at what I had in my cabinet, I thought of gumbo.  This version is safe for the Big Eight, plus sesame and is pretty easy to make.

 Chicken Gumbo: Food Allergy Works-style

4-5 chicken thighs with bone and skin
4-5 drumsticks with bone and skin

1 large onion, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1inch rounds

1 28oz  can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cans (15 oz cans) kidney beans
1/ 16 oz bag of fraozen diced chopped okra


2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
teaspoon File powder(optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in olive oil in a medium hot pot-- large enough to hold all ingredients
As onions become see-through, add in the chicken and turn up heat to medium high/high
--be careful of flying spatters as the chicken skin will pop.
Brown the chicken on all sides-- about 15 minutes total

Add in the diced tomatoes with a slotted spoon--reserve the juice
Turn heat to medium high 
Add in carrots
Add in file powder, salt and pepper -- I'm generous on the pepper

Let this simmer together for 10-15 minutes, adding in the tomato reserve liquid at intervals

Add in the okra and bay leaves and simmer for another 10 minutes


Chicken should be getting very soft--
Stir a number of times and keep simmering another 10 minutes or until chicken is nearly falling off bone

Add in kidney beans and stir
Simmer for another 10 minutes and then turn off heat

Keep on stove, with pot cover tilted to let heat escape

Stir occasionally to mix it all up

Serve with rice or safe bread for your family 

This meal keeps in the refrigerator --and deepens in flavor-- for a couple of days.
ENJOY!