Recipe of the Week; SUNDAY GUMBO

Typically, I post my ROTW on Thursday. Last week, I was a little under the weather and not feeling quite creative enough to be bothered. Fortunately, the illness has past and I'm back to my usual self.

It worked out well, because yesterday as I was contemplating what fantastic recipe to share, I realized I was right in the middle of making it!

When Todd and I were both young, we had a tradition in our families of going home after church and enjoying a big Sunday dinner. It's something that we've kept on doing for ourselves, and hardly a Sunday goes by without a little something special on Sunday.

Winters are especially good for Sunday dinners... I love to fire up the oven and make a roast chicken or an herb and apple stuffed pork loin. Pot roasts and big, hearty dishes of lasagna are made pretty regularly, too.

In the summer, I'm not so wild about having the oven on all day, much less eating a huge and filling meal on a hot day. On Saturday, as I stood in front of the freezer letting out all of the nice frosty air and staring aimlessly at its contents, (Dad always yelled at me for doing that) nothing had any Sunday Dinner appeal.

Nothing, except this roll of hot Italian sausage, which for whatever reason screamed "Nu'walins!" instead of "New York city street vendor!".

Then I'd realized it's been ages since I've cooked up a big pot of Gumbo... and off to the supermarket I flew for okra and shrimp.

Before I begin this recipe, there are a few things I'd like to point out. Yes, I know typically a Gumbo is made with the brown roux... all the stirring and stirring, and all the seafood and andouille. I love Gumbo this way, but when I can I like to take advantage of my crock pot. So if you're a traditionalist, you may turn your nose up at my yankee-fied Gumbo, but we all love it. I get it started at the crack of dawn, and let it do it's thing for several hours.

It's really not that labor intensive, so it's great for a lazy Sunday. All you need to go with it is a big bowl of white rice, and perhaps some cornbread. It makes a ton of food, so it's great for offering to company.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound sausage (Italian or Kielbasa)

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled an deveined

2 cups cut up cooked chicken (leftovers)

2 large, peeled carrots, cut into 1- inch rounds

2 stocks celery, with tops, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 bell pepper, any color, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 (28-oz) cans whole, peeled tomatoes

2 cups frozen okra

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish

hot sauce, your preference

salt and pepper

creole seasoning, or a mixture of dried Italian seasonings, paprika, garlic powder, seasoned salt, ground cayenne pepper

Turn the crock pot onto the lowest setting, or 8 hours.

Begin by placing the carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno, parsley, hot sauce and sausage in a large crock pot. Cover with both cans of tomatoes (with the juice) and season to taste with salt, pepper, and Creole seasonings.

Allow to cook undisturbed for up to seven hours, stirring only occasionally.

About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, add frozen okra and chicken. Stir. About 10 minutes prior to serving, add shrimp. Shrimp will turn pink when they are cooked through.

Place a ladle of Gumbo into a bowl, top with a scoop of rice and garnish with parsley.