Gumbo is a great comfort food for the weather we're having. I like mine spicy but approachable- feel free to go as spicy as you want with yours. This base recipe has vegan or vegetarian options and is all around very versatile. When served over cauliflower rice it is a great way to cut carbs as well. All suggestions for alterations are at the end of the recipe. This recipe freezes exceptionally well. 

Gumbo (serves 6): 

• 3 TBSP unsalted butter
• 3 TBSP flour
• 6 cups vegetable stock 
• Oil for pan
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery peeled and diced
• 1/2 bag frozen sliced okra
• Creole seasoning to taste (start with 2 TBSP, I use 5TBSP)
• 2 bay leaves
• 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cooked brown, white, or cauliflower rice for serving

Toppings (all optional): 

• Sliced spring onions
• Andouille sausage (vegan or regular)
• Tail on shrimp
• Fried tofu

Directions: 

1. Dice the onion, peppers, celery, and garlic. Add them to a skillet over medium heat with a little oil. Add the frozen okra and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent and peppers are soft. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
2. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, make your roux. Add flour and butter and melt together over medium low heat until the mixture turns brick red (pictured). Stir frequently to prevent burning. I find this is easiest when started in a cold pan. 
3.  When the roux is ready, add vegetables and creole seasoning and stir to coat. Slowly add stock while stirring. The mix will be very thick in the beginning but loosen as you add the stock. 
4. Add bay leaves and can of tomatoes (not drained). Bring dish to a boil then reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by about 1/4th (1 to 2 hours). 
5. Serve over rice of your choosing. 

For optional toppings: 

• I coin sausages when I use them in gumbo and sear them to get them crisp. 
• If using shrimp and sausages, cook the sausage first to get the fats into the pan. You'll want to cook your shrimp in the sausage fat with some oil, minced garlic and a sprinkling of creole seasoning. 
• For fried tofu I'll press and cube tofu, then toss them in a corn starch and creole seasoning mix. Then they get super crispy when you pan fry them.  

Vegan options: 

• Substitute a neutral oil for the butter in the roux step. 
• Use vegan sausage or fried tofu as optional toppings. 

Vegetarian options: 

• Use vegetarian sausage or fried tofu as optional toppings. 

One of my go to classic meals is spicy chicken parmesan. Feel free to make this as spicy (or not) as you want. The chicken is baked instead of fried. 

This recipe as written will make extra sauce- I like to freeze the leftovers. This will feed 4 hungry adults or 6 not so hungry adults. 

Sauce: 

• Oil for the pan
• ​2 shallots, minced
• 1 red onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 c red wine (I generally use cabernet)
• 3  28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2-4 habanero peppers, sliced in half (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chicken: 

• 4 chicken breasts, whole or cut into cutlets or pounded out thinly
• about 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Panko
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Tuscan or Italian seasoning
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded Mozzarella cheese 

Additional: 

• Linguini noodles- 1 pound
• Basil and parmesan for serving, optional
• Garlic bread

Making the sauce: 

1. In a large pot, add oil to pan and heat over medium heat
2. When oil is hot, add onion and shallots and cook until translucent. Add the minced garlic and stir to ensure even cooking. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. 
3. When the garlic is fragrant, add the wine and stir to evenly distribute. Reduce the heat to medium low.  Allow wine to reduce to a syrup like consistency, stirring to prevent onions and garlic from burning. 
4. Add in remaining ingredients. Note about the habaneros- My husband likes particularly spicy things. I usually use 2-4 per batch of sauce and pull them out when the sauce is spicy enough for him. Please omit if you are not interested in a spicy sauce, the flavor is really good even without the heat! If you use them, taste the sauce every 10-15 minutes until the heat intensity is to your liking.
5. Bring pot to a boil then reduce to a simmer and allow sauce to meld for at least thirty minutes and up to two hours, depending on how thick you would like the sauce
6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper

For the chicken: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a non stick covering (non stick foil, a silicon mat, or parchment paper) OR you can cook the chicken on a rack over a baking sheet for a crispier all over texture. Spray the rack before adding the chicken to ensure it doesn't stick. 
2. If you would like to have thinner chicken, feel free to cut the chicken breasts into cutlets or pound them out. 
3. Put the beaten egg in a bowl. Set up flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Mix together breading ingredients (Panko through crushed red pepper flakes) and place the mix on a plate. Run the chicken through the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then the breading mixture. Press firmly to ensure the mix sticks to the chicken. Place the chicken on your prepared baking sheet.
4. Get pasta started- bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook pasta according to package instructions
5. Bake for 30 minutes until breading has browned. Add mozzarella to cover the top of the chicken and return to the oven for five minutes until cheese is fully melted, then remove and prepare for plating. 
6. Plate the linguini noodles, top with a generous serving of sauce. Place chicken on top and cover with extra sauce if desired. 
7. Serve with garlic bread, parmesan and freshly cut basil if desired.