One of my favorite vacations B.C. (before children) was a long weekend in New Orleans. My friend at the time brought me along on a business trip, so while he attended long, boring meetings, I got to skip around town and eat my way through. From the famous coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde to sampling caramel at the farmers market, I remember being in foodie heaven.

I haven’t been back since, even though we’re just a quick flight away. While I’ve always wanted to be in the middle of the excitement for Mardi Gras, I think we’ll celebrate at home until the boys get a little bit older. For something a little lighter but still retaining the spirit of Cajun cuisine, I’ve created a Turkey Gumbo recipe to share with your family and friends – perfect for simmering on a Thermador range.

Turkey Gumbo (from Steamy Kitchen)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8

For gluten-free Turkey Gumbo, use rice flour, corn flour or potato starch in place of the flour.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 bell peppers, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon each: dried oregano, dried thyme
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 pound kielbasa, smoked or polish sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
8 cups water
2-3 cups frozen or fresh okra
2 cups cooked, shredded leftover turkey
salt and pepper to taste
small handful fresh parsley, chopped
cooked rice

Directions:

Heat a large stockpot with the butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble a bit, use a whisk or wooden spoon to add in the flour, a little at a time. Continue stirring for a 2 minutes, until the flour is fully incorporated into the butter. Turn the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the roux has turned into the color of peanut butter. Make sure that the roux does not burn – stay close by!

Return heat to medium and add in the bell peppers, celery and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant. Add in the bay leaves, oregano, thyme, tomatoes, smoked sausage, broth and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 1 hour.

Add in the okra, cook 2 minutes, then add in the cooked turkey. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. Serve over cooked rice.