Tiana's Kickin' Gumbo

One of my all time favorite movies- and please don't judge me- is Disney's The Princess and the Frog. I seriously have watched this movie (easily) a hundred times, and chances are I'll watch it again next week. Maybe it's because Tiana is incredibly relatable to me- both our dad's died and inspired us to work hard and follow our dreams... or maybe it's because of the movie's food.

The premise of the film revolves around Tiana's dream of opening a restaurant in her father's honor. On the way, the audience is enticed by cartoon renderings of beignets, sandwiches, and of course gumbo. After all, how can you have a film set in New Orleans without gumbo?! I don't even like spicy food, but somehow Tiana made me crave good ol' fashioned gumbo. This is a simple take on Tiana's signature dish.

What you'll need:
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
2 quarts chicken stock
1 lb shrimp
1 package mild Italian sausage
1 package cut okra
1 lb crushed, canned tomatoes
Essence
Tabasco

Instructions:
1. Cook sausage in a covered pan until cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a small saucepan, add two parts water to one part rice over high heat. Once the water reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover, untouched, about 20 minutes.
3. In a large pot, melt butter and whisk in flour until smooth. Cook over medium heat until roux is the color of peanut butter.
4. Add chopped veggies, garlic, bay leaves, and essence. Cook about 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
5. Add chicken stock and stir to combine. Add crushed tomatoes.
6. Add sausage and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary, and don’t forget the Tabasco sauce!
7. Add peeled and deveined shrimp, cook until pink (about 8-10 minutes).
8. Serve over rice! Ta da!

This gumbo is seriously "the bees knees" as Tiana would say. It's perfect for anyone who needs to spice up their life... or their taste buds! Like I said, I really don't like spicy food, yet I'm in love with this recipe. I think you will be too! Try it out and channel your inner Tiana!