Kielbasa, Shrimp, and Chicken Gumbo

M made a heavenly, scrumptious gumbo for our camping trip; he prepared it at home and then we reheated it over the campfire.  This hearty dish warmed our bones and we'll be eating it again - camping or no-camping.

The base recipe was from campingcafe.com and M added a few other ingredients, like kielbasa, chicken, diced tomatoes, sauces, and spices. 

For Kielbasa, Shrimp, and Chicken Gumbo you'll need:
1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 box (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1 box (14.5 oz) beef broth
4 cups water
1/2 lb. kielbasa, cut into bite-size pieces
diced chicken breast from 2 chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon celery flakes
1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay Style seasoning 
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 lb. medium shrimp, seasoned with Chesapeake Bay Style seasoning and cooked
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Splash of Tabasco 
1 box Zataran's jambalaya rice cooked, or rice of your choice
cornbread muffin

Directions:
1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Gradually add in flour and stir. Cook until it's light brown, stirring often so the mixture does not burn, about 10 minutes. Pour in the chicken and beef broths and mix until blended.

2. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until hot. Add celery, garlic, green pepper, and onion.  Cook until vegetables are tender.

3. Add all veggies, including the diced tomatoes, to the broth.  Next add the kielbasa, chicken, herbs, salt and pepper, Worcestershire and Tabasco.  Simmer for 15 minutes. 

4. Then add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for about 1 hour.

5. In another pan, season the shrimp with Chesapeake Bay Style seasoning and cook.  Add to the gumbo.  Simmer for another 20 minutes.

6. Place the rice at the bottom of your bowl.  Top with Kielbasa, Shrimp, and Chicken Gumbo and serve with a corn muffin.  (We used Trader's Joe cornbread mix and made it into a dozen muffins.)

Kielbasa Two Ways

Kielbasa Two Ways:
 Grilled and BBQ Kielbasa with Lazy Pierogi

First of all, a special thanks to our families for mailing us not one, but two kielbasas.  We decided to cook our kielbasas two different ways.

First, we boiled each kielbasa in a shallow frying pan for about 10 minutes/side.  Then we grilled one kielbasa on the gas grill. Notice the subtle grill marks on the upper kielbasa. The other we broiled in barbeque sauce.  Yes, we made bbq kielbasa - maybe not the most traditional Polish dish, but I have been making it for years.

During college I worked with a Polish woman named Amy, who made sweet and sour kielbasa in a crock pot for a pot lock dinner.  For many years I too cooked sweet and sour kielbasa with World Harbors Maui Mountain Hawaiian Style sweet n' sour sauce, but I couldn't always find it at the grocery store.  By this time my family was hooked on this appetizer so...I improvised.  I began using barbeque sauce and it worked!  In fact, any bbq sauce is delicious for bbq kielbasa.

For bbq kielbasa:
1. Boil your kielbasa for 10 minutes/side in a shallow frying pan.
2. Let cool then slice.
3. Place the slices into an oven-safe baking dish and cover with your favorite bbq sace (1 jar/ kielbasa).
4. Bake for about an hour at 350°F stirring halfway through.  During the last few minutes I broil the kielbasa to crisp and char the edges.

Give this contemporary Polish dish a try.  This is my go-to appetizer for family functions because everyone LOVES it.  I usually make 2-3 kielbasas and it all gets eaten.

Smacznego!

Lazy Pierogi

Lazy Pierogi with
Kielbasa Two Ways: Grilled and BBQ Kielbasa

In the middle of the kielbasa cooked two ways  is a buttery dish, we call lazy pierogi.  I have attempted to make pierogis with my Mother, sister, and sister-in-law, but it is a tremendous amount of work and I cannot make dough.  Therefore, I don't even attempt to make pierogis with M.  We opt for lazy pierogi because, well, as the name implies easier than the traditional Polish dumplings.  This is not the healthiest dish, but it reminds us of home. And every once in awhile, we like to be reminded of our mothers' and Bacis' cooking. 

Lazy Pierogi Ingredients:
lots and lots of butter (at least 4 tablespoons)
2-3 large onions, chopped in small pieces
1 bag of egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a sauce pan, sauté the chopped onions in butter until transparent. 
2. In a separate pot, boil the egg noodles as directed on the package.
3. Add the cooked noodles to the onions, add more butter, salt and pepper.

The more butter the better.  Again this is not the most nutritious recipe, but the more butter the more authentic this Polish dish will be.  Smacznego!