Gumbo Inspired Stew
This recipe has no right to call itself Gumbo, but the ingredients are reminiscent of a Gumbo. It takes about 20-30 minutes to cook and minimal effort. It also uses up as little dishes as possible, which is always a plus. I came up with this recipe after thinking of New Orleans for two weeks straight after Hurricane Katrina and suddenly wanting some Gumbo.

Please note: I use a cast-iron pot for this recipe, but some folks may not want to put tomatoes in their cast-iron. I haven't tried this in any other kind of pan.

Makes 2 servings.

3 small red potatoes or fingerlings, washed and with eyes removed
2 sticks of celery, washed
8 jumbo shrimp, precooked. You could substitute tempeh.
1 yellow bell pepper, washed
2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup water
7 oz Del Monte Stewed tomatoes, do not drain juice.
4-5 Tbs of your favorite salsa, or to taste
1 shot bourbon
fresh crushed pepper

Cut up the 3 small red potatoes or fingerlings into 1/2" cubes. Leave skins on.
Cut up 2 sticks of celery into 1/4" U-shaped slices.
Cut up 1/4 of a yellow bell pepper into 1/8" squares
Take the tails off your shrimp and defrost them in warm water if necessary

Melt the 2 Tbs of butter in a frying pan over low heat. Add the potatoes, raise the heat to medium, and let cook for 2 minutes. Add the water and the celery. Stir. Cover. Let cook for 10 minutes, stirring every 3, but keeping the cover on otherwise. Then take the cover off, stir, and raise the heat to Med-High. Let the water boil off and then add the Stewed tomatoes and the salsa. Stir, cover, and let cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and add the bell pepper and the shrimp. Stir. Add the bourbon and about 4 twists of the fresh crushes pepper, without stirring. Cover. Let cook for 5-7 minutes, or until shrimp appear to have absorbed some of the flavor.

Serve in bowls. Consider heating up some bread with some melted spicy cheese on it as a side for this meal.

Just kidding... I've been eating but I've been remiss in posting. It's just too much work!

So I totally ordered a bunch of cheese from http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com/ because Alton Brown recommends them! I'll take pics once they arrive and review them!

I like that they put wine pairing recommendations right on the website about the cheeses! Totally.

Held a chocolate party for my boyfriend's birthday. Uploaded images of some of the dishes I served. All homemade, all yummy.

I'm being lazy and not taking photos of everything I eat. Furthermore, I have images I haven't uploaded yet.

It's hard to watch your diet.