15 November 2009

Slow Cooker Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Creole Stew


I've really been putting some mileage on my slow cooker these days. I work from home three mornings a week (the perfect time to assemble a meal-to-be while grading papers and writing that pesky dissertation), and the later afternoon has been spent at another job, so it's great to be able to walk into a house filled with aromatics at the end of a hurried day. Stews, chowders, casseroles, poached chicken for tacos...there isn't anything this lovely little contraption can't handle.


Friday happened to be the first day of snow here on the Palouse, and I figured that with the added driving time up the Lewiston valley grade (seriously, there's nothing scarier than limited visibility and a giant cliff next to your car), I wouldn't have much time to whip up dinner before meeting the husband unit on his dinner break. On cold days I crave soups and stews, and to me there's nothing more comforting than eating a steaming bowl of stew while watching the snow fall and the deer take shelter in the evergreens outside my picture window. Perfection.


Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Creole Stew
(Adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)


1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1-14.5 oz. can chicken broth (or homemade, preferably)
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. paprika
Pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I use Louisiana Hot Sauce)
1 bay leaf
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
10-15 large raw shrimp, peeled
2 links cooked andouille sausage, sliced into coins
3 green onions, chopped
1 tbl. file powder

Directions
1. Combine first 10 ingredients in slow cooker. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Set slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours (or on high for 2.5-3 hours).
2. Remove and discard bay leaf. Add shrimp, sausage, green onions and file powder to slow cooker and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through. Serve with white rice.

5 comments:

Pam said...

Hearty, comforting and delicious!

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

You have snow already! I don't envy snow but I would like to watch it fall from the comfort of indoors, while chowing down on your stew.

EMC said...

Jessica, it was the perfect snow watching meal. Then I tried to drive to the library...the magic was gone.

Jeff said...

My crock pot has been getting a ton of love too. I really have never been a fan of it but this year for some reason I can't stay away from it.

Nice done!!

EMC said...

Jeff, I didn't really like my slow cooker at first because I didn't brown meats before adding them to the cooker and my beef brisket looked grey, but once I figured that part out, I've really been relying on it. Such a time saver.