Week #12 of 52 recipes Dishes from the Americas series begins now....

My niece Swetha guessed it right this time. Thats a great guess Swetha! I am yet to try her cooking, but if she cooks anything like her mom or grandmoms, she'd be brilliant!

Until now, all my recipes are either from Asia or Europe.I am so excited to start my series of recipes from the Americas this week. The next few weeks I intend to share recipes from Latin America and authentic recipes that are so American. And you'd be so amazed how many cool recipes there are out here in this part of the world.

Gumbo originated in Louisiana and is an authentic Creole dish. Louisiana cooking is very unique as there have been French, African and some Spanish influences to their cooking. Thats why we start this recipe with a French cookign technique of Roux which is butter and flour cooked down. That gives this recipe its thickness and an amazing butter flavor in the end. The Okra or Ladies finger is a West African influence to this dish. I made this vegetarian, but the authentic recipe uses shrimp, sausage and chicken which you could surely add if you eat meat. Ideally cook it first and then add it later when you add the tomato paste.

GUMBO AND GRITS
Ingredients :
Onions- 1/2 cup minced
Celery- 1/2 cup minced
Mushrooms- 1 cup sliced
Black eyed peas soaked for 4 hrs- 1 cup
Okra- cut to bite size pieces and cooked in microwave or stove top for 5-7 minutes
4 tablespoons- flour and 2 tablespoons butter
Tomatoes-3 big ones- chopped small
Tomato paste 2 tablespoons or tomato sauce- 1/2 cup
Garlic powder- 1 tablespoon
Pickled Jalapeno peppers -2 teasspoons
Thyme- 1 tablespoon
Paprika- 1-2 tablespoons
Vegetable oil- 1 tablespoon
1 cup water
Salt and pepper


Method:
Put butter in a pre heated wok or pot. Add flour once the butter is melted. Stir it on low to medium heat until the micture turns a bit brown- about 3-4 minutes. Then add mushrooms and the oil and saute for 3 minutes. Increase heat to high and add onions and celery. Saute for 3-4 minutes and add blackeyed peas and water. Bring to boil and then add tomatoes, paprika, garlic powder,tomato paste, thyme, Jalapeno peppers, salt and pepper. The whole mixture will come together and thicken up a bit. Now add okra. if you are adding shrimp and sausage, now is the time to add that. Reduce heat to medium and let the flavors mingle for about 8-10 minutes.
The ideal combination to eat this with is with grits. Grits are made from corn known as hominy. Its a Native American grain made of coarse corn and anyone who has seen the movie "My cousin Vinnie" knows about grits. Its most common in the Southern United States as is a breakfast staple. For those who dont get grits where you live, you could easily substitute cooked corn meal or even fine wheat rava or couscous. Just cook them as you usually do but make it a bit mushy. The grains of grits are kinda mushy and the combination of gumbo and grits are a match made in heaven!! Enjoy!!!