Spicy gumbo and more dumplings

Last Thursday I had spring greens and okra in the fridge so I decided to make a big gumbo with rice and gungo peas.

 

Spicy Gumbo

1 head spring greens, coarsley chopped
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 courgette, sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup hot sauce
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp of each of the following dried herbs: thyme, oregano, basil and parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 heaped tsp vegetable bouillon powder
1 1/2 cups chopped okra
1 can blackeye beans (400g)

Cover the greens in boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan, make a roux by combining the oil and flour and stirring over a medium to high heat until reddish brown (about 20 minutes).
Set the greens (don't drain them yet) and the roux aside.

In a little oil, fry the remaining vegetables and the tomatoes for about 10 minutes. Add the hot sauce, garlic, cayenne and herbs and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the roux and greens (including their cooking water). Add the bouillon powder and more boiling water if necessary to cover all the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the okra and blackeye beans and cook for at least 10 minutes more but longer if you've got time.

The gumbo is even better if it's had time to stand and it's best the next day and it freezes well too. On Sunday we finished off the gumbo with another batch of dumplings like the ones I made to go with the goulash (because they're so good).

inside shot of yummy dumplings ...

Jillypoos' goulash

Well I set myself a challenge to blog every day in October and failed in the first week! Our lovely baby had her first cold and has been sniffling through the evenings when she usually sleeps. She's well again today. Deep joy!

I did manage to find the time to make a wonderful goulash on Wednesday. It's my friend Jill's recipe and I make it quite often because it always comes out perfectly. It's worth making the dumplings too because they're amazing, especially with fresh basil in them. Chris made the dumplings on Wednesday but we'd eaten them all before I managed to take a photo. This photo is my Thursday's lunch, goulash and toast. Mmmm.

Goulash

1 large handful of TVP chunks
1 parsnip, chopped small
2 carrots, chopped small
1 onion , chopped small
2 medium potatoes, chopped small
1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
3 tbsp tomato purée
3 tsp paprika
1 pint veg. stock
200 ml plain soya yogurt

Cover the soya chunks with water (and bouillon powder if the chunks are unflavoured) in a bowl and microwave for 6 minutes. In a large saucepan, fry onion, parsnip and carrots in oil for 8 mins then add the drained soya chunks, tomatoes, tomato purée and paprika.

Cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Float dumplings in the goulash at this point. Simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Turn off the heat, add the yoghurt, stir through and serve.

Basil dumplings

4 oz self raising flour
2 oz vegetable suet
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh chopped basil

Mix the ingredients together and add enough water to bind. Shape into 6-8 balls and cook for 30 minutes in the goulash.