Literanista
July 30, 2020
As a way of decompressing and getting my mind off of a lot things, I’ve taken up a lot of new passion projects which not only include gardening and genealogy but also getting back to some of my first loves: writing, reading and cooking.
Our usual Saturday pre-COVID19 schedule consisted of errands and shopping along with a meal out at one of our family favorites. Missing and craving the tastiness of one of my favorite Tex-Mex & Cajun inspired go-to entrees, Shrimp Etouffee, which is similar to Gumbo or a thickened stew, I decided to attempt to make a healthier version at home myself. I was thrilled with how it came out and I’d love to share it with all of you:
The recipe I followed came from this version by the Weary Chef with some substitutions. We have been following a more plant-based, less meat and carb diet so instead of serving the dish with rice, we served it with toasted whole grain bread for dipping. Instead of the medium onion, I used two tablespoons of homemade sofrito, which has both onions and peppers in it and used vegetable broth instead of chicken. For additional flavor, I added the following spices and herbs: a teaspoon of annato powder, paprika, liquid smoke, berbere seasoning, ancho chili powder and a bay leaf. It was so good!
My healthy Shrimp Etouffee version with a Sofrito base below:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. all whole wheat flour
4 ribs celery diced
2 tbsps. Sofrito (Make your own – see video recommendation below)
1 tsp. annatto powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
1 c. low sodium vegetable broth
3/4 tsp. Berbere seasoning
A splash of liquid smoke
Ancho chili powder to taste optional
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
14 oz. carton or can of petite diced tomatoes drained
4 green onions sliced thin
16 oz. raw shrimp peeled and deveined (large shrimp can be cut in half if desired)
Serve with bread for dipping
