Country music artist Jessie James Decker is non-stop, juggling being a mom of three with her music career, her fashion line and her reality TV show with hubby Eric Decker.
Now, she's sharing her recipes for marriage success and success in the kitchen in a new book, "Just Jessie: My Guide to Love, Life, Family, and Food." The singer shares her chicken and sausage gumbo recipe -- a southern favorite from her mother.
"Cajun food will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first love -- well, first love of food," she writes in the book. "In Louisiana, where my mom was born and raised, you can get delicious po-boys at drive-throughs and fresh crawfish (when in season) anywhere. In fact, some of the best red beans and rice I’ve ever had was at a Louisiana gas station. This recipe is straight from a cookbook my mama made for me when I got married to Eric. This page, covered in grease and oil, is by far the dirtiest page in the book, because gumbo is one of my favorite meals to eat and to make."
Read on to get her recipes for gumbo and a lighter version of enchiladas and add them to your weeknight dinner rotation.
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo recipe
Ingredients
For the roux:
1 cup all- purpose flour
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, to taste
1 cup olive or canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts chicken stock
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 package smoked sausage, sliced and cooked
Cayenne, to taste
Filé, to taste
3 cups frozen sliced okra
3 green onions, chopped
White rice, to serve
Directions
Make the roux:
In a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, add the flour and seasoning and pour in the oil, continuously stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns a rich dark brown. Be careful not to burn the mixture. Do not leave the pot or the spoon unattended, or you might have to start again.
To the roux, add the onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook until soft. Add the garlic, chicken stock, shredded chicken, sausage, cayenne and filé. Simmer on low heat for at least two hours. Add the okra, green onions, and additional seasonings to taste. Keep on low heat all day until ready to eat. Serve over white rice.
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Chicken Fit-Chiladas recipe
"I have to say that Mexican food is one of my favorite things to eat. I love all the flavors and spices. Any time I am in Mexico I eat as much as I possibly can. I will also write things down in my phone that I fell in love with so I can go back home and try to make them for my family," she writes in the book. "One dish I devour is enchiladas. While I was trying to lose weight after Bubby was born, I still wanted to enjoy my meals and feel full. So I did my research and found that enchiladas can actually be an amazing low-calorie meal for those watching their figure. These filling and delicious enchiladas are under 200 calories each!"
Ingredients
Make 10
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for greasing baking dish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
2 ½ cups shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
Black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or more if you want
Low- carb wheat flour tortillas (I love Trader Joe’s brand)
Enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups Mexican cheese
Light sour cream
Handful of chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle olive oil in a glass baking dish until the whole thing is greased.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and onion on low until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add the chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and pinto beans and cook about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Put 1/2 cup of chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll it, and place it in the prepared baking dish with the fold facing down.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, smothering them. Then top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all the cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and garnish with green onions and cilantro.
Enchilada Sauce
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
11/2 cups canned tomato sauce
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped
1 chili powder (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
If you don’t have time to make this, store-bought will be just fine!
Heat a saucepan over medium heat, then add the oil and garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chilies, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Recipes reprinted with permission from "Just Jessie," Copyright 2018 by Jessie James Decker.
