Low carbin' Mardi Gras style!

My days of Mardi Gras - party time are long time ago and nothing but fuzzy memories anymore, but I still like a themed "to do"... so for tonight in honor of Fat Tuesday, I've whipped up a little something special for Tuesday night dinner along with themed table scape and beads and masks to boot!

What is Mardi Gras?

(pronounced /ˈmɑrdiɡrɑː/ Mardigras began as a christian European tradition- it's the season of carnival that generally begins on the epiphany (January 6th) thru Ash Wednesday.

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in french, it refers to the last of the fat laden, sinfully delicious feasting the tuesday before the fasting of the lenten season commences for Ash Wednesday. Generally personal sacrifices are made during the lenten season, some people give up sweets, meat, booze, anything that requires a sacrifice as a show of penance.

These carnival celebrations are recognized and symbolically celebrated through out the Americas and Europe. There is Carnival in the Caribbean, Carnevale in Italy, Fastnacht in Germany, and of course in New Orleans which really made the celebration a well known in the States as it is - Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras - in Ireland and England they celebrate Fat Tuesday with pancakes, it's called Shrove Tuesday, unfortunately for me pancakes are not low carb...so I'm taking my Mardi Gras inspiration from the Big Easy- New Orleans!


Chicken Gumbo
(for two -with left overs for lunch)

Boil chicken breast in water with a tbsp salt and a small onion
boil till chicken is no longer pink. Cut in to cubes.

Saute in a bit of evoo/butter:
4 celery ribs, sliced medium
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves
2 chicken andouille sausages from Trader Joe's cut in to rounds
Add:
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of sugar free diced tomatoes
1/2 bag of sliced okra (frozen)
Chicken chunks
24 Shrimp
I added the shrimp last as I didn't want it to get rubbery.


Just cook the whole mess for about 30 minutes and you've got a roux-less gumbo, the okra is a natural thickener, voila low carb gumbo!

This partnered with a green salad topped with fried green tomatoes...in which I used pork rinds instead of cornmeal and fry in oil and then top with my take on shrimp remoulade!

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good times roll!