chicken gumbo

takes 6 1/2 hours, Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil

500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped

3 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

400g can chopped tomates

200mls chicken stock, boiling

100g okra, cut into 2cm rounds

small handful sage, leaves chopped

crusty bread or rice, to serve

1 Heat the slow cooker if necessary. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the chicken cook in bathes for about 5 mins to brown all over. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2 Add the onion, green pepper and celery to the pan, put on the lid and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally until softened a little. Stir in the garlic spices, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 1 min until fragrant. Tip into the slow cooker with the chicken and any juices, then stir in the flour, stirring to coat everything. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, then add the okra and half the sage. Cook on Low for 6 hours, then season and serve with bread or rice, scattering the rest of the sage over.

good to know - per serving kcals 242 - fat 7g - saturates 2g - carb 12g - sugars 6g - fibre 4g - protein 33g salt 0.7g

Recipe from bbc goodfood eatwell - healthy slow cooker recipes