cooking spray
3/4 lb. smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 1/2 lb. skinned boned chicken breasts
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped onion
2 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. chopped green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Creole seasoning
1 tbsp. low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 bay leaves
3 (14 1/4 oz.) cans fat-free, reduced sodium, chicken broth or homemade to equal amount
file (optional)
6 c. cooked long-grain rice, cooked without salt or fat

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add sausage and cook 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove sausage and set aside. Add chicken to skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet and let cool, then shred chicken and set aside.

Place flour on a baking sheet; bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until caramel colored, stirring occasionally. (Be careful not to burn; keep an eye on flour.)

Coat a large Dutch oven with cooking spray; add oil. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add celery and next 4 ingredients; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add browned flour, Creole seasoning and next 4 ingredients, stirring well. Add broth and reserved sausage. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 hour. Add shredded chicken and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve over rice.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size 1/2 cup rice and 1 cup gumbo = 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat).

Note: The browned flour replaces a traditional roux of flour and fat used to thicken the gumbo. It gives an excellent taste; just be careful not to burn the flour.