Shrimp in Creole Sauce

Serve Shrimp in Creole Sauce over cooked white or brown long-grain rice.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ⅛ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Optional: Hot sauce

1. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the onion, celery, and red bell pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to coat the vegetables in oil. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, or until the onion is transparent.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the butter to a skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted into the oil, stir in the flour. Stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until the flour mixture turns a light golden brown.
3. Stir the browned flour mixture and the tomato paste into the slow cooker. Reduce the heat setting to low and add the tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, dried red pepper flakes, brown sugar, and broth. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
4. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Increase the heat setting to high. Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper, if needed, and hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately.