Creole Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
16 oz. can tomatoes, cut up
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. oregano, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
10 oz. fresh or frozen okra, cut up (2 c.)
2 (4 1/2 oz.) cans shrimp, drained
1 (7 oz.) can crab meat, drained and flaked
hot cooked rice

Preparation

In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in butter until onion is tender.
Blend in flour.
Cook, stirring constantly until flour is golden brown.
Stir in tomatoes, water, pepper, spices and Tabasco sauce.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover, simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaves.
Stir in okra and bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in shrimp and crab meat, cook about 5 minutes or until heated through.
Serve over hot rice.
(Traditionally, rice is mounded in a heated soup plate and gumbo spooned around it.)
Serves 6.