Leggo my Gumbo

Unfortunately, since my last post I haven't been able to get gumbo out of my head, so I thought I'd share my favorite recipe with you since now I plan to make it tonight and I need to print it out to buy the ingredients anyway. My recipe is basically an adaptation of the Williams-Sonoma recipe, but I make a healthier version. And yes, I realize that REAL gumbo is made with a roux. But roux is not healthy. So enjoy my gumb-faux as follows.

Ingredients:
1 lb. low-fat sausage, cut in bite-size pieces
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb. okra, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch rounds
1 cup chopped yellow onions
3 quarts water
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes and seared until golden brown
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tbs. paprika
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. ground dried thyme
1 1/2 lb. lump crabmeat
1 lb. shrimp, head-on, or peeled and deveined (ew)
1 Tbs. filé powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Steamed brown rice for serving
Hot sauce for serving
Directions:
Put the sausage in a large Dutch oven. Set over medium heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbs. oil. Add the okra and sauté for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onions wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the meat mixture in the Dutch oven, then add the okra. Slowly add the water, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, garlic, paprika, parsley and thyme. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the crabmeat and shrimp and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the filé powder, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Spoon steamed rice into soup bowls and ladle the gumbo over the rice. Serve hot sauce alongside. If serving the shrimp with the heads on, be sure to remove the heads and shells before eating. Serves 8 to 10.