In the slow cooker today... adapted from a vegetarian gumbo recipe in a Prevention Magazine cookbook.

2 chicken breasts (about 8 oz)
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen bell pepper strips (red, yellow, & green)
1 cup frozen chopped onions
2 cups frozen cut okra
1.5 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
/>Hot sauce to taste

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.
Add beans, tomato, peppers, onions, okra, and seasoning.
Cook on low 8 hours.
Serve with hot sauce.

Serves six normal people, or four with appetites like mine.

~~~~~

Original recipe made no indication as to whether things should be added in any particular order, so I put in the chicken first, and then haphazardly threw everything else in on top of it. Put in fridge overnight and placed in slow cooker this morning. Original recipe said to cook on low 6-8 hours, but the original recipe didn't include the chicken, so it I figured it would be OK to go longer and it ended up cooking for about 9 hours while I was at work.

Tastes pretty good on its own, but is better with added hot sauce (I'm using original Tabasco). I'm still not sure what the best way is to figure out how much hot sauce to add to recipe before it is served unless the recipe I am using tells me specifically.  This one didn't say anything about using hot sauce whatsoever but I like it so I added it to my bowl while eating it. Are you even "supposed" to add hot sauce to gumbo?

I'm thinking for the future that chicken thighs work best in the slow cooker. Breasts were fine, but I had to pull apart some pieces to avoid having random large chunks. Last time I made something with thighs they completely disintegrated and it was lovely.

As this is my first time cooking okra (at all, not just in a slow cooker), I don't know if 9 hours was just too long, or I shouldn't have let it defrost before cooking, but you can't even tell this has okra in it because the pieces are unrecognizable.

One other note, instead of Cajun seasoning I used Emeril's Bayou Blast which according to the description on the side of the jar may technically be Creole seasoning. It contains salt, paprika, granulated garlic, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, mustard, and "other spices". All I know is its good and last time I was at the grocery store I didn't see any on the shelf. I will be sad if it had been discontinued.