12 Days Til Christmas

Just 12 Days until Christmas, and the kitties are snuggled all warm in our bed...
In honor of the twelve days til Christmas, I'm posting a holiday recipe each day until Christmas, and I hope you enjoy! I don't have photos of all of them but will share the ones I do have.
Today's recipe:
Lisa's Shrimp Gumbo
3 Tbsp Bacon Grease or oil or butter
1 Green Pepper, diced
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced or 1 cup Cubed Celeriac
3-4 Cloves Chopped Garlic
3-4 Chopped Chipotle Peppers
3/4 Cup Red Lentils
3/4 Cup Brown Rice
6 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 can Tomatoes or 3 large ones from the freezer doused in boiling water, then peeled
1 can Tomato Paste
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
1 Tablespoon Ground Cayenne Pepper
1-2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
1-2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Bay Leaf
1 lb peeled, deveined, tail off shrimp, chopped into smaller bite-sized pieces
...and a partridge in a pear tree.
To prepare:
Heat a large kettle over medium heat, then add the fat. Cook the onions, green peppers and celery or celeriac over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more before adding the bay leaf and spices. Next add the tomato and tomato paste and allow the tomato (if frozen) to continue thawing. Next add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice and bring the pot back to a boil, then turn down to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lentils and bring the pot back to a boil, then turn down to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 10 minutes more.
Serve with homemade cornbread and extra hot sauce for those of us who like it spicy!
Makes a big pot, so you can have leftovers for lunch or even freeze some for a quick hot meal on a cold winter day.
Approximately 8 servings
Start to finish time: 1 hour