Cooking Cheap like a Cajun

Cajun people were not rich. They made do with very little and did very well. Some of the most delicious dishes you can eat are Cajun dishes. And as an added bonus, they are also the most economical. You can feed several families on one chicken with Gumbo or Chicken Corn Soup. Beans and Rice are also a staple of good Cajun cooking. I can feed large crowds cheaply with Red Beans & Rice and cornbread.
Yesterday I made a Chicken Corn Soup for a friend that was recovering from a stomach ailment. It fed our family and her family and we had leftovers here and I'm quite sure they had leftovers there. I thought I would post the recipe here.

Chicken Corn Soup
½ chicken skinned & cut up in pieces
1 yellow onion chopped up
1 clove of garlic finely minced
Frozen corn (1-2 c.)
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
Chopped carrots (1-2 c.)
Chopped potatoes (2 c.)
2 Tbl. of vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
salt, black & cayenne pepper to taste
4 c. Chicken Broth (you can use water if you don’t have it)
Put oil in a heavy pan and use a medium flame. Once oil is hot, put the chicken pieces in until they turn golden brown and flip them over to brown the other side. The browner the better. This is the secret to a fragrant and delicious broth. After they are browned, put in the yellow onions and garlic. Cook until the yellow onions have turned clear. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for at least 1 hour. I take the chicken meat off of the bones after it has cooked to stretch the meat. You can also serve over rice to stretch further.
Once you make this soup, you will make it over and over again.

Gluten/Dairy Free Option:
Be sure your chicken broth is gluten free. You can use CENTRAL MARKET ORGANICS FREE RANGE CHICKEN BROTH from HEB.