Experiencing Okra

Okra is a real Southern vegetable and true to my Texas roots, I’ve always been a sucker for it. Fried, pickled, stewed, pretty much anyway it’s made, I’m eager to explore. Yet, in all my explorations, I have never attempted to cook it myself. Like so many things in life, true appreciation comes from experience. So into the kitchen I went, ready to cook.

Of course, cooking okra is not for the meek. Scratch that. Cooking it is easy, it’s the preparation that’s unsettling. Nothing can prepare you for the slimy aftermath left by a pound of sliced okra. It is unseemly. Consequently, okra does not beget many superlatives in its raw form. Fortunately, a big pot of stewed okra and tomatoes is far more charming. Nothing is as enticing as the aroma of okra, onions and tomatoes simmering away on the stovetop. The resulting dish is wonderfully complex and savory with a slow burn that you'll want to experience for yourself.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes, Adapted from Martha Stewart's Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, sliced into half-moons

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 lbs of tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 lb of okra, stems removed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt

1/2 tsp of freshly cracked pepper

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is tender, approximately 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to release some of their liquid. This will take about 2 minutes. Season with kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot so that the mixture simmers gently. Cook for an hour and a half or until the okra is tender.

Bright Green Stalks

Bunches of bright green asparagus signal the start of springtime. Marry these fresh, tender stalks with a delicate blend of lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dried basil and chopped tomatoes for a simple side that is sure to delight.

Sauteed Asparagus with Marinated Tomatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 lbs asparagus, rinsed and tough ends removed

For the Marinated Tomatoes:

1 tomato, roughly chopped

juice of half a lemon (about 1/4 cup)

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp dried basil

salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Method:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. While the pan heats up, toss the chopped tomatoes with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic and dried basil. Lightly season with salt and freshly ground pepper and set aside. Once the pan is hot, add the asparagus and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sauté the asparagus until tender, approximately 10-12 minutes. Just before serving, toss the marinated tomatoes with the asparagus until the tomatoes warm up, approximately 1 minute. Finish with more freshly squeezed lemon juice, if desired.

Kitchen Code

It seems that the best recipes are always the ones we never write down. A dash here, a pinch there or until it tastes right are all common enough measurements in my family. I was recently assigned the task of transcribing a few of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Loose recipes torn from our favorite magazines, and more commonly ones written on scratch paper, fill the green file folder that holds all of our classic sides, sweets and stuffings.Most of the recipes were easy enough to decipher, but the real challenge came from my mother's cranberry sauce. It reads, ''Skin Dice Pears, 3/4 cups, sugar over pears, put enough water, add clove, allspice and squeeze lemon''. Not entirely cryptic, but certainly troublesome enough to cause confusion. After a quick tutorial from the riddle master herself, I managed to get everything down on paper and most importantly into the pot and on the stove.

Cranberry Sauce with Pears

Ingredients

4 pears, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Pinch of ground clove

Pinch of allspice

1 bag of fresh cranberries (cooked according to package instructions)

Method

Place pears and the next 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Add enough water so that the pears are just covered. Cook the pears over low heat until they have softened slightly and remove from the heat. In a large stockpot, cook the cranberries according to package instructions. Allow the sauce to cool slightly and while the sauce is still warm add the pears to the cranberries using a slotted spoon. Thin the cranberry sauce with a couple tablespoons of the pear liquid until it reaches your desired consistency. You do not need to use all of the liquid, just enough so that the sauce is slightly thinned. Taste the cranberry sauce and adjust the seasonings as necessary. You may need to add more sugar and/or lemon juice to balance the flavors. At this point, I begin by adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and a teaspoon of lemon juice (if necessary), tasting after each addition. As the sauce becomes less tart, I add sugar in teaspoon increments, until it is just right, again tasting after each addition.

Summer Salads

I love a good salad, but it can be difficult to find one that strikes the right balance. Some salads are too small, some are too heavy, and once in a while you find one that's just right. It's practically a culinary tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. That being said, allow me to introduce you to a delicious salad that you can enjoy all summer long. With red new potatoes, roasted red peppers, blanched green beans and grilled shrimp, it is light, satisfying and just right for any occasion.

Vegetable Salad with Grilled Shrimp (Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis' Warm Vegetable Salad)

For the Salad:

2 Roasted Red Bell peppers, sliced.

1 1/2 lb red new potatoes, halved and left whole in equal proportions

3/4 lbs green beans, trimmed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 lb grilled, ready-made shrimp ( You can find this in the deli section of your supermarket and it will save you loads of time)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

For the Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup Olive Oil

3 T Champagne Vinegar

1 tsp lemon zest

Juice of one lemon

4 cloves of roasted garlic or 2 cloves of raw garlic (depending on your preference)

1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley

2 scallions, sliced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

For the Roasted Red Peppers:

Preheat the broiler on high. Clean the peppers with water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil. Broil the peppers for 15-20 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until they are black and blistered all over. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap for 15 minutes. This will loosen the skin, making it easy to remove later. Peel the charred skin off of the peppers, remove the seeds and slice into thin strips. Set aside.

For the Salad:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add the potatoes. The original recipe cooks the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, but I cooked mine for 14 minutes. Just make sure they are fork-tender. Remove the potatoes from the pot and drain in a colander. Cover the colander with a clean kitchen towel for one minute to ensure perfectly cooked potatoes. This trick always works for me. Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and crisp. Drain. Place the red peppers, potatoes, green beans, scallions and parsley in a large mixing bowl.

For the Vinaigrette:

Place all of the ingredients but the parsley and olive oil in a blender. Pulse the ingredients until they begin to come together. Turn the mixer off. Turn the mixer back on and slowly add the olive oil until the dressing comes together and emulsifies. After the dressing is ready, toss the salad with a little less than 1/2 of the dressing and season with salt and pepper. This salad does require a little extra salt and pepper, so adjust the seasonings accordingly. Cover the salad and set aside until you're ready to serve. Toss with the remaining dressing and garnish with parsley. Serves 4-5.

Breakfast for Dinner: Home Fries

Breakfast for dinner is one of those brilliant little feats that makes my world go 'round. Who can resist a short stack of pancakes or eggs with crispy bacon at such an inappropriate hour? Not this girl. I go for fluffy omelettes loaded with veggies and golden brown home fries on the side. So throw on your pajamas and grab your favorite coffee mug, because breakfast is served.

Home Fries

Ingredients

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 lbs Red A Potatoes, halved or quartered. (Try to keep them roughly the same size)

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tbsp Fines Herbes

1/4 tsp Dried Whole Rosemary Leaf (You can also use fresh rosemary as well)

In a 12 inch skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, fines herbes & rosemary, cooking until fragrant. Adjust the heat to medium high, add the potatoes and drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. This will coat the potatoes and prevent sticking. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Turn the potatoes sparingly. This will help maintain a crisp golden crust and ensure even browning. Pan fry the potatoes for approximately 45 minutes-1 hour or until they are fork tender and golden brown. Once you can easily insert a fork into the potatoes, they are fully cooked. If not serving immediately, cover and place the potatoes in an oven safe dish at 200℉ until ready to serve. Serves 4.

The Most Delicious Onion

For as long as I can remember, I have always hated onions. I shouldn't say hate, rather strongly dislike--hate is such an ugly word. The truth of the matter is that the onion and I have a colored past. As much as I rely on them for cooking, I can almost never bring myself to eat one. That is until I met the shallot. Maybe it's their flavor, perhaps it's the slightly snooty name, whatever it is I just can't get enough of this little onion. Its sweet, mild flavor adapts to a variety of dishes and I especially love them caramelized atop a bed of sauteed zucchini with lots of freshly cracked pepper.

Sauteed Zucchini with Caramelized Shallots

2 tbsp Olive Oil

3 Zucchini Squash, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tbsp Fresh Thyme, minced

1 tsp of salt, divided

1 tsp Freshly Cracked Pepper, divided

Heat olive oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Heat until fragrant. Add the zucchini and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Saute the zucchini until soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Serves 3.

Caramelized Shallots

2 tbsp olive oil

4 shallots, thinly sliced

1 tsp granulated sugar

In a 10 inch skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Add the shallots and cook until browned around the edges. This will take 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, sprinkle the shallots with sugar and stir. Cook the shallots for an additional 30 minutes until completely browned. Remove from heat. Serve atop a bed of sauteed zucchini.

A Quick Fix

Here's a fantastic side that takes no time at all. Blanched Green Beans with Sauteed Mushrooms. I used to sautee my green beans in olive oil, which took forever. So long in fact that by the time I was ready to eat them, they weren't exactly green anymore. Well, I had had it with my not-so-green beans and so I made a minor tweak, opting to blanch them instead. Blanching is a technique where you flash cook or parboil the vegetables in boiling water until they are just crisp tender. This allows the vegetables to retain all their vitamins and keep their beautiful color. Blanching only takes a few minutes and once the vegetables finish cooking, simply place them in an ice bath to keep them crisp.

Naturally, green beans by themselves are not awe-inspiring. Enter the mushrooms. Mushrooms make a brilliant addition and when paired with the crispness of the green beans, the results are simple and satisfying. Toss in a little minced garlic, a splash of white wine & freshly chopped thyme and you'll have a delicious quick fix for you and yours.

Blanched Green Beans with Sauteed Mushrooms

Ingredients

2 1/2 - 3 cups of green beans, washed and trimmed

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 packages of button mushrooms, cleaned with a damp cloth

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme

A splash of white wine

Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper (to taste)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and green beans. Depending on the size of your pot, you may want to add the green beans in batches. Blanch the green beans for 2 minutes. They will be bright green. Using a skimmer, remove the green beans from the pot and place them in a bowl of ice water. Add the remaining green beans, blanch and place them in the ice bath. Drain the green beans.

In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme, white wine and season with salt and pepper. Stir ocassionally and sautee until nicely browned. Return the green beans to the pot and warm over low heat. Stir in the mushrooms, give it one final taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serves 4.

A little bit of Greenery

As I was scrolling through my recipe box this morning, I experienced a minor freakout. I realized that I had not posted one recipe with vegetables. Not one! Much to my dismay, I found a long list of sweets, chocolate and more carbohydrates than you can shake a stick at. Don't get me wrong, I love the occasional sweet treat, but I was highly displeased at the lack of greenery. So without further delay, let's talk spinach. I am completely enamored with this little leafy green. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it has countless health benefits and it's a cinch to prepare. You can dress up it up virtually anyway you like and chances are it will be fantastic. I cook spinach all the time and it's one of the easiest vegetables to prepare. I wilt the spinach, which allows it to cook down quickly, while retaining all of it's beautiful green color. All it takes is a few simple ingredients. I start with a drizzling of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, garlic and red chile flakes and in no time at all you have the perfect dish. Do something good for yourself. Popeye will be impressed.

Wilted Spinach with Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic and Red Chile Flakes

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large box of pre-washed spinach

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp red chile flakes

4 capfuls of Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp Salt (or to taste)

1 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper (or to taste)

1 tbsp lemon juice

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over medium heat. Add the garlic and red chile flakes, cooking until fragrant. Add the spinach and adjust the heat to medium-high. Sprinkle the spinach with salt and freshly ground pepper, stirring occasionally until the spinach wilts and is bright green--approximately 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice. Serves 4.