Spicy Roasted Okra

Let's talk okra.  Have you ever tried okra?  I grew up just north of Boston, so needless to say we were not a big okra-eating family.  Actually, we weren't an okra-eating family at all.  I'm not sure I'd ever even seen okra before I moved to DC, never mind tried it.  I mean, the stuff looks like it's covered in dog slobber.  Not exactly on my top 10 "must try" list.



Strangely enough, the grocery store by my apartment in Chicago almost always has okra. (Except the first time I'd worked up the nerve to try it.  Obviously, that day they had no okra whatsoever.)  In my store, it's up on the shelf with the Brussels sprouts.  And that is another food - Brussels sprouts - that I never thought I liked until I found out they're actually my favorite thing in the world when sauteed in bacon fat and mixed with Israeli couscous.  So if I could give Brussels sprouts a shot, why not okra?



My first instinct was that the dog slobber oozing out of the okra needs to be dried up.  Please. And that means we are not making okra in a pan.  We are not sauteing it down to a puddle of dog slobber.  I'm not quite ready for that, even if I was using bacon fat.  When I found this recipe for roasting the okra, I figured this was the best way to go.

By the way, as long as we're talking bacon fat, I have a confession to make.  For Easter, I made a quiche (which obviously included bacon) and ever since I've been saving leftover bacon fat in my fridge.  I only use it for things like quick brussels sprouts on a weeknight.  But yeah, there's that.  Don't judge me.  Especially if you're my sweet Kosher-keeping Bubby.



Right, so okra.  Okra rocks.  Or at least this okra recipe does.  I'm not quite ready to venture out and try any others yet, but I'm pretty stoked about what we had going on here.  I'm always looking for a new vegetable to change up our routine (which, come summer, is asparagus, asparagus, asparagus....and our roommate hates asparagus) so this is a really nice change of pace.  Plus it's seriously easy.  You don't even have to trim the tops off if you don't want to!  And the chili-infused olive oil the Monkey Scientist's mom gave us has some serious kick to it, so you know he was loving this recipe, too. (But if you're a weirdo and don't like spicy foods, you could use olive oil instead and I think you'll be just fine!)  I'm excited. It's going into the rotation.

Oh, P.S. those glorious little nuggets on the plate that look like tater tots are actually roasted gnocchi.  In this case, Cajun roasted gnocchi.  My old co-worker's sister gave me this recipe months ago and it is one of my favorite things ever.  I really need to share it with you one of these days! 



Spicy Roasted Okra
from Tartlette

Ingredients
1 lb okra
1/4 c chili-infused olive oil (we bought it, but you can make your own)
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Wash the okra and slice in half vertically.  I cut the tops off first, but this is optional.
3.  Put the okra in a large bowl with the chili-infused olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
4.  Place the okra in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the okra is browned and crispy.  Serve immediately.

An American Meal

We had the BEST dinner the other night.  Everything worked so well together, I just had to share it with you as a whole plate.  It's a perfectly American meal for the week of the 4th of July!

The meat of the meal (pun intended) was what I lovingly refer to as "Pork Chop ala Monkey Scientist".  I'm not totally sure of every step he makes to prepare it, but I know it involves maple syrup (my favorite), cayenne pepper, and a quick pan sear on a grill pan coated with olive oil from the Misto.  It's juicy and delicious - one of his specialties these days!



Next, what would pork chops be without apple sauce?  The Monkey Scientist told me about an amazing peach apple sauce that his mom buys, so I did my best to replicate it.  He told me I was very successful! Apple sauce is one of the easiest things to make from scratch, it just takes a little time and patience.  I was glad he suggested adding peaches because they added a perfect bit of summer flair to my go-to recipe.  My recipe is below and it's a yelleBELLYboo original, based on the applesauce knowledge passed down by my Nanny Paula (although it isn't nearly as good as hers) and my own preferences (maple. it's always maple) .



A week before we made this meal, we'd gone to the grocery store when we were both starving.  As we stumbled down the baking aisle, somehow a box of Jiffy cornbread mix ended up in our basket.  We decided it would go great with this meal, but I had to spice it up a bit.  I added a tablespoon or two of lavender, but otherwise followed the box instructions.  I think it added a nice flowery touch that elevated the cornbread nicely.

Finally, sticking with our southern theme, we made some beautiful swiss chard.  I don't usually cook swiss chard, but I couldn't resist its rainbow stems!  I used techniques I often use for kale or spinach and I think it came out wonderfully.  It added just a little bit of Asian flavor to our otherwise very-Americana meal.  I loved how it rounded out our plate.  The recipe below is another yelleBELLYboo original - I was feeling quite inventive this night!

If you're looking for a nice dinner to throw together, this one was so easy and yummy.  It was our favorite meal we've had in a long time!



Peach Applesauce


Ingredients
2 lbs Macintosh apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup raw or white sugar (more or less depending how sweet you like it)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water

Instructions
1. Add all of the ingredients to a large pan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low and continue to simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the apples and peaches are easily crushed with the back of a spoon.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Crush the apples and peaches with the back of a spoon until you have a chunky applesauce.  If you like your applesauce smoother, you can blend with an immersion blender or in the food processor.  Serve cold or at room temperature.


Swiss Chard with Goat Cheese and Almonds


Ingredients
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil (can omit)
1 bunch Swiss chard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered almond (I used honey roasted)
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Instructions
1. Heat the sesame and chili oils in a medium to large skillet with high sides over medium heat.
2. Wash and dry the Swiss chard and roughly chop.  Add to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook down until wilted and soft.
3. Remove from heat and place in a serving dish.  Add the almonds and goat cheese and toss to mix.  Serve immediately.