Smokin' Hot Pickled Okra

Ingredients:
3 1/2 lb medium sized okra
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pickling salt
2/3 cup minced dill
6 large cloves garlic
6 teaspoons chipotle flakes
3 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

Directions:
Bring the water, vinegars and salt to a boil. Prep the lids/jars.  I highly recommend using wide mouth jars. Okra is bulky and I was able to fit more in the wide mouth jars than the regular ones. Fill each jar tightly with okra. Evenly divide all of the spices and garlic between 6 pint jars. Top with dill.



Pour in the boiling vinegar mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Poke down any okra that has floated too close to the top. Close the jars and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Allow to sit at least one week before eating.

Yield: about 6 pints

Note: Note: A great source for canning information is the Blue Book guide to preserving. I highly recommend it for learning how to can. Here are some of the canning books and equipment I find useful.

My thoughts:

While September is mildly depressing between memories of heading back to school and the knowledge that fall and its bitter cousin, winter is just around the corner, I do like September's produce. A lot of my summer favorites (peaches, nectarines, plums, tomatoes, berries) are still available but I am also able to find winter squash, Brussels sprouts, apples, pears and some of the best okra I've seen in ages. I know okra is some what polarizing but I love it. Cooked (or pickled) properly, it doesn't have any of the dread producing ooze and is incredibly fresh and crisp. This recipe is some what nontraditional but I love anything smoky spicy so I used chipotle pepper flakes rather than red and it added a whole new level of flavor to the okra. I added celery and mustard seed because they are two of my favorite spices and I think they added a fresh flavor which is always welcome when canning.

Seafood Gumbo

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter OR bacon fat
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 quarts seafood or chicken stock
4 andouille sausages, sliced into coins
1 lb okra, sliced into coins
1 lb peeled shrimp
1 lb catfish, cut into nuggets
1 lb shucked oysters (with liquid)


cooked white rice to serve
file powder, optional

Directions:
Over medium heat, cook the flour, spices and butter/bacon fat together, whisking pretty often until it turns brown but doesn't burn. Add the onions, garlic and peppers and saute until starting to soften. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the sausage and okra. Cook for 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and catfish. Cook until they are almost cooked through then add the oysters in their liquid. Cook until the oysters are cooked through. Serve over rice.

My thoughts:

I have to say, I make pretty good Cajun food. When my husband brought home a bunch of seafood with an eye on making gumbo, he suggested I make the roux and take a more supervisory role for the rest. Fine with me! I make my roux over a lower heat than I've seen called for in cookbooks which makes the process much less fraught but yields the same results in just slightly more time. I also like to add the spices to the flour which makes them nice and toasty tasting. Beyond that I don't get too fancy; cubanelle peppers instead of bell (bell peppers are so insipid) and a jalapeno thrown in for extra spice. Since it is a month with an "r" in it, local oysters were a natural fit as was my favorite catfish. Rounding it out is shrimp but I bet crawfish or even (for an extra luxe touch) chunks of lobster would be great. This is my favorite kind of gumbo, homey and comforting but the seafood makes it seem special. It is also surprisingly quick to make which makes it a great choice for a weekday meal.

My Favorite Recipes of 2008

My two favorite posts from each month in 2008.


January
Cincinnati Chili
Intensely Dark Chocolate Ice Box Cookies

February
Home Fries
Smoky, Spicy Fried Okra

March
Mango Chile Cupcakes
Pork & Shrimp Potstickers

April
Nibby Toffee Rice Krispie Treats
Smoky Mango Pulled Pork

May
Chipotle Spinach Artichoke Dip
Strawberry-Thyme Cupcakes


June
Pea Shoot Pesto
Coconut Pancakes with Cardamom Syrup

July
Hawaiian Hamburger Rolls
Gingersnaps

August
Homemade Chocodiles
Upside-down Peach Cake (made on the grill)


September
Eye of the Tiger Cupcakes
Apple Cider Doughnuts

October
Autumn Vegetable Chowder
Sage Roasted Chicken

November
Heirloom Apple Pie
Thai Noodle Salad with Turkey and Shrimp


December
Tortilla Soup
Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Smoky Spicy Fried Okra

Ingredients:
1/2 lb okra, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
salt
pepper

canola oil for frying

Directions:
Place the okra and the buttermilk in a bowl and allow to soak 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the paprika, salt, pepper, chipotle pepper, and cornmeal. Set aside. Drain the okra and place it in the bowl. Shake to coat. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the okra in a single layer. Cook until all sides are golden brown, turning occasionally. This step should only take a couple of minutes, do not over cook. Remove to paper towel lined plates. Serve hot.

Spring this recipe!

My thoughts:

I love okra in any form but I know not everyone shares my undying devotion to the vegetable. Everything tastes good fried so this is a great way to convert people to the way of the okra. Okra doesn't have an assertive flavor but it can stand up to some spice. In this case the chipotle and paprika add a bit of spice and smoky favor that adds flavor interest without being overwhelming. The trick to grease free fried okra is making sure the okra is thoroughly covered in the cornmeal mixture, the oil is really hot before you start to fry and quick draining afterwards. I like them plain, but I've heard rumours of people dipping them in ranch dressing if that is your sort of thing.

Southern-Inspired Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh chopped okra
1 1/2 cups vegetable or mushroom broth
3/4 cup quinoa
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained
10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chile
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper


Directions:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until fragrant. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cook 30 seconds, then add the broth, chipotle, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has be absorbed. Stir the okra, kidney beans and canned tomatoes with chile into the saucepan, and continue to simmer 2-5 minutes or until heated through.

My thoughts:

I still think half the fun of eating quinoa is that you have an excuse to say "KEEN-wah". That aside, quinoa is a great source of protein which makes this dish pretty much a complete meal in itself. Quickly sauteing the quinoa before adding the liquid brings out a nutty flavor that works well with the spices and the vegetables and diminishes the slight "seedy" flavor quinoa has that I know at least my husband finds less than appealing.

Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked turkey, diced
16 oz canned kidney beans, drained
12 oz beer
10 oz Ro-tel tomatoes with chile
6 oz tomato paste
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 small, dried chile peppers
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 lb frozen okra, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin


Directions:

Soak dried chile peppers in a half cup of hot water, set aside. In a large saucepan, saute onions, garlic and bell pepper in oil until soft. Stir in turkey and all spices including cocoa. Add beer, tomatoes, tomato paste and beans. Stir and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, puree the dried chile peppers in water and add to pot. Cook 15-20 minutes or until chili has thickened and is bubbling.

Okra with Tomato, Rice and Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups water or broth
1/2 cup frozen okra
2 green onions, chopped and seperated
10 oz Ro-tel tomatoes and chiles
15 oz canned black beans
frozen or fresh shrimp, peeled (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot, bring water, rice and the white part of the onion to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, combine beans and Ro-tel and heat through, about 10 minutes. Add the green part of the onion, the okra and the shrimp and cook about 5 minutes until hot and shrimp is pink. Serve over rice.

Turkey Gumbo

6 quarts turkey stock

1 cup flour

1 cup oil

1 pound leftover turkey meat, in bite-sized pieces

1 pound andouille sausage

2 pounds shrimp (we used frozen)

2 pounds okra, chopped (frozen okay)

2 onions, chopped

1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

5 ribs celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

salt

pepper



Directions:

Pour all of the stock into a large stock pot then begin to make the roux. Blend oil and flour thoroughly in a thick, wide skillet and cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring nonstop with a wire whisk. Cook until it is thick and a light chocolate brown. If you burn it or get black specks appearing, start over. It may take up to 20 minutes to complete the roux.

Just before it is done, turn down the flame and add your onions, bell peppers and celery to the roux to soften the vegetables. Stir the roux until finished and the vegetables are beginning to soften. Remember, start over if it starts to burn or get black flecks in it. Add it to the stock. In a saucepan, brown the sliced sausage and discard all of the fat. Add the sausage, bay leaves, and seasoning to the broth. Bring to a boil then let simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust spices. Add the okra cook another 30 minutes. Make sure the okra is cooked through and then add the parsley and turkey meat. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is cooked through and pink. Salt and pepper as needed.





Serve over rice.