Vegetable Challenge: Okra
18 years ago
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18 years ago
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Challenge! Create a recipe using up a vegetable gift basket
Comments (13)I'd definitely be roasting the yam, the cauliflower and the carrots and celery. Yes, I LOVE roasted celery and that's the only way I like cauliflower at all. The lettuce and peppers can be a salad, with some of the radishes, or you could slice and marinate the peppers and make a nice side dish. In the alternative, you could make Marilyn's Pepper Salad or Pepper soup, I've made the salad and like it (but I like peppers), I haven't made the soup so I can't critique it. Bell Pepper Salad 1 each red, yellow and orange bell pepper 1 small fresh onion; thinly sliced 10 grape tomatoes; sliced 2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Dressing hand full fresh parsley; chopped kosher salt to taste Seed and thinly slice peppers. Combine ingredients in a pretty bowl. Great with Feta cheese. Fresh Herb Dressing 1/2 cup extra-light olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1 teaspoon salt fresh basil; chopped fresh oregano; chopped fresh chive; chopped (or garlic) Combine ingredients in glass jar and shake well. Roasted Bell Pepper Soup 4 large red, yellow or orange bell peppers 1 tablespoons olive oil or butter 1 medium onion 4 cloves garlic; minced Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper 4 cups chicken broth pinch of cayenne pepper to taste Place whole peppers on a rack place into a shallow oven-proof dish to catch juices. Set oven to broil and place peppers 5-inchs from heat source for 30 to 35 minutes, turning occasionally until skin is blistered and browned, turning often. Immediately place peppers in a plastic bag and close tightly. Let stand at least 20 minutes to cool. Remove skin, seeds and stems. Cut into strips. Meanwhile, In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil; add onion, along with salt and pepper and sauté until softened but not brown. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add roasted bell peppers and broth; bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until reduced by half. Puree in small batches in a blender. Return to saucepan by pouring through a wire strainer; season to taste. Garnish with unsweetened whipped cream. Serves 4 generously. *Puree soup while still hot for a velvety, smooth texture. Do not fill blender more than 1/3 full at a time and vent the top for steam to release Marilyn Ann T has a great recipe for a pepper tart: Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Roasted Red and Green Pepper Tart ================================= One quantity short crust pastry FILLING 3 red peppers halved and seeded 3 green peppers halved and seeded 60 g (2 oz) grated mozzarella cheese 40 g (1 ½ oz) grated parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons chopped, fresh basil 75 g (2 ½ oz) black olives freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400°F Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and place in a 9 inch tart tin. Line with nonstick baking paper and fill with baking weights or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and paper and bake further 10 minutes or until golden brown. To Prepare Filling: Roast peppers until blackened. Place in a plastic bag stand for 10 minutes. Peel skins from peppers and slice into strips. Rinse off any black skin still remaining, with cold water. Sprinkle base of pastry shell with cheeses and top with peppers, basil, olives and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 15 to 25 until heated through. Short Crust pastry 250 g ( 8 oz) flour 125 g (4 oz) butter chopped Iced water Place flour and butter in a food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. If making by hand, rub butter in with fingertips or with two knives While processor motor is running, add drops of iced water until dough holds together. If making by hand mix with knife or wooden spoon. Press dough into a ball and wrap in paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes before rolling or shaping. Pastry can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. beverly has a great recipe for fettucini with a bell pepper sauce. It calls for chicken and cream, I know that's a "no-no" combo but someone else might like this: Fettucini with Chicken and Bell Pepper Cream Sauce 2 ounces skinless boneless chicken thighs 1 tablespoon butter 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 8 ounces fettuccine Additional grated Parmesan cheese preparationSprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Add green and red bell peppers and onion to same skillet and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and sauté 4 minutes. Add whipping cream and chicken stock. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Cut chicken into strips and add to sauce. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add basil and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately. Makes 4 first-course servings. And now, the radishes. When Maureen and Nancy came for dinner a few months ago, I made a side dish of cooked radishes. They were surprisingly good, tasted vaguely reminiscent of turnips. All I did was saute sliced radishes and some snowpeas in some olive oil until the radishes were tender, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add some butter for taste, salt and pepper. I've also got this recipe saved for next year's radishes, although I haven't tried it: GLAZED RADISHES 1 lb. 1 tbsp. 1 tsp. 1/2 tsp. 2 tbsp. radishes, trimmed unsalted butter sugar salt minced fresh parsley leaves In a heavy saucepan wide enough to hold the radishes in one layer cook the radishes in the butter with the sugar and the salt over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water, simmer the radishes, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender, and boil them, uncovered, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid has been reduced to a glaze. Cook the radishes over moderate heat, swirling them, until they are coated with the glaze and sprinkle them with the parsley. Gourmet, April 1991 As for the mushrooms, stuff em! LOL As an alternative, I might make the broccoli and cauliflower into that salad with raisins and sunflower seeds that my kids like so well: Cauliflower Broccoli Salad 1 head of cauliflower, separated into flowerets 1 bunch broccoli, separated into flowerets 1 small onion, chopped finely 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar Crumbled bacon, optional Combine cauliflower, broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds and onion, bacon if you're using it. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Pour mayonnaise mixture over vegetables; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 4 hours. Annie (who just LOVES vegetables!)...See MoreSon of the Return of the Vegetable Gift Basket Challenge
Comments (7)Lucky you to be in Vegetable Heaven! I would be attacking that basket. First, broccoli-cheddar chowder for your friend. I'll take the cabbages and use them, along with some of the carrots and peppers, to make one of our favorite coleslaws. I'll leave the jalapenos for someone else. COLORFUL COLESLAW 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup cider vinegar 3/4 tsp. celery seeds 2 tsp. dried mustard 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 head green cabbage, cut into thin shreds 1/2 head red cabbage, cut into thin shreds 1 carrot peeled and coarsely grated 1 small onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 1 green pepper, seeded and halved crosswise and thinly sliced 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and halved crosswise and thinly sliced Put red cabbage in a storage container in the refrigerator. Combine oil, sugar and vinegar in small nonaluminum saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 5 minutes and add celery seeds, mustard, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl except for red cabbage. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss. Chill covered for at least four hours, or preferably overnight, stirring occasionally. Add red cabbage about an hour before serving. 12 servings. Note: You can add the red cabbage at the same time as the green but since the color will bleed out of it over time (no change in flavor), the presentation is prettier if you add it right before serving. Next, the green and yellow squashes would be "stringed" and steamed in the microwave. When done, stir in some of the chopped scallions and parsley. (squash in the pic has dried cranberries) Some of the tomatoes and the rest of the cabbage and carrots would go into a bean soup made with turkey kielbasa. A half recipe of this salad would use up the cucumber, some of the tomato and parsley, and you could substitute lime juice for the lemon. TURKISH SHEPHERD'S SALAD 3 large tomatoes 2 medium size cucumbers 2 medium size Green Peppers 1 large red onion 1/2 bunch Parsley 7- 8 sprigs fresh mint 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt (or less to taste) Sumac powder * (This is not a marinated-type salad and is best when all the ingredients are chopped and mixed close to serving time.) Wash the vegetables; peel and halve cucumbers, removing seeds; remove stems and seeds of the green peppers, and remove the surplus parts of onion, parsley and the mint. Chop the onions, green peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers into cubes about 1 cm. in size (between 1/4 and 1/2 inch.). Finely chop the mint and parsley. Add lemon juice and salt to olive oil, whisk well and pour over the salad immediately before serving. Sprinkle lightly with sumac powder. *Note: if you don�t have sumac powder, increase the lemon juice to 2 Tbs. Gellchom, have fun with your lovely basket ingredients....See MoreReturn of the Vegetable Gift Basket Challenge
Comments (11)Mmmm...when it comes to veggies, I often think Indian: Rasedar (vegetables in cumin scented tomato gravy) 2 T ghee or vegetable oil 1 t cumin seeds 1 T peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger 1 T ground coriander 1 1/2 t ground cumin 3/4 t ground tumeric 1/2 t cayenne pepper 1 c (5 oz) peeled, chopped boiling potatoes 2 tomatoes, pureed 2 c chopped mixed veggies 2 c water or chicken stock 1 1/2 t salt, or to taste 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro Over a medium high heat, saute the cumin seeds until they turn dark brown (about 15 seconds). Stir in the ginger, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric and cayenne. Stir for a few seconds and then add potatoes, tomatoes, vegetables, water or stock and salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat, reduce to low, cover and cook until the vegetables are quite soft, about 15 minutes. With the back of a spoon, crush some of the vegetables to thicken the sauce. Correct for seasonings, and serve sprinkled with cilantro...if you loathe cilantro, some parsley or mint would be nice...maybe fresh dill) (For your purposes, I would use a mixture of cauliflower, broccoli, yams and peppers for this dish) Punjabi Cabbage 1/2 onion, roughly chopped 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 or 2 green chili (such as serrano), seeded chopped (optional) 4 T ghee or veg oil 1 t cumin seeds 1 t ground tumeric 1 lb green cabbage, finely shredded 1 t salt 1/2 t black pepper 2 t ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1/4 t chili powder 1 T butter Put the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies in a food processor and chop until finely chopped but not a paste. Heat the ghee or oil over low heat and fry the onion mixture until it softens. Add the cumin seeds and turmeric to the pan and stir for one minute. Mix in the cabbage, and mix well. Add salt, pepper, ground cumin, coriander and chili powder. Stir to coat the cabbage, then cook for 10 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is soft. If the cabbage starts sticking to the pan you can add a tablespoon or so of water. Stir in the butter and add salt to taste. Radish Salad 1 1/2 c small radishes, quartered 1 T oil 1/4 t cumin seeds 1/4 t mustard seeds (preferably brown, but yellow is fine) pinch of asafoetida (you can sub a pinch of garlic powder) 1/4 t ground turmeric 1/4 t salt 1 T lemon juice 2/3 c roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped Heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds, cover and shake the saucepan until the seeds start to pop. Add the asafoetida, turmeric and salt to the pan and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and allow to cool. Just before serving, arrange the radishes and peanuts in a bowl, pour the dressing over and mix thoroughly. Radish Leaf Soup If your radish leaves are fresh, I would start with a cream of radish leaf soup. I don't really have a recipe as I just make it, but... Chop a smallish onion, a stick of celery and a large peeled potato, diced small in butter over a medium heat until the veggies soften and are just starting to turn golden. Add 4 c of chicken or vegetable stock, bring to a boil and reduce to a fast simmer. While the vegetables are simmering, sort your leaves, discarding any that are yellowed. Wash them very well and chop coarsely. If you don't have at least 2 cups of packed leaves, augment them with some frozen spinach or other green. You didn't say whether your carrots had greens, those would be ideal. When the veggies are soft, add the greens and cook until softened, but still bright green. Puree the mixture in a blender or with a stick blender and add a cup or two (to taste) of half and half or if you're feeling really decadent, heavy cream. Season with white pepper and salt to taste. This will not make a really thick soup, relying as it does on the potato and pureed veggies for thickening so if you really prefer cream soups to be thick, you can thicken it with roux at the stage just before you add the greens...you don't want to cook the greens too long and lose that fresh flavor. Pomegranate Raita 2 c good quality, plain yogurt (preferably NOT low fat) 1 or 2 pomegranates...depending on size. (You should have about 3/4 c seeds to mix in, a couple of tablespoons for garnish, and a couple more tablespoons to make a bit of juice.) 1/2 c thinly sliced green onions (or more or less, depending on your taste for onions) 1 t salt 1 t sugar Mix the pomegranate seeds, onions, salt and sugar with the yogurt, reserving the ones for garnish and juice. Squeeze the ones you reserved for juice carefully and add the juice to the raita (mostly to give it a nice, pink color). Sprinkle the reserved seeds on top. I often add julienne mint or cilantro to this raita, occasionally toasted cumin/mustard seeds. Some people add chilis to their raita, but I generally want it as a cooling agent when I serve spicy hot curries or dals so I leave that out. This raita will go well served on the side of your vegetables in the tomato gravy, especially if you make it spicy. By the way, in case you don't already know this...the easy way to take apart your pomegranates is in a large bowl of water. Under water, cut out the blossom end. Then using your thumbs in the hole, pull the fruit apart and start to break up the sections and push the seeds out. The good seeds will sink, and the membrane and pith float. Easier to separate them that way, and not as messy! How about some Carrot Halva for dessert? 2 lbs carrots, coarsely grated 4 c milk 1/3 c ghee or veg oil 1 c sugar 2/3 c raisins (I like dried cranberries for this) 1 t cardamom seeds, finely ground 1/2 c slivered almonds ground cardamom Simmer the carrots in the milk until the carrots are tender and the milk evaporates. This must be done slowly or the mixture will burn. Add the ghee or oil and cook until the carrots start to brown. Add sugar and cook until the mixture is thick and dry. Add raisins, cardamom and almonds. Serve hot in small bowls, with whipped cream or ice cream and sprinkle with ground cardamom. There, all you need is basmati rice on the side. I would probably add a simple dish of dal as well, since I have a hard time eating Indian food without it. Did I miss anything?...See MoreLOOKING for: okra, okra, okra! how i love okra!
Comments (8)How to freeze Okra Start with freshly picked okra. Wash, cut the stems off, being careful not to cut into seed chamber, otherwise the seeds may spill out. Blanch by putting into rapidly boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove and cool immediately by placing under cool running water. Pat dry, optionally make a cut lengthwise, pack in plastic bags, seal tightly and place in the freezer. Should keep well upto a year. ************ Okra Casserole Take a medium size casserole dish, spray with pam spray. Layer a layer of fresh or frozen okra, add in order, layer of chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, can of relleno tomatoes with green chilies, cheddar chesse, layer of okra, layer of onion, layer of green pepper, can of stewed tomatoes, monterey jack grated cheese, stuff 4 slices of bacon around edges of dish to season, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375 degs. (F). Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the pepper and onion are tender. Only make one layer if you have a small family. The two layers work fine for a larger dish to take to family and church gatherings. You can make this hotter by adding a little tobasco. It is delicious. **************** Orka Gumbo 1/3 cup oil 6 cups fresh or frozen okra, sliced in 1/2" slices 2 onions diced 2 medium bell peppers, diced 1 cup celery, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced fine 2 fresh tomatoes, diced large 1/4 cup flour 2 8 oz cans tomato sauce 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken 5 Hot links diced 1 tsp. chicken-style seasoning 6 cups water Dash of blackpepper, paprika, chili powder, and salt (to taste) Sautfresh okra in oil, stirring frequently. If you use frozen okra place in pan without oil and let cook for approximately 5 minutes and remove any access water and then add oil and sauté until okra is not rubbery. In separate skillet, bake 1 1/2 cups of chicken (spiced as you like--paprika, salt, chili powder, and pepper); After chicken is fully cooked slice in 1/4" chunks. In stockpot: Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; sauté for about 8-10 minutes. Add 2 cups water, tomatoes, and chicken chunks. Let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add tomato sauce, links, okra, seasoning and an additional 4 cups of water. Let simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Yield: 8-10 servings. **************** Fried Okra 2-1/2 cups sliced fresh okra 1 cup white corn meal 3 tbsp flour salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup bacon fat Wash okra whole, then slice. Mix cornmeal and flour together. Add okra and toss together until okra is well coated. Heat bacon fat in heavy skillet. Add okra pieces and fry until tender. Season with salt and pepper. ************* Fresh Okra Succotash 1 quart okra, washed and sliced 1 cup young lima beans 1 cup fresh corn kernels 3 large tomatoes 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Peel and seed tomatoes; cut into small pieces and place in a large, non-reactive sauce pan, stock pot or Dutch oven. Add sliced okra, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add lima beans; simmer for another 15 minutes, then add the corn. Cook 20 minutes longer; add butter and stir. Serve as a side dish. Serves 4 to 6. Adapted from Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book (1902) ***********...See More- 18 years ago
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