Summer Sautéed Okra on Polenta

Second recipe from my Farmers' Market Finds. I purchased beautiful green and purple okra from a farmer who also specialized in cool Asian greens and peppers. Good summer okra is delicious raw. I munched on a few while I was cooking, especially since these ones didn't have the prickly fuzz on them that usually turns me off. If you are worried about the okra slime, don't be. Lightly sautéed, these babies stay fresh and crisp.To make it truly summer I added sweet grape tomatoes.

Summer Sautéed Okra on Polenta (serves 3)

4 cups fresh okra, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2c grape tomatoes

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 pieces of bacon, small diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup polenta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

For the polenta: Bring water and milk to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Parmesan and season with salt.
For the okra: In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon. Cook until bacon is almost cooked thoroughly. Add the okra and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onion and tomatoes. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Lightly press on the tomatoes until they burst. Season with salt and pepper and serve over warm polenta.

Farmers' Market Finds & Cabernet Marinara

With my job, I have to work pretty much every Saturday (bummer). I did a favor for my boss this week on my typical day off, teaching a farm to fork class to teenagers (which I love to do), so she gave me Saturday off. First thought- "I can go to the Farmers' Market!". Yes, we have the State Farmers' Market that is open practically everyday, but I have a thing about the State Market. Last time I went I was underwhelmed and disappointed by the products from outside of NC being sold. If I wanted that, I'd go to the grocery store. However, we have a couple of other, smaller markets open on Saturdays. My husband and I went to the highly suggested Midtown Farmers' Market that takes over the streets of North Hills Mall from eight until noon. A small number of farmers, bakers, and artisans line the streets, setting up baskets, tables, and truck beds of gorgeous produce, meats, and breads. With a new puppy, we were up quite early, and got there right at eight when they opened.

This is the best retail therapy. I was in my element. My husband commented on how I talk with farmers like I have known them all of my life. I have. I grew up surrounded by farmers of all types and have had the fortune to travel to farms for my job. Farmers are some of the most fascinating people you will ever meet. Highly intelligent and detailed like scientists, local advocates, foodies, and down to earth human beings. I dream of having enough land some day to grow vegetables and a few goats to make cheese.

I bought a ton of tomatoes, especially the discounted "uglies". If you ever come across these, buy them up! There is nothing wrong with these guys, they simply do not appearperfection appeal. If you are making any sort of sauce, salsa, or canning, save a dollar a pound with these.

Hardly ugly, right?

Along with our uglies, we bought green tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, heirloom peppers, onions, garlic, soshito peppers, flowers, green and purple okra, caramelized onion focaccia, and a cinnamon pecan roll that he lusted over. All for exactly $40. First, I made this Cabernet Marinara Sauce. I was thrilled to have a mini project for the weekend, and am now convinced to go back this Saturday (another one off!) to buy enough for another batch. If you are going to make your own pasta sauce, do it when tomatoes are in season! Nothing is worse than a water bomb of a tomato. If not, canned are perfectly fine, I would recommend using a no salt added one.

Cabernet Marinara (makes about 3 1/2 cups)

8 medium tomatoes (I used a combination of red and yellow uglies), small dice and in a bowl to save juices

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 carrot, small dice

1 small onion, small dice

2 cloves garlic

1 small bell pepper, small dice

3/4c-1c Cabernet Sauvignon (I used a reasonably priced one from Fish Eye-also good to drink!)

1 teaspoon of dried Italian herb seasoning

1 tablespoon fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Red Pepper Flakes to taste



Let's take a second to look at these gorgeous colors! (no, that is not eggplant, that is a heirloom bell pepper!)



A ton of juice that is left after your tomatoes have been sitting for 5 minutes! Perfect cooking liquid that will add the concentrated tomato flavor.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add carrots and bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Add onion and cook for another 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add dried herbs and tomatoes, reserving the juice for later use. Bring tomatoes to a boil and add 1/2 cup of wine. Add 1/2 cup of tomato juices and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Add other 1/4 cup wine and 1/4 cup of juice. Season with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding up to another 1/4 cup of wine and 1/2 cup of juice as needed for consistency.

If you like your sauce really chunky, you are done! If you like a semi-chunky sauce, lightly puree half of the sauce and fold back into the rest. For a smoother sauce, lightly puree all of the sauce. Add the fresh basil and parsley.

If you have any leftover tomato juice, don't throw it away!

Add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs and you have a wonderful salad dressing!

Stay tuned for more of my farmers' market recipes!

Butterbeer Cupcakes: The Cupcake That Lived

I am not joking about the cupcake that lived part. As many people know, I am not a baker-it is too exact and I have no patience. One thing I am though is a Harry Potter fanatic. Last year for The Deathly Hallows Part 1 my neighbor and I made Butterbeer with cream soda, butterscotch schnapps, and a whipped topping. It was sickeningly sweet and we could barely drink one. So this year, for Part 2, I decided to turn it into a dessert. First off- I planned on making them the night of the midnight showing that my husband and I went to. I bought all of funky supplies I needed such as butter flavoring and butterscotch chips, knowing that I had everything else we needed at home. I get home and start prepping the dry ingredients and we have no eggs. I.was.livid. I decided that I was too hot and angry to go to the store to get the eggs (I don't always cook well angry). I felt that it was okay to make them the next day since technically that was opening day.

Another disaster-since I don't bake often, I didn't realize that my non-stick muffin pan wasn't non-stick anymore. I grumbled obscenities to myself as I tried to pry the tattered cupcakes out of the pan. I washed it and for batch two I greased the pan. That didn't help either. So these are probably the most pitiful looking cupcakes I have ever made in my entire life, and I am almost too embarrassed to post a picture, but will anyway out of the goodness of my heart. I adapted this recipe from The Curvy Carrot Blog

Butterbeer Cupcakes (makes 18)
For the cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
18 liners (you like that part?)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (on the spice aisle)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda, room temperature

For the buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup butterscotch ganache (see below)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
Pinch salt
1 16-oz package (about 3 cups) powdered sugar
Milk or cream, as needed *just a few drops

For the butterscotch ganache:
1 11-ounce bag of butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cupcake pan with the liners. (you like that part?) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter to a bowl and using an electric mixer (or standing) with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light, about 2 minutes.Add the granulated and dark brown sugars to the butter and continue to mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.Add the vanilla and butter flavorings until combined.Add about one-third of your buttermilk, followed by one-third of the cream soda, and then one-third of the flour mixture.Alternate adding the remaining buttermilk, cream soda, and flour in thirds until well-combined. The batter will be extremely airy and fluffy

Evenly distribute the cupcake batter among your prepared baking pan and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15-17 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.

For the butterscotch ganache: In a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water, mix the butterscotch chips and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Let cool.

For the butterscotch frosting: In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light, about 2 minutes.Add the cooled butterscotch ganache to the butter, mixing well. Add the vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt to the frosting and mix well to combine.Decrease the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. (Add a few drops of cream or additional powdered sugar as necessary).

Next what I did was poke a hole in the center of the cupcake with the fatter end of a chopstick, you can use whatever you would like. Spoon a teaspoon of the ganache on top of the cupcake, and let sit for 5 minutes. Frost the cupcake and drizzle with ganache (and hopefully yours will turn out beautiful, at this point in time I did not give a shit what it looked like)

BLT with Avocado-Basil Mayo and Garlic Sweet Potato Fries

It's officially hot as H-E double hockey stick here. Yesterday, when I got in the car to leave work, the thermometer read 107...ridiculous. We had this light dinner, which is the essence of summer and was satisfying with out weighing us down afterwards. I purchased local tomatoes and lettuce, which are in full effect right now, and paired it with an avocado mayo with basil from my herb garden. The sweet potato fries (also local) are dusted with garlic powder, cumin, and sea salt, pairing wonderfully with the sandwich.

BLT with Avocado-Basil Mayo (makes 2 sandwiches)
4 slices of whole wheat bread
1/2 avocado
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tomato, sliced thinly
2 leaves of lettuce, ripped in half
6 slices of bacon, cooked and cut in half
Ground black pepper-to taste

Scoop the avocado half into a bowl. Add mayo and mash until almost smooth (I leave mine a little chunky for texture). Stir in the chopped basil and set to the side. Toast bread slices until lightly browned. Spread all slices with the avocado mayo. Top two slices of bread with lettuce, then tomato. Add black pepper to the tomato and then top with the bacon. Finish with the other slices of bread and cut in half.

Garlic Sweet Potato Fries
2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and cut into batonnet (1/2"x1/2"x2-3")
1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the sweet potatoes and the cornstarch. Shake or stir to coat the sweet potatoes. Add the olive oil and toss again. Lay in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Make sure they have plenty of room, otherwise they will steam and not get crispy. Make for 10 minutes and flip. Bake for another 10 minutes. While baking, in a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, cumin, and salt. When the fries are done, remove from oven and immediately season.

My Happiness Project:Week 1 Update

While I'm waiting for the husband to wake up, to begin our Sunday adventure, I figured I'd do what a friend suggested and do a weekly update. In a previous entry, I began My Happiness Project with the focus on myself and my energy with 5 main goals in mind. Here is how I did the first week:

1. Look how you want to feel: I think I get a gold star for this one. I did throw out all of my cruddy clothes (minus my pottery jeans) and wore more lounge wear around the house. My husband took notice of this and began to do it as well. He used to do it all the time, and I think my bad habit rubbed off on him. He would get fully dressed everyday, even if he had no where to go. I used to think that he couldn't relax, but now I realize what a big difference it makes. I had the ultimate test this week, feeling bloated and tired-but I did not let my mood negatively affect my clothing choices and I think it definitely helped me feel more confident.

2. Exercise to increase energy, not to lose weight: I did pretty good on this one. I went to my Zumba class, did weights one day, and today will be going on a hike. I want to make sure I am doing something active everyday though-especially on office days where I am sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours. I plan on walking outside for a break and getting good use out of the pool while it is still open.

3. Meditate 10 minutes everyday: I did this about 50% of the time. I need to improve on this. I had a few things effecting me this week that I should have been able to wash away with meditation. I need to remember to take this time for myself.

4. Limit TV usage: I did limit this. Instead of watching more episodes of Celebrity Rehab (sad, I know) I sat outside or read a book. I watched movies that we picked out and episodes of the UK Kitchen Nightmares with him, it was enjoyable.

5. Nutritious Food: I did do good with this as well. 4th of July weekend was filled with booze, but that is something we never do. We laughed and danced and drank Sangria all weekend. Again, this being my major test week (ladies, you get where I'm going with this?) I.did.good. I resisted a mocha milkshake, free cupcakes, and chips. It was only hard to make the decision, and I did not long for it afterwards. We did not eat out, we shared cooking duties, and I definitely did not feel ill after anything I ate.

Well, so far so good. I can't tell if I am happier per se-I think it is too soon for that, but I definitely feel my level of anxiety decreasing (which is major for me). I feel more confident, satisfied, and less cranky...so that makes me happy. When I began this, I felt that maybe it was selfish focusing on my happiness alone. However, it is contagious. I felt myself be more concerned than ever with the happiness of others, and if I'm happy my husband is happier. Not to mention, I do not consider myself a selfish person, rather a bleeding heart, so it was nice to do something for me.

Balsamic Chicken with Sweet Corn-Goat Cheese Polenta

This was just good. Summery, light, and fresh. I have marinated pork chops in the past in a balsamic concoction, and tweaked it to use with chicken. I served it on fresh baby spinach instead of sauteed to create a warm salad. (The husband really liked that, surprisingly)The spinach added a nice twist and contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the balsamic. I made polenta, kept it creamy, and folded in sweet corn and fresh goat cheese. I am excited to have the leftovers for lunch...

Balsamic Chicken (serves 2 and a lunch)

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4c Balsamic Vinegar
1t Dijon mustard
1T honey
2t fresh thyme (or 1/2t dried)
2t fresh rosemary (ditto)
Black Pepper-to taste
1c low sodium chicken breast
1T cold butter
4c fresh baby spinach

Combine vinegar, mustard, honey, herbs, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix well and add the chicken breasts. Marinate 30 minutes to an hour. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and save the marinade for later use. Cook 5 minutes and flip. Cook for an additional 3 minutes and reduce the heat to low. Add the rest of the marinade and add the chicken stock. Cook for another 5 minutes or until chicken breast is cooked thoroughly. Remove chicken from the pan and set to the side. Turn the heat back up to medium high and allow to reduce and thicken for about 3 minutes. Add butter and mix until smooth. Put spinach on a plate, top with chicken, and spoon sauce on top.

Sweet Corn-Goat Cheese Polenta

3c low sodium chicken broth
1c polenta
2T fresh basil (or 1 dried)
2T fresh parsley
2 ounces fresh goat cheese
1c fresh corn (can or frozen is fine)
Black Pepper-to taste

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Whisk in polenta and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally until polenta has thickened, about 10-15 minutes (will be about 2-5 minutes if you use instant). Add herbs and goat cheese. Mix until combined. Fold in corn and season with black pepper.

Fourth of July Fun-Funnel Cakes

I was off for an actual weekend, and was uber excited to spend a good chunk of time with my husband. We planned nothing, just drank Sangria, played games, watched movies, and danced. It was amazing. We went to Gatlinburg, TN for Memorial Day weekend and he had his first funnel cake. Honestly, I thought it was weird that he is 26 years old and has never had a funnel cake. How does that happen? He has also never been to Disney World, which I guess I find weird since I grew up in the south (I'll fix that as well). So while we were Gatlinburg, he watched the tourist channel in our hotel room and found a funnel cake restaurant. He had to go. This was no state fair funnel cake, it was crispy, not greasy, and dusted with the perfect amount of powered sugar and cinnamon. His eyes lit up with joy and amazement. When we returned home, he gave me a mission-make him funnel cakes. So I began looking at recipes, analyzing their ingredients to make sure they wouldn't be heavy or super sweet. I found this recipe and added fresh lemon zest to give it some brightness.

Funnel Cakes (makes 2 giant ones or 4 mid sized)

1 1/2c All Purpose Flour
1t baking powder
1/4t salt
1/4c powdered sugar
1 1/3c milk
1/4t lemon zest
1/2t vanilla extract
1 egg
Canola Oil-for frying



Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and powdered sugar together in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the milk, zest, vanilla extract, and egg together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until the batter is smooth. Heat 1 in of canola oil in the pan over medium heat until small bubbles form. Pour the batter into a funnel, squeeze bottle, or a Ziploc bag and snip one of the corners off. Over the oil drizzle the batter in a back in forth pattern, first going side to side, then up to down, and then angled.

Awesome graphic, huh? I forgot to take a picture while I was pouring the batter

Cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. You should be able to see some color peek through the openings of the funnel cake. Using tongs, flip and continue to cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from oil and lay on top of paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon. This recipe was perfect. Crispy, light, not greasy, and super soft on the inside. It was delicious.

The possibilities are endless with these- top with chocolate or strawberry compote. Instead of chicken and waffles, what about chicken and funnel cakes! Top with crumbled bacon and syrup or use as a base for an ice cream sundae...and and and...







Slow Cooker Ribs

When I was growing up, my dad made the best ribs...ever. I remember seeing the wood chips being soaked the night before and the ribs put on the fragrant smoker and cooked for hours. The smell was torture, but well worth the wait. It is rare to find a BBQ restaurant around here that actually smokes their meat, and it definitely adds a whole other level of flavor.

That being said, I currently live in an apartment. Smoking would be consider ill advised and unpractical. So I had tested a few ways of making ribs, since my husband loves to have them occasionally. First I tried what my mom does, boiling them and then baking. I didn't like this method, it left them too wet for my smoked preferred taste buds. Then I tried cooking them in my slow cooker, and I have to say, I enjoyed them. My husband thought they were delicious, and asked if we could have them again tomorrow, so I guess mission accomplished.

I made a rub for the ribs and put a thick coating on them, slow cooked them, basted them lightly with sauce and broiled them. I'm not even going to begin to get into the barbecue sauce debate...tomato based, mustard based, vinegar, sweet, spicy...use what you like.

Slow Cooker Ribs (serves 2)

2 1/2lb baby back ribs, trimmed of any excess fat
3T chili powder
1T cumin
1/4t cayenne
1t brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1t garlic powder
1/4c favorite barbecue sauce

 Combine all spices in a bowl and mix to combine. rub both sides of the ribs liberally with the rub. Lay standing up in a crock pot with the meat side facing in. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Turn to low and cook for another 2 hours. Remove ribs from the crock pot and place on a sheet pan. Baste the meat side with your sauce and place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Ribs right out of the slow cooker

Ribs after being broiled. I served it with sauteed spinach and hassleback potatoes

My Happiness Project: July

I started reading a book called The Happiness Project, I was half way through Chapter One when I decided that this is what I needed to do. Much like the author, I consider myself a happy person, but I could be happier. I am happy, but I still stress and worry too much, snip at my husband, and occasionally don't take very good care of myself. I let what others say get to me and zone out. Also, much like the author, I found the book Eat, Pray, Love very unpractical. Even if I was single, I could never afford to leave my job and take off for a year. The author of my book mentions the very same, and brought up a good point-I do not want to regret my life...there is no need for me to run away. She mentions that everything you need to be happy is right in front of you...she's right...I have a good job, a husband that I love, and am fortunate to have good health and a place to live. To me, Eat, Pray, Love was immature. I found the book to be whiny. I know there are those out there who would fight me tooth and nail on this, but she did not have a rough life by any means...and even though I have had true hardships, in perspective-neither have I.

So, needless to say I recommend reading this book. I grabbed an empty journal I had to write down what my goals would be and to record my progress. For July, I chose to focus on Self & Energy with five main points to keep in mind. I need to take better care of myself. Get haircuts more often, and not when my hair looks like shit, go to the dermatologist (already made an appointment!), get new glasses, paint your toenails....you know stuff like that.

1: Look how you want to feel. Dressing for a bad or tired mood does not work to make you feel better. You ladies know what I mean-whether you are tired or bloated, lounging in unflattering clothes do not make you feel any better. I am by no means talking about designer clothes, I find them to be unimportant, I am talking about keeping yourself put together. So I will dress how I want to feel: bohemian, successful, light and airy. This includes while I am at home. I wouldn't want to come home to see my husband in a stained t-shirt and old underwear, so I highly doubt he wants to see me in huge t-shirts and old yoga pants. I will get rid of old, grungy clothes (except my pottery pants) and replace items slowly...think lounge wear.

2: Exercise to increase energy, not to lose weight. Stop focusing on the scale. Exercise to increase your energy and mood-because it does! You feel great not only after the work out, but for the rest of the day! Never go more than two days without exercising. Keep going on walks with your husband, it gives you time to relax together, enjoy each other's company, and breathe.

3: Meditate 10 minutes everyday. I try and practice Buddhism. (a goal to focus on another month) Meditation is so crucial for me, but I always find an excuse not to do it. The goal is to empty my mind for 10 minutes a day.

4: Limit TV usage. I can get sucked into TV, especially stupid TV. I watch it to relax and shut my over thinking brain off. The goal is to cut that out. Read, exercise, meditate, play a game...something to relax but still stay connected with reality. The exception will be movies that my husband and I pick out to watch together.

5: Nutritious Food. Also goes along with energy. I do eat fairly healthy, but occasionally I get those "fuck it" moments when I decide that I want something crappy to eat. Not surprisingly, it makes me feel crappy mentally and physically afterwards. I did good today-I wanted a milkshake, but resisted because I knew they make me feel sick afterwards.

So, those are my goals for this month and new ones to build upon in the upcoming months. If you actually read this, bless you for indulging me.