Pickled Okra

One of Keely's newfound foods is pickled okra. You'll often see it as a garnish for a Bloody Mary. You'll also find them on cheese and charcuterie boards in area Nashville restaurants. After talking about how she loves them, I mentioned, "You do know your grandma has been puttin' up pickled okra for years." Well, evidently she didn't. And just like that, we both added an item to our bucket list. And almost just as quickly, we checked it off.

To begin, I headed to the Franklin Farmer's Market one Saturday morning to buy fresh okra. Love that place! Be sure to choose the smaller stalks; that is, no more than about 4 inches long.

Next up: Savory Spice Shop in downtown Franklin. We have so many wonderful shops on Main Street. This one, by far, tops my list of favorites. I bought peppercorns, coriander seeds, dill seeds, cumin seeds as well as Kosher salt. I trusted store owner Hollie when she advised me to not make a substitute for this type of salt.

Next: Call Mom. That's when I learned that Mom doesn't include all of the seeds I mentioned above. She only uses a garlic clove, red chile pepper, dill seed, and okra in each of her jars. Admittedly, I left the garlic clove out since I didn't want to go back out and shop some more. Next time, I'll include it. Although I still wanted to use the variety of seeds, I did like Mom's 1:2 ratio of the vinegar to water. I found that most recipes used a 1:1 ratio. Keely agreed it didn't have as strong of a vinegar-y, pickled taste, which we both preferred. Also, Mom said she always uses the white distilled vinegar. (I noticed lots of variation in the type of vinegar used in the various recipes on the internet.) She insists the white distilled vinegar is what makes the okra so crunchy. Yes, crunchy. Okra has a bad rap. The misconception is that it is always slimey. Here, though, the texture is similar to a nice, crunchy dill pickle.

The recipe below makes 4 pints. Keely and I made two batches, and we were quite pleased with the way they turned out. The only thing we want to change is to make them a little hotter. So, next time, we'll be splitting the red chile peppers in half. They've already come in handy for making our own cheese and charcuterie boards at home. Last night, they came in handy for garnishing a tray of mini sandwiches for girls' night out. I'm betting they'll come in handy for last minute hostess gifts, too!

Cheese and charcuterie board makes for a perfect appetizer.

Use pickled okra to garnish sandwich trays.

Pickled Okra

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds young, small to medium okra pods
• 4 small red chile peppers (Note: Split in half if you want to increase the heat.)
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon dill seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12 sprigs fresh dill
• 4 cloves garlic, whole (Note: Next time, include. We left this out.)
• 2 cups white distilled vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 1/3 cup kosher salt

Directions:

1. Prepare 4 pint-sized canning jars. Some people can by using a water bath method, which is supposed to be safer by killing any bacteria that’s supposed to be killed, but I don’t. Here’s what I do: Heat clean mason jars on a cookie sheet in a 300 degree oven. At the same time, boil the jar lids and rings. (Always use new jar lids, but the rings and jars are reusable.) 

2. Prepare okra. Wash and trim the stem to 1/2 inch. Set on towel to dry.

Wash okra and set on towel to dry.

3. Prepare liquid. Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil.

4. Fill jar. Remove 1 sterilized jar from oven. Place 1 chile pepper, 1/4 teaspoon each of peppercorns, coriander seeds, dill seeds, cumin seeds and red pepper flakes, 2-3 sprigs of dill, and 1 clove of garlic in the bottom of the jar. Fill jar with okra, standing them up vertically, alternating stems up and down.

Fill jar with pepper, variety of seeds, and dill.

Keely adds okra, alternating stems up and down.

5. Add liquid. Pour the boiling liquid over the okra in the jar, leaving about 1/4 inch head space. Using tongs, remove a lid from the boiling water. Blot the lid on a towel and then place on top of the jar, pressing down gently. Screw on the band snugly. Repeat for all jars.

The filled jars are going to be hot, so pick them up with a towel or pot holder and transfer them to a towel lined counter to cool. Once cooled, make sure that each lid is sealed. If the lid pops back when you press it, then the jar is not properly sealed. This should be rare. If this happens, simply refrigerate the jar and begin using it. Set in a cool dry place for 2 weeks.

The hardest part is having to wait for 2 weeks!

Whole30 Potluck

On January 1, I accepted a new Whole30 challenge along with a group of ladies in our neighborhood committed to "Eating Good in the Hood." It's tough, I tell ya. But, so worth it. Essentially, it's a strict version of the Paleo diet: no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no alcohol, no sugar . . . for 30 days. While I have been quite satisfied typically having eggs for breakfast, salads for lunch, and some kind of meat and roasted veggies for dinner, admittedly boredom has set in.

So, last night, I was happy to host a Whole30 potluck for our small group. Just what I needed! We had such a variety of fantastic dishes.

Eating Good in the Hood:  Jocelyn, Jennifer, Anna, Martha, Dana, and Sadira

I made bison & butternut cocoa chili from the Practical Paleo cookbook by Diane Sanfilippo. I was hesitant because, honestly, who wants chocolate in their chili? I almost talked myself out of making it, but I'm glad I just went ahead and trusted the recipe. It was surprisingly really good! On a cold, wintery night, it's so nice to have a chili option without legumes. I substituted beef for the bison and actually used closer to 2 lbs of meat instead of 1 lb for a heartier, thicker chili.

Bison & Butternut Cocoa Chili

Dana made Asian meatballs from Nom Nom Paleo. I would have never thought to use sweet potatoes instead of a bread filler. Delicious! In fact, I'm looking forward to adding a few of the leftovers to compliant spaghetti sauce. Mmmmm.

Asian Meatballs

We were lucky that Sadira shared not one, but two of her Asian-inspired dishes.  Chicken tinola was a delicious soup made with chicken, bok choy, green papaya, onions, celery, garlic, ginger, and salt. The link above is a similar recipe from the internet that will serve as a starting point because Sadira is bad about cooking without a recipe. I'm jealous as I only wish I could cook like that!

Chicken Tinola

Sadira also made japchae. It was probably the biggest hit of the night. Pasta has always been one of my favorite dishes, so I've been using spaghetti squash or zoodles as a healthy substitute. However, I didn't even know this product existed. You make it just like spaghetti noodles, but it is made from sweet potato starch noodles. This will definitely become a pantry staple for me from now on. (Thanks, Sadira, for gifting me with my first bag!) As before, I've provided a link to a recipe for japchae online since Sadira doesn't use one. She used chicken instead of beef, though. I'm pretty sure there were no leftovers!

Japchae

Jocelyn made detoxifying chicken vegetable soup. I don't know how I overlooked taking a close-up of her with this amazing soup. (Sorry, Jocelyn!) It's the soup in the upper right hand corner in the photo below. With this soup, I learned so much about the healing properties of turmeric. Who knew? Don't let the healthy-sounding name stop you from trying this. Whole30 or not, this is a soup that I will be making from now on. So satisfying!

Detoxifying Chicken Vegetable Soup (see top right)

Anna made a side dish, combining beef, sweet potatoes, squash, onions, salsa, and taco seasoning. Anna, like Sadira, is also guilty of not using a recipe. :) I need to be more daring with combinations like this because it is very, very good!

Martha brought a Paleo salad made with organic mixed greens, spinach, roasted almonds, dried cranberries, and avocado. It was tossed with a wonderful dressing made from olive oil, sweet onion, balsamic vinegar, dry mustard powder, sea salt, an pepper. Such a beautiful presentation!

Paleo Salad

Since desserts are off-limits for Whole30, I served mixed fruit to round out the meal.

I also provided samples of RxBars, my go-to protein bar that is quite tasty. They're great for ballgames or movies when everyone else heads to the concession stand. The sweetness comes from dates. I even love their tagline: No Added Sugar, No GMO, No Dairy, No Soy, No Gluten, No B.S. :)

I'm so grateful for this night of fellowship. Great food. Great conversation. I learned so much! My last ten days of Whole 30 will be a piece of cake . . . the healthy kind, that is!

Caprese Noodle Salad

When the new year rolled around, I decided to join a group of ladies in our community and complete Whole30, a nutritional program "designed to change your life in 30 days." It started out sounding pretty easy:  simply eat real food for 30 days. This means no processed foods (ingredients you can't pronounce), no sugar, no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no alcohol, etc. What does that leave? Mostly fruits, vegetables, and meat. This commitment came when I was unaware of my surprise Europe trip. So, I completed a Whole15 instead. (Life's too short not to enjoy crepes in Paris.)

When I returned, I decided to start again. I'm over half way there and feeling great. It has certainly changed the way I cook. No more rich casseroles. No more decadent desserts. No more of my homemade sour dough bread or cinnamon rolls. . . at least for me. On a positive note, I'm enjoying new foods and new recipes.

One of my favorite new kitchen gadgets is a julienne peeler. With this new tool, I've learned how to turn zucchini into noodles (a.k.a. zoodles), a healthy substitute for pasta! Who knew?

I enjoyed a plateful of "spaghetti," ladened with veggies instead of carbs. I just sauteed the zucchini noodles in a little bit of olive oil with salt and pepper. (Most people would add garlic, too.) Then, top it with your favorite spaghetti sauce. It was so good and so good for you!

Tonight, I tried a different variation. I'll be making this caprese noodle salad over and over again. So easy. So good. So healthy. Perfect for a potluck. Perfect by itself. Perfect as a side with a turkey burger. Mmmmmm.

Have you ever been given large zucchini from gardeners with too much produce? In the past, I never knew what to do with them although I did appreciate the good 'ole Southern gesture.

"There are no happier folks than plant lovers and none more generous than those who garden." --Ernest "Chinese" Wilson

I'm so ready for spring. . .  for gardeners to plant their seeds. I will happily be cheering them on and accepting any and all overflow!

Caprese Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

• 2-3 zucchini (to yield about 3 cups julienned)
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/8 cup basil, thinly sliced
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Chop the ends off of the zucchini. Remove skin (optional). Using a julienne peeler, peel down to the center seedy section to make long noodles. Toss with remaining ingredients. Makes approximately 2 servings.

Source: Adapted from Practical Paleo

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.mMpIQ6P1.dpu

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.mMpIQ6P1.dp

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.mMpIQ6P1.dpuf

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.mMpIQ6P1.dpuf

Established by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (of Whole9) in April 2009, the Whole30^® is our original nutritional program designed to change your life in 30 days. Think of it as a short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system.
Certain food groups (like sugar, grains, dairy and legumes) could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness without you even realizing it. Are your energy levels inconsistent or non-existent? Do you have aches and pains that can’t be explained by over-use or injury? Are you having a hard time losing weight no matter how hard you try? Do you have some sort of condition (like skin issues, digestive ailments, seasonal allergies or fertility issues) that medication hasn’t helped? These symptoms may be directly related to the foods you eat—even the “healthy” stuff.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/step-one/#sthash.mMpIQ6P1.dpuf