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Lemon Roasted Okra

Spring is coming, and as it gets warmer I like to incorporate citrus into my cooking. It's a nice way to transition from hearty winter fare into something a little lighter.

This is the kind of recipe that you learn to build your cooking skills with. All of the ingredients above are approximate. You can add as little or as much of each as you like.

If you're a salt nut, have at it. If you like the contrast between the earthy okra and the citrusy lemon, use more juice and make it taste exactly how you'd like. Use cayenne instead of paprika. The possibilities are endless. Even the cooking time for this dish can vary. The longer you roast, the more the sticky stuff inside the okra will dry out.

Don't be afraid to play around with any recipe like this - add small amounts until you get it just right. If you over-do something, don't panic and dilute it with a little more olive oil.


Lemon Roasted Okra
All of the following amounts are approximate! 

• 20-25 okra pods
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 lemon's juice

Clean the okra and cut the top off the each pod. Slice about 1/2 inch thick.

Coat slices with olive oil (about 1-2 tbsp)

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Roast at 450 for about 10-15 minutes

Eating Together: Seafood Paella

Sharing food means so much more than just that. When we eat together, we are sharing something special, a unique and unpredictable experience of combined sensory stimulation and human interaction. There's a lot that gets lost in our culture of quick and convenient dining. In the spirit of spending time with our food, families and friends, here's a recipe for paella - a favorite family-style dish.

There are many different types of paella, each featuring multiple beasts including rabbit, chicken, duck, fish, mussels, shrimp, and even snails. This recipe is a cost-effective and simplified version of the classic Spanish seafood dish. The multiple proteins makes it a bit more involved, and perfect for anyone looking to step up their cooking skills.

Set aside a couple hours, grab a couple friends, and get at it.


Seasoned Rice
(yield: about 4 cups)
This rice is great on its own and as a base for a variety of dishes. For paella (and many other rice-based recipes) it's a good idea to make your rice the night before. I find that cooking with rice turns out best when the rice is at least 12 hours old and cooled to room temperature. 

• 2 cups rice
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 3.5 cups chicken stock
• Salt + pepper to taste

In a rice cooker, combine all ingredients.

Make rice.


Simple Seafood Paella
(yield: 4-6 servings)
Let's spice up this rice.

• 2 cans (10 oz) crab meat (drained and liquid reserved)
• 20 medium-small shrimp (peeled and shells reserved)
• 10-15 mussels 
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 bell or poblano peppers (diced)
• 1 yellow onion (diced)
• 6oz red sofrito cooking base
• 2 cups water
• About 4 cups seasoned rice

Make a quick seafood stock by combining shrimp shells with water and reserved crab liquid. Boil for 5 minutes and strain.

Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Saute garlic.

Add peppers and onions. Cook 2 minutes without stirring to get a little crisp on the bottom.

Add shrimp and crab. Cook 2 minutes without stirring (make sure all ingredients are evenly spread).

Add sofrito and stir until everything is evenly coated. Cook for 2 minutes. Don't be stirrin'.

Add seafood stock and bring the whole thing to a boil, then add rice and mix evenly.

When the shrimp are fully cooked, pour everything into an oven-safe dish. Place cleaned mussels on top. Bake at 500 degrees until the mussels open.

Hello, my name is Jeff: Goat cheese and roasted beet salad

Making this dish was the easy part. We roasted the beets and tossed them with fresh microgreens, thick bacon bits, and pillowy goat cheese. We drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar. We photographed our dish, scrutinizing what seemed like endless amounts of pictures of the same. damn. thing. We picked our best shots, finalized our recipe, and wrote it all down.

After all of this, we sat in front of our computer screen scratching our heads. This beautiful salad didn't even have a name.

We tried: Beet Salad. Roasted beet salad. Goat cheese and beet salad. Balsamic roasted beet...roasted balsamic beet? What about the honey? Wait, I really like bacon - that should be in the name too. Okay. Roasted balsamic beet, goat cheese honey, bacon, and date salad. Forget it, let's just call it Jeff. 

The point is, naming food matters. The name is the first thing you learn about the dish, like giving a stranger a handshake or a friendly smile. There isn't enough information to fully understand its complexity, but enough for a pretty good first impression.

Naming food usually follows a pattern:
- A jumble of adjectives and nouns. This is like an ad for your food, relying on your ability to cleverly string together words like "artisan" or "fresh" in a way that is both unique and fitting. Sometimes these words matter (gluten-free) and other times they're a little vague (locally grown. How local? Oh I see, just the next state over). This sort of thing seems to be trendy lately, although some people get a little carried away. If your English teacher would have called you out on a run-on sentence, perhaps it's time to abbreviate.

- A place. French toast isn't really a French dish, but other names are more accurate. Hamburger and frankfurter are nods to the German cities of Hamburg and Frankfurt, and dishes like chicken florentine are really named for Florence, Italy. In this case, my beet dish would be called Beets Connecticut. Ah, a treasured state dish.

- A person. Sandwich/Earl of Sandwich is the most common example, but there are others, including stories of eggs benedict being named after a hungover New York stockbroker.

In the end, I took the road less travelled and opted for the kind of name that usually belongs to a person. This culinary form of poetic license is also an acceptable way to navigate your naming difficulties. The most important thing is that whatever you're calling it, your recipe does the talking for you.

Jeff the Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad

• 3-4 medium sized red beets
• 1/2 - 1 cup salad greens
• 1/2 cup dates, sliced
• 1/4 cup bacon pieces
• 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar 
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 lemon wedge

Coat beets with oil and roast them in a foil-covered pan at 450° for 60-75 minutes. Test by poking them with a fork - if it slides in easily, they're done. 

When beets are roasted (this will take a lot longer than other vegetables) let cool. Peel beets and cut into bite sized pieces. My preferred method for peeling beets is wiping the warm beet with a paper towel. The skin should slide right off. 

Drizzle beets with balsamic vinegar, and additional oil if needed.

In a large bowl, combine beets, greens, dates, bacon pieces, goat cheese, and green onions. Drizzle with honey and lemon juice.




P.S. We're in the middle of our 100 Fan Cookbook Giveaway! Like and share us on Facebook to win a sweet cookbook, and delicious chocolates. 

100 Fan Cookbook Giveaway!

The Angry Chef just hit 100 fans on Facebook!

We're so grateful to all of you for supporting The Angry Chef. Because of your support, we're turning our dream into a reality and that means something.

To say thank you, The Angry Chef is hosting a 100-Fan Cookbook Giveaway!

On April 10, we're giving away a copy of the Caseus cookbook. This collection of recipes comes from owner and restaurateur Jason Sobocinski. Caseus is well-known among New Haven residents for its unique selection of cheeses, its creative daily lunch and dinner specials, and its roaming cheese truck. The cookbook features some of Jason's favorite recipes and a collection of beautiful photographs. We're also throwing in a box of chocolate covered figs, to sweeten the deal.

To recap, WE want to give YOU:

• Caseus Cookbook!
• Box of delicious chocolate covered figs!
• Endless delight!

The rules are simple: 

1. Like The Angry Chef on Facebook.
2. Like and share this post with your friends.
3. Dance the dance of success.

The winner will be revealed via Facebook on April 10. Good luck, and thank you again for supporting The Angry Chef!

UPDATE! 

Our winner is Malissa Morin! This is especially exciting because Malissa is an aspiring chef herself, and we're thrilled to be able to help her reach her dream! Stay tuned for a guest post featuring Malissa's own recipe!