Light Lunch: Bacon vinaigrette on fig and goat cheese salad

First, some news! Big changes are coming our way. We'll be moving later this month, so things might get a bit hectic. We'll do our best to keep the posts coming during the next couple weeks, and we're really looking forward to a fresh start in the Boston area! Don't worry, we'll make it up to you.

Also, we recently spent an evening cooking with the winner of our first cookbook giveaway. What a great day, and what a great meal! Malissa's chicken cacciatore was delicious, and I admit I went crazy with the pictures. Post coming soon!

Get to the food already: Okay, okay. Next time you're cooking up some bacon, save the fat! There are lots of ways you can use your leftover grease. One of our favorites is this killer bacon vinaigrette, lightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. We had it with a fig and goat cheese salad for a quick lunch on a spring day.

Bacon Vinaigrette
(makes 1/2 cup)

• 2.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 tbsp bacon fat
• 1 tsp garlic and shallot mix (minced)
• salt and pepper to taste
• mix
• add 1/2 tsp lemon

Combine all ingredients and mix! Our salad was mixed artisan greens, roasted almonds, fresh figs, Cypress Grove Herbs de Humboldt goat cheese, and more BACON!

 Toss dressing with salad to coat evenly, if you're serving family style. Bask in bacon-y satisfaction.

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

Lemon sage butter

We've been talking to a few of our readers and getting suggestions on how to improve our blog. Your opinion matters to us because we believe strongly in the idea that everyone should have a certain degree of creative control when it comes to their food. Learn what your body loves, how to make the foods that you want to eat, and trust your instincts when it comes to cooking.

In the spirit of creating recipes that are easy and empowering, here's a quick and simple recipe for fresh lemon sage butter.

Lemon Sage Butter
makes 1 cup butter

2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup fresh sage leaves, loosely packed
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Cheesecloth

Fine chop sage leaves using a food processer. If you don't have one, you can use a knife - it will take a few extra minutes to get a nice even and fine chop going.

Combine ingredients in an electric mixer (or a whisk - it will just take longer) and set on low. After about five minutes you'll notice the mixture thickening. After 15-20 minutes you'll notice a stiffening that looks a little like meringue's "stiff peaks."

When the texture of the mixture changes to something that looks like cottage cheese, stop the mixer and use a spatula to pile the butter onto a cheesecloth.

Gather up the sides of the cheesecloth and squeeze the moisture out of the butter.

Keep your butter refrigerated!