The Doctor Cooks

Sicilian Caponata Saved Me!

I froze several quarts of Sicilian Caponata earlier this summer.  I have not had time to cook much with my office move and recent travel.  I just thawed it out and served it over spaghetti squash, which I also had frozen, shredded zucchini, arugula or potatoes.  And of course you can enjoy it a multitude of other ways.   Caponata is a delicious way to deal with the last of the eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and squash.  The sugar and vinegar in caponata preserved the dish on long sailing voyages and provided essential vitamin C to the sailors. 

Okra with an African Twist

Here's another side dish from August 11th of last year.  I shared this recipe with Selam Fikru and her husband Daniel.  Turns out okra is not traditonal in Ethiopia.  Daniel thinks the recipe is probably of Sudanese origin.  It's tasty no matter where is comes from!

Ethiopian Okra – Gombo

My husband and I dine regularly at Kansas City’s Blue Nile Café where Ethiopia native Selam Fikru works her magic entirely with fresh ingredients.   She says the secret to good Ethiopian food is to sauté the onions slowly over lower heat.  If you like this dish, you will love her food. 

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP grape seed oil or ghee
2 cups okra, chopped into ¼ inch thicknesses
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat.  Add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.  Add the okra and jalapeno pepper, sautéing for 5 minutes more.  Add the tomatoes and salt.  Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes more until the tomatoes and okra are tender.  Add a small amount of water to prevent scorching if needed.

Easy Edamame

Here's another entry from August 11th of last year.  Try this with the Jicama Sushi recipe in the current issue of the Kansas City Wellness Magazine.

Edamame Beans in the Shell

Edamame beans are green soybeans, harvested early, while they are still green and sweet. 

Place them in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes until the shells turn bright green.  Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to handle.  Eat the beans directly from the pod, or squeeze the beans from the pods and serve as a side dish.  My friend Dan likes pop the beans out by pulling the salted pods through his teeth.  However you eat them, sprinkle with sea salt or natural soy sauce and enjoy.

We Got the Beets!

On August 11, 2006 the heat was still on.  I offered several side dishes to go the with no-cook dishes of the weeks before.  You'll find a wide variety of beets at the farmer's markets this summer thanks to the cooler weather.

Roasted Beets

Beets, like most root vegetables, help us feel solid and grounded.  Our farmers markets are still selling beets, but without the greens.  If beets greens are available in your area, steam them for 6-7 minutes and top them umeboshi plum vinegar.  They are also delicious sautéed with walnuts or pecans in grape seed oil.  Roasting beets is easy and accentuates the natural sugars.  I roast them in the morning before it gets too hot.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Do not peel the beets.  Instead wash them and leave about ½ inch of the stems attached.  Place the beets on a large piece of aluminum foil. Fold the foil to make a sealed pouch.  Bake for 1 ¾ hours or until tender.  Allow to cool in the pouch.  Once cool, open the pouch and slip the skins off.  They will come off easily.  Slice and enjoy.

Sorrel Soup

This recipe from August 5th of last year reminds me that in this age where foods from all over the world are available at your local supermarket, there are still foods you just don't see in grocery stores.  Sorrel is one of them. 

You won't see much sorrel in Kansas City farmer's market's this year.  It was killed in the late freeze this spring.  But I'm savoring the memory of this soup and hoping for sorrel next year!