Okra Okra Okra!

Okra (also known as gumbo or bhindi), is a tall-growing, warm-season, annual vegetable. Okra comes from a large vegetable plant that is thought to be of African origin, and is grown in tropical and warm temperature climates, it is in the same plant family as hibiscus and cotton. The immature pods are used for soups, canning and stews or as a fried or boiled vegetable. You can also find okra frozen, pickled, and in some regions you might find frozen breaded okra for deep frying. 

Okra Pods by Wikimedia

When buying fresh okra, look for young pods free of bruises, tender but not soft, and no more than 4 inches long. Okra tends to "goo" or slime when the seed pods are cooked because it is a mucilaginous plant and contains a usable form of soluble fiber. Some people like the sliminess of okra but if you prefer to minimize the sliminess try stir-frying or cooking with acidic ingredients such as lemon juice, tomatoes, or vinegar.Okra is also very healthy for you, it is high in fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid (water soluble vitamins). It is also known for being high in antioxidants and is a good source of calcium and potassium. All in all okra is tasty and good for you!

Okra can be cooked in many ways, but my favorite way is when Natalie cooks it using her family's Arabic recipe, it is delicious!

Ingredients: 
-okra (bamieh in Arabic)
-garlic
-tomatoes
-tomato paste
-black pepper
-salt
-allspice
-chicken stock
- beef or lamb (optional)
-rice
**sorry there are no measurements, use however much you would like depending on how much you want to make**

Instructions:
1. Wash okra and trim off stems, and dry.
2. Deep fry in vegetable oil until lightly browned, once this is done put it off to the side. 
3. Dice garlic and in a separate pan sauté with black pepper, salt, allspice, chicken stock, and olive oil (add meat if you would like), remember to stir occasionally.
4. Then add water and stir, bring to a boil and then cover (if you added meat cook on low heat until meat is tender)
5. Add browned okra, skinned and chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste (you only need a little bit)
6. Mix well, cover and simmer until okra is tender.
7. This meal is excellent when served on top of hot rice. 

8. Eat!

Photo by anediblemosaic Blog

Bamieh by Hawaaworld

Avocados !

Avocados are native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for over 10,000 years. Another name for the avocado is the "alligator pear," so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape. The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree". One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.

Avocados will not ripen on the tree. They must be picked from the tree to initiate ripening. The leaves supply a substance that prevents ripening. The best way to store avocados is to leave them on the tree; they will store for 7 months or more when left on a tree!

Avocados are one of only a few fruits which contain beneficial fats. They also have vitamin B,K, and E. Not only that but they also contain more potassium than bananas! Here are even more reason for why you should eat avocados: prevent prostate cancer, oral cancer defense, breast cancer protection, eye health, lower cholesterol, stroke prevention!

There are several ways you can prepare avocados, you can use them in food recipes or even as facemasks.Brazilians add avocados to ice cream and Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for dessert drink. Here is a simple recipe for guacamole and a dish that Amanda's grandpa used to make.

Guacamole via allrecipes

*Guacamole:
- 2 avocados mashed
-1 small onion finely chopped
-1 clove garlic minced
-1 ripe tomato chopped
-1 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste

~ mix all ingredients and chill for half an hour for flavors to blend

Image via kinsfarmmarket

*Grandpa's Recipe:
- Half the avocado and remove the pit
- Fill the pit with baby shrimp
- Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar
- and eat!

A Woman is like an artichoke, you must work hard to get to her heart.

Quote by: -Inspector Jacques Clouseau in The Pink Panther (2006)

Spring is the best time to find perfect artichokes; big, green, and full of leaves. This beautiful vegetable is not only delicious but it is also high in fiber and antioxidants, lowers cholesterol, and is good for your liver. It may look intimidating and difficult to cook at first, but once you try it out you will find that it is very easy!

Image via Delallo

Tip: when selecting an artichoke look for a heavy, firm, and healthy green color with lots of leaves. The bigger the better, and the bigger the heart.

Last night we made a delicious dish with steamed artichoke and a mayonnaise/lemon dip. We paired it with an Arabic dish called mujaddara (مجدرة‎) which has rice, lentils, cumin, and sauteed onions. The two went very well together and by the time we finished eating our stomachs were very satisfied. Here is the final product, sorry about the picture quality.

Our version of the recipe:
-You can either boil the artichoke or if you have a large enough steamer pot you can use that.
-After washing the artichoke cut off the stems and pluck off the bottom leaves.
-Once the water has boiled, place the artichokes with stems facing upwards.
-To make sure the whole artichoke is submerged into the water you can place a plate on top to push them down and cover with the lid.
-Depending on the size of the artichoke it will take about 30-45 minutes for it to cook.
-You can tell if it is cooked when the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.

Quick Dip recipe:
-All you need is a tablespoon of mayonnaise and half a lemon (you can adjust the amount of lemon)
-Scoop the mayonnaise into a bowl (we used a tea cup as you can see)
-Juice the lemon and pour into the cup with the mayonnaise
-Start whisking away and voilà.

Our favorite part of eating an artichoke is the process of peeling off each leaf, one by one, until you get to the best part, the heart! It's kind of like Christmas and Hanukkah (our favorite holidays), you get to open a bunch of gifts and eventually you get to open up the best one.