Sweetie's Kitchen Adventures

The okra is in great abundance right now in my in-laws garden. Funny thing is... my husband is the only one that will eat it in our family. I love to cook with fresh ingredients though, so I make many dishes with the odd little green vegetable. Chicken Gumbo Ingredients: 2 Tbsp oil 2 Tbsp flour 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 med bell pepper, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh okra 1 tsp cajun seasoning 1 lb chicken breast or thigh meat Salt and Pepper Directions: Heat oil in a large sauce pan over med-high heat until hot. Wisk in flour and stir constantly for five minutes until mixture turns medium brown. Stir in onions, celery and bell pepper, cook five more minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink. Next add garlic; cook for 30 seconds, then add tomatoes, broth, okra and seasoning and mix well. Reduc

I'm back!! I am submitting this to IHCC. I haven't participated in a while... in fact I haven't cooked anything new lately. But I needed a side dish to go with my Tilapia, and I new Mark Bittman would have something to fit the bill. The rice turned out so flavorful and he has a ton of different options. The recipe is very versitle! Ingredients 2 to 4 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 chopped carrot 1 1/2 cups rice, preferably basmati Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 1/2 cups stock Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish Directions 1. Put 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. 2. Add the rice all at once, turn the heat down to medium, and stir until the rice is glossy, completely coated with butter or oil, and starting to color lightly, about 5 minutes