cheftonne: Don't hate on Oprah..oops I mean Okra! Spicy Okr...

cheftonne: Don't hate on Oprah..oops I mean Okra! Spicy Okr...: "This soul food classic is sometimes tricky and requires skill and timing, people think of okra as this slimy messy vegetable---NOT! I grabb..."

Don't hate on Oprah..oops I mean Okra! Spicy Okra and Tomatoes!

This soul food classic is sometimes tricky and requires skill and timing, people think of okra as this slimy messy vegetable---NOT!  I grabbed this recipe from Rubye (my mom with her PhD in Kosher Soul).
Okra and Tomatoes with Roasted Corn.
2 cups of fresh okra
2 corn on the cob roasted on the grill, sliced from the husk
1 14oz can of Italian diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 small onion sliced
1 T of Grape seed oil
1 glove of fresh garlic crushed
2 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
black pepper
1 t celery seed
1 t cayenne pepper
1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1/4 c water

Heat grape seed oil in cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat, add onion, garlic, saute 10 minutes, add  roasted corn, tomatoes, herbs, spices and tomato sauce, bouillon bring to a rolling boil for 15 minutes, toss in okra, remove from heat and let stand, serve with cornbread.....chow-baby!

Chef Tonne's old school fall classics.....Purple Hull Peas

I am constantly amazed by the lack of fiber in a person's diet, we need fiber Purple Hull Peas
1 12oz bag of organic purple hull peas
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1/2 c white onion chopped
1/4 c green pepper chopped
1t of basil, thyme, oregano and majoram
2 t cayennne pepper (great for the heart)
3 cups of chicken broth
ALL KOSHER of course.....look for the U

saute' garlic and onion until transparent
add diced tomatoes
green pepper and chicken broth
bring to a boil
add herbs and spices
reduce and simmer 2 hours on medium heat.
serve with steamed rice

Until next time chow-baby!

Chef Tonne's quick breakfast Idea.....El Salvador Meets Louisiana-Kosher Style

Growing up with a Southern Mom and Grandmother we had the pleasure of eating sweet rice for breakfast, usually made from the left over rice from the night before this morning I wanted to do something different because my Native Texas Husband loves his sweet rice as well.  Basically is consist of the following
2 cups of Cooked rice, 1 T of butter and 1/4 cup of cane sugar.  Melt butter, stir in sugar until dissolved toss with cooked rice! Served with Migas  2 eggs, 1/4 c homemade chicken sausage, 1 T oil, ( I like grape-seed oil), 1 T Kirkland Brand Monterey jack cheese, and 1 T Kirkland Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup crushed Santita Tortilla Chips(kosher) chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and homemade salsa from local Mexican grocer(made in house fresh ingredients only).  Whip eggs in bowl, pour eggs in skillet, add chips, chicken sausage and tomatoes, mix until fully cooked, top with cheese, salsa and cilantro.  Enjoy with pineapple juice and 8 oz glass of water!! Great for a fall morning......until next time Chow-baby!

Chef Tonne opens the first organic restaurant for the US Department of Defense.

Bayonet and Bugle American Bistro: first of its kind E-Mail This Article | Print This Story by Airman 1st Class Katherine Windish 11th Wing Public Affairs U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tim Chacon Chef Tonne Khabir, executive chef, cuts an apple in the new kitchen for the Bayonet & Bugle American Bistro on Jan. 4 in the Bolling Club. The Bayonet and Bugle opens for business Jan. 11. Bolling employees and residents have long called for a healthy, inexpensive food option on base. The new Bayonet and Bugle American Bistro in the Bolling Club opens Jan. 11 and has all the ingredients to answer that need. In describing the idea behind the restaurant, Tonne Khabir, the restaurant’s executive chef, talked about the necessity of military members remaining fit. ‘‘We think the military needs to be healthy,” Khabir said. ‘‘They need options to ensure they can sustain the healthy lifestyle they’ve been taught to live by.” The restaurant is open 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. every day, and offers a casual bistro-style atmosphere with free wireless Internet; inexpensive, nourishing food, delivery on base, catering, a full bar and a private party room. Delivery is available for all locations on base. Defense Intelligence Agency employees will be required to pick up their orders outside the compound. The Bayonet and Bugle provides healthy alternatives to items such as fried French fries and white bread by replacing them with sea-salt sweet-potato wedges, tortilla wraps, and multigrain wheat bread. With an extensive selection of meal-size salads, sandwiches and healthy versions of old-fashioned comfort foods, the bistro aims to provide many nutritional choices for everyone to enjoy. ‘‘Each dish is prepared fresh to order with free-range, organic meats containing no hormones or antibiotics,” Khabir said. ‘‘We’re going back to the way our grandparents ate, the natural way of eating.” The cost for meals ranges from $7.95 to $8.95 per plate, $1.25 to $2.25 for desserts and $3.50 for children’s meals. The restaurants also offers special discounts to the its Facebook friends. For information or to place an order after opening day, call 202-373-0505.

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Cap Gemini Dallas Womens Council welcomes back Chef Tonne

Its been over a year now and I am back in the comforts of Dallas Texas, after my assignment in Washington, DC I appreciated my clients even more.  Cap Gemini Consulting (www.capgemini.com) contacted me to start the process of cooking for a local women's shelter again, you would have thought I won the lottery when I received the email.  October is domestic violence awareness month and the call to action was just what I needed,  I am looking forward to doing what  I love to do best for a great group of women...they inspire me!

Cheap Organic to the rescue

Dinner dilemma tonite.....yes chef tonne overslept and awoke to her 6"0 225 lbs husband staring at her with amazement that its 7:30pm and he had no dinner. My chef gene kicked in as I crawled out of bed only to run downstairs and find I forgot to thaw the chicken earlier...well tonite we will be vegetarians.  The end result was a spiral organic pasta, with spinach, tomatoes, roasted garlic, cracked pepper, capers, onions and grilled artichokes politely tossed in a tarragon sauce.  I rushed to serve this with a cheese pizza made from a kosher crust I located from Costco topped with Kirkland animal rennet free monterey jack cheese and fresh basil.  Whew!  Dinner crisis avoided.....thanks Costco for cheap organic, kosher alternatives to dinner!! Remember always grab U!   http://www.pbs.org/opb/meaningoffood/food_and_culture/kosher_symbols/pix/ou.gif

Introducing Halal 101

Asalaam Alaikum 

Everyday it baffles my mind on the lack of knowledge we Muslims have in the United States in regards to food items that are not halal; so when Brother Maddox called asked me for an article on halal eating or recipes...I was elate!  In my pre-shahada days I had the pleasure of growing up in a household that was kosher, we ate Orthodox Kosher foods from the hospital where my mother worked.  Our family celebrated the traditional American Holidays like all other Baptist families, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter....however I noticed we would never mix meat with dairy, or eat pork.  I think this began my fascination with foods from other cultures!  Fast forward to post Shahada roughly 1993, I begin to notice Muslim friends that were completely ignorant of the pork and the "creative" names associated with pork, not to mention alcohol.  I sometimes become fearful of accepting dinner invitations from Muslims because of the lack of knowledge regarding true halal food consumption; with local Masjids selling Cheetos and Doritos (fried in lard), local Halal grocers selling Kraft singles (pork rennet cheese), and my all time favorite-Muslims drinking flavored lattes on a daily basis sweetened with syrups that contain alcohol... that ain't halal brothers and sisters!  Unfortunately, we live in capitalistic society that is driven by the sell of pork bellies and futures, the more pork bellies sold/traded the more money is made. In the coming months I will begin the basic education of eating Halal, I look forward to this challenge every month.(inshallah)  In the meantime, please check out my blog on a daily basis cheftonne.blogspot.com... share recipes, events, ideas, even ask questions.  You can also friend me on facebook...chef tonne! Inshallah we will meet, eat and discuss soon.....chowbaby!