This was my first time buying okra. I’ve eaten it a couple of times in the cafeteria at work (only deep-fried), but I had never handled a fresh one before. I read online that some okra recipes are slimy and the least slimy way to cook it is to roast it. There isn’t a lot of variety in roasting recipes though, so unless it’s different than tossing with cooking oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper, I want to try something different.
When I sliced the okra, I noticed a little slime. I don’t think it would have struck me as gross if I hadn’t read about it in advance. I asked my son to find an okra recipe because I had too many other things going on at once. He needed something to do. Which could send me off on a tangent about how teenagers are no longer able to entertain themselves if electronics aren’t involved, but I’ll spare you.
He found a recipe in my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for Smothered Okra, which he modified. I used up the tomatoes in gazpacho and in general wanted a break from diced tomatoes. He also tried a whole teaspoon of cayenne pepper and it was a little hot but still good.
Smothered Okra
½ C chopped onion
½ C chopped bell pepper
2 crushed cloves garlic
2 T butter (avocado oil if you’re dairy-free)
8 oz (~16) whole okra, cut in ½” pieces, or 2 cups frozen cut okra thawed
1 12-oz can of V8
1/4 – 1/2 t cayenne pepper
In a large skillet cook and stir onion, bell pepper, and garlic in hot butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in okra, V8, and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes for fresh okra (10 min. for thawed okra) or until okra is very tender.
