Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Okra is one Tough Summer Vegetable and is in Season

Drought nor heat can hold back a high okra yield, this hardy vegetable is much more water tolerant than most of your garden vegetable plants, and they prefer full sunlight, conditions which are pretty common in southeastern North Carolina!  

Okra has a long history originating in Egypt, and provides many health benefits.  It even has been attributed to the long lasting beauty of Cleopatra.  

This sometimes prickly vegetable contains vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron and calcium.  The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize the blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.  Okra fiber is excellent for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).  It is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression and is used for healing ulcers and keeping joints limber.  

And if you tire of cutting and freezing and preserving okra, let is grow some more and cut it to hang and dry, it will provide a beautiful dried vegetable for decorating like our ancestors!

Save the Okra!!  Give these interesting recipes a try!

Okra and Mixed Rice Casserole

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup green bell pepper, seeded and diced

¼ cup yellow onion, diced

¼ cup celery, diced

½ teaspoon garlic, minced

¾ pound okra, trimmed and cut into ½-inch rounds

1 cup mixed rice, (blend of white, brown, red and wild rice)

14 ounces petite diced tomatoes with the liquid

1 ½ teaspoons Creole seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¾ cup water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.

Into a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter.  When the butter is melted, add the bell pepper, onion, and celery.  Cook for 2 minutes, until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  

Add the rice and okra.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently until the rice is very lightly toasted.  Stir in the tomatoes with their liquid, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper.  

Transfer to the prepared baking dish.  Pour in the water, distributing it throughout the casserole.  Cover tightly with foil.  

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.  Fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.   

Serves 6, each serving contains; Calories 173, Carbohydrates 35g., Protein 5g., Fat 2g., Sodium 307 mg., Fiber 4g.  

Cracker Barrel Copycat Fried Okra Appetizer

1 pound medium sized fresh okra, cut into ½-inch slices

1 cup buttermilk

1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Prepare the okra by patting the slices completely dry with paper towels, then soak them in buttermilk for 10 minutes.  

In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.  

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven to 375 degrees.  

Remove okra from buttermilk in small batches, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture until well coated.  

Carefully add okra to hot oil in batches, being extra careful not to overcrowd in the pan.

Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy, turning occasionally for even cooking.  

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  

Season with additional salt if desired and serve hot with ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce.  Serves 6.  

Mexican Style Okra

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup red or white onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large jalapeno, chopped

2 cups sliced fresh okra

1 large Roma tomato, chopped

Once items are prepared, heat the oil in a large pan and once hot add the onion, sauté until soft.  

Add salt, then garlic and cook another minute before adding the jalapeno and sauteing for another couple of minutes.  

Add the okra slices and cook until the okra begins to release its liquids and also soften.  

Lastly, add the chopped tomato bits and sauté until they have broken down and okra is completely softened and tender.  

Serve as an appetizer with chips or as a side dish.  

Serves 2, each serving contains; Calories 150, Carbohydrates 13g., Protein 3g., Fat 11g..Fiber 4g.

Okra Pilaf

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

½ cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups okra, sliced into discs, ½ to ¾ inch thick

¼ teaspoon cayenne, or more or less to taste

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup long-graine rice

1 ¾ cups chicken stock

Fry the bacon by spreading the chopped bacon out in a pot so that it covers the bottom completely and turn the heat to medium.  Fry until crispy, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.  Drain off all of the bacon grease leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan.  

Add the onion and green pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the okra and increase the heat to high.  Add the cayenne, salt, and rice and stir-fry for 1 minute.  

Add the chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook until the rice is done, about 20 minutes.  

Fluff up the rice with a fork and stir in the cooked, chopped bacon.  

Serves 4-6 as a side dish, each serving contains; Calories 202, Fat 9g., Carbohydrates 17g., Protein 12g.