Spiced Okra and Tomatoes
Spiced okra and tomatoes, yeah, an elevated Southern side dish that simple and easy! Delicious! Fresh is best, so look for okra in season!
How to Cook with Okra
Okra in my humble opinion is a versatile and fabulous vegetable to use in so many ways.
I’ve grilled it. Put it on charcuterie trays sliced and raw. Steamed it. Fried it. Roasted it. Stewed it.
Roasted Okra
Roasted okra is probably my favorite. Next it would be grilled okra, the whole pods are grilled.
I like to rinse and clean the okra really well. And, when I roast, I sliced into bite size pieces, then I put them in a water bath probably three times.
This helps eliminate some of the stringy ‘slim’ (sorry, I don’t know what else to call it).
Recipe for Okra and Tomatoes
Other ways to reduce this feature of the vegetable:
Freeze okra pods, then slice. This helps with the slimy.
Soak it in vinegar and water before cooking. That can help.
Remember to rinse and dry the okra well after putting the pieces in water.
Oven Roasted Okra Recipe
Actually there are nutrient benefits in the slime. According to Wholistic Matters:
Fresh Okra Recipes
The very best way to eat okra to get all the nutritional benefits is to munch on it raw. Yes, like a carrot or stalk of celery.
Most probably prefer it cooked, and you might want to check out these two recipes, too, where I’ve used this fabulous veggie, Jambalaya and Succotash!
Okra in Oven
Spiced okra and tomatoes in the oven is the how we love to eat it. You’re going to roast the okra. Prepare the tomatoes. Then you’ll top the hot tomatoes with the roasted okra.
I prefer to not mix keeping the roasted okra pieces kind of crunchy. Don’t expect the crunch of a kettle potato chip, but a slight light crunch from the oven heat roasting.
Spiced Okra and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 400
- 1 tsp. garlic granules
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 cups fresh okra, sliced
- 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the spices and blend.
- Clean and slice the okra.
- If wet, dry completely with paper towels.
- Put in a medium bowl, drizzle all but one tablespoon of the olive oil and about half of the spice blend. Toss and blend coating the okra.
- Put okra on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Roast in a preheated 400 oven for about 15 minutes. Remove.
- While the okra is roasting, prepare the tomatoes. Put the remaining olive oil in a cast iron skillet (about 10" diameter). Add both cans of tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water (rinse out the cans). To get more nutrients in the tomatoes, instead of water use beef or chicken bone broth.
- Blend in the rest of the spice mixture into the tomatoes. Simmer boil (uncovered) on medium for about 12-15 minutes while the okra is roasting. If needed add more liquid.
- Before serving slide the roasted okra on top of the tomatoes.
Notes
Bone broth will add more nutrients and improve the flavor of the tomatoes. Use my code, ALLYSKITCHEN, at checkout at Kettle and Fire to get 20% off your order! Best bone broth ever!
