
Okra fresh from the field
Ingredients:
¾ - 1 pound of fresh okra
2 cloves of garlic (or one if you prefer less garlic flavor) - chopped
1 medium sweet onion - chopped
3 small bell peppers (colored or green) - chopped
Preparation:
Cut the tops off the okra and cut horizontally into ¼ to ½ inch medallions. Heat 1.5 - 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet on a nearly high setting. Once the pan is good and hot, dump the okra in (be extra careful here to avoid any burning splatter!). Stir it fairly frequently so it doesn’t burn but allow it to brown. Once you are seeing browning on a fair number of pieces of okra, and you feel you have stirred enough to have pan contact with most cut sides of the okra, turn the heat back down to less than medium. Wait for the pan to cool a bit (it may help to take it off the heat briefly), clear a spot in the center of the pan and add a bit more oil. Now add the rest of the ingredients and mix in with the okra. Cook until the onions and peppers are softened. Serves 3-4 depending on portion size.
Note: I have had die-hard ‘okra haters’ try okra this way and love it because the okra does not develop its stereotypical stickiness by use of the high heat. Grilling okra whole (with the cap on – ‘to use as a handle’ to quote my sister) on a very hot grill also has the same result from my experience. Just brush with a bit of olive oil and grill! Once removed from the grill, add a bit of sea salt, and you have a wonderful finger food to add to your grilled corn and chicken (if you eat meat).
¾ - 1 pound of fresh okra
2 cloves of garlic (or one if you prefer less garlic flavor) - chopped
1 medium sweet onion - chopped
3 small bell peppers (colored or green) - chopped
Preparation:
Cut the tops off the okra and cut horizontally into ¼ to ½ inch medallions. Heat 1.5 - 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet on a nearly high setting. Once the pan is good and hot, dump the okra in (be extra careful here to avoid any burning splatter!). Stir it fairly frequently so it doesn’t burn but allow it to brown. Once you are seeing browning on a fair number of pieces of okra, and you feel you have stirred enough to have pan contact with most cut sides of the okra, turn the heat back down to less than medium. Wait for the pan to cool a bit (it may help to take it off the heat briefly), clear a spot in the center of the pan and add a bit more oil. Now add the rest of the ingredients and mix in with the okra. Cook until the onions and peppers are softened. Serves 3-4 depending on portion size.
Note: I have had die-hard ‘okra haters’ try okra this way and love it because the okra does not develop its stereotypical stickiness by use of the high heat. Grilling okra whole (with the cap on – ‘to use as a handle’ to quote my sister) on a very hot grill also has the same result from my experience. Just brush with a bit of olive oil and grill! Once removed from the grill, add a bit of sea salt, and you have a wonderful finger food to add to your grilled corn and chicken (if you eat meat).