The other day I posted my easy, delicious lunch creation, okra and tomatoes. Many of you tweeted and commented regarding the recipe. Like many of you, I love okra but rarely prepare it myself. A few months ago Bo and I bought a bag of frozen okra at the grocery store to include in gumbo. Needless to say, that never happened and Sunday night I discovered it hiding in our freezer.
Enter, inspiration! I quickly scoured the pantry and fridge to see if I had the ingredients needed to make okra and tomatoes plus. I add the plus because this needed some protein for staying power. The recipe I put together was as follows:
Okra and Tomatoes Plus
Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 small can corn, drained
1 pound okra, (about 5 cups), sliced
1 cup chopped bell peppers
3 cups chopped tomatoes, (3-4 medium)
2/3 cup reduced-sodium tomato juice or water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 minced jalapeno
4 oz protein (leftover chicken, shrimp, beans, etc)
Preparation
- Sauté onion, bell peppers, and corn in medium warm pan, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Creole seasoning.
- Increase heat to high; add okra, tomatoes, tomato juice (or water), salt and crushed red pepper (or jalapeno) and cook, stirring often, until bubbling. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and the vegetables are very tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in added protein at end.
I enjoyed this delicious dish for lunch Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday adding a different protein each day. Monday I used beans, Tuesday leftover lobster, and Wednesday was leftover chicken.
Enjoy!
