Healthy and Easy Stewed Okra and Tomatoes Recipe

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

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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
  1. Sauté onion, bell peppers, and corn in medium warm pan, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Creole seasoning.
  2. 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.

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Enjoy!

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A good ol’ Southern recipe

After we each put in more hours at the office than anyone should have to on a Saturday, Bo and I met at Grand Central Market for our weekly Saturday market shopping. I call it market shopping as we tend to shop solely at Grand Central or Chelsea Market on Saturday as we find inspiration and enjoyment that we wouldn’t enjoy at our local grocery store. We were both craving cajun flounder tonight even though it is so easy and simple. (Penzey’s has a great cajun rub!) But, we drew a blank at what vegetable would match the flavor and mood. Our favorite roasted root vegetable recipe quickly went out the door as we knew that wasn’t a fit for tonight. As we glanced at the Greenwich Produce stand I immediately knew tonight’s fish called for a Southern favorite- okra and tomatoes. Instead of sticking with the same recipe we’ve used in the past, Bo used his talents to invent his own recipe. He spiced it up with Framani rosemary ham from Murray’s and added scallions and garlic for flavor. Enjoy!
 
Bo’s Okra and Tomatoes
-1/2 c chopped ham (top quality)
-1/2 c chopped scallions
-1 Tbsp minced garlic
-1 Tbsp evoo
-3 cups chopped fresh okra
-1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
-1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
-salt & pepper
 
Heat a 4 qt saucepan over medium high heat and add EVOO. Add ham and saute for 1-2 minutes until the ham begins to brown. Add garlic and scallions and saute with ham until aromatic and ham is nicely browned. Add okra, salt, and pepper to taste, before sauteeing for another minute. Deglaze the pan with both cans of tomatoes. Bring them to simmer over high heat, stir a few times, and then turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for an hour or so. The flavor will continue to improve as it simmers. Enjoy!
 
 
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