Okra and Tomatoes with Bacon: Cook a few strips of thick cut bacon until browned.Add some spicy cajun seasoning and a couple drops of hot sauce to the mix for an extra kick. If you are looking for some variations though here are some ideas: It is delicious, kid friendly, vegetarian and gluten free. You only need okra, diced tomatoes, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. This recipe for Okra and Tomatoes is very basic. Told you it was easy! Okra and Tomatoes Variations: All that you need to do is combine all the ingredients in a skillet and cook until the okra and tomatoes are warmed through. This okra and tomatoes recipe is super easy, making it great for weeknight side dishes. Simply cook it until it’s warmed through. So the best way to avoid it is to not overcook it. I find that this happens most often if the okra gets overcooked. Okra also gets a bad rap because it can be slimy. If you are using frozen okra, no need to defrost before using. Simply cut off the root and slice the okra into bitesized pieces. If you have access to fresh, use that too. For this reason, I use frozen okra in this recipe. Yet, we never get any real quality fresh okra at my grocery store, in season or not. But for my kiddos, their absolute favorite way to eat okra is Okra and Tomatoes. First we tried fried okra which is obviously a winner. Surprisingly though, with okra: IT WORKED. One of the things that we like to do as parents is get our kids to try a variety of foods. Season to taste with the salt and white pepper, and serve with steamed or boiled brown or white rice.A classic for a reason! Okra and Tomatoes is a quick and easy vegetable side dish perfect for weeknights. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes. Bring to a boil.Īdd the bay leaf and fresh herbs stirring well then reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover. IngredientsĪdd olive oil to a 3-quart or larger saucepan and heat over medium high temperature.Īdd the onions and sauté for a few minutes until soft and translucent then add the garlic and stir well, sauté for a few more minutes.Īdd the okra, tomatoes and red wine vinegar and stir well to incorporate. Other variations also include an addition of shrimp toward the end of the preparation. If however, you wish, an additional one pound of smoked sausage, ham or a half-pound of tasso when browned in the pan before the addition of the onions turns this into a great main dish item also served over any white or brown rice. If you want to keep this as a side dish and vegetarian then this preparation makes a perfect compliment with steamed or boiled brown rice. most likely in the 1700’s, and then the Creoles in Louisiana learned to thicken soups with okra (gumbo) which is now the essential ingredient in Creole Gumbo. Slaves from West Africa introduced okra to the Caribbean and U.S. lead back to Creole heritage, as the word ‘okra’ is also known as quibombo in Spanish, and gombo in French. Reducing the slimy effects of okra is resolved with an acid such as the juices extracted from the tomatoes, or with the addition of vinegar. Okra tends to exude a thick slimy liquid when cut and cooked down, which is a benefit for some dishes, especially in the case of gumbo, however, many folks do not like the texture or mouth feel of the slim. Worlds apart, but perfect together! Smaller baby sized okra and juicy ripe tomatoes make the best of this dish, no extra liquid required with the exception of a little red wine vinegar, as the main ingredients create enough of their own juices when covered and stewed until done. Okra and tomatoes create a perfect marriage of taste and texture, similar to the romantic union of oysters and artichokes. (NOTE: Click on images for a larger view)īesides being a major component in gumbo, okra and tomatoes stewed down in the fashion with onions and garlic along with a few herbs like basil, thyme and oregano make a perfect side dish served along with some fresh steamed or boiled rice. Janet also gave us a few of their large cucumbers, and I turned them into a crisp cucumber and dill salad, more on that in another post. On Saturday, one of our baseball family friends Janet Begley and her family gave us a bag of their heirloom tomatoes and several bags of fresh okra they had just picked from their garden. Both okra and tomatoes require long and hot growing seasons and the south provides both in records each year. This preparation is one of those that we grew up with in New Orleans and is popular as not only a staple dish in the south, but also contains the two main ingredients found fresh grown in many gardens and small farms across the southeastern states.
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