Monday, September 15, 2008

Two Great Okra Recipes




Okra is an acquired taste. I tried it first a few years ago, and my husband and I love it. Our kids hate it, mostly because of the texture, which can be slimy. Here are two ways I cook it. Enjoy…

Fried Okra and Tomatoes

Two trays of okra, washed and cut in bite size pieces, usually just in half crosswise. Also, trim off the head.
One onion, diced.
One large, or two medium tomatoes, washed and diced.
Grace Jamaican Jerk seasoning, 1/8-1/4 tsp. to taste.
Thyme, to taste.
Olive oil.

I first partially steam the okra, or they can be too tough, or the other ingredients could burn while they cook. Then I fry the onion in the olive oil, add the tomatoes, sprinkle with thyme, and add the Jerk seasoning. It’s one of those things that can be too hot very easily, so be careful. But it is essential to the recipe. Then I add the steamed okra and combine. That’s it. It’s a great side dish with fish, or curried chicken.


Shrimp and Okra Soup

8 cups of water, with 4 packets of Bovril chicken bouillon
1- 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes with juice.
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 leek, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. thyme,
Cayenne pepper to taste, again, be careful, but it is essential to the recipe.
1 can corn, drained
2 trays of okra, with ends trimmed, and cut in half cross-wise. Steam for a few minutes. I usually just put them in a colander over the soup itself, until they are softened.
1 bag of cooked shrimp (20-30). Remove tails, and rinse.

Add the ingredients in the order above. Cook as you chop the vegetables, and then an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve with corn bread (see recipe below), and salad. Comfort food at its’ finest. A warning: for some reason, this soup is soporific (it makes you sleepy). I don’t know why, but that’s what we’ve found. It’s best served fresh. If you leave it overnight, the okra really slimes out.


Corn Bread

This is from the book, Traditional Jamaican Cookery, by Norma Benghiat. My husband’s grandmother sent it to me when we were first married. I guess she knew I couldn’t cook. It’s one of the tastiest corn bread recipes I’ve tried. I usually make it in a muffin tin so it only takes about 15 minutes to bake.

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup cornmeal
4 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
¼ cup softened butter

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add the cornmeal and sugar. Stir in the beaten eggs, milk and butter, mixing well until the batter is smooth. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or in a loaf pan for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and enjoy.

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