I think the very first time I tried okra, I was pretty peeved out. It was slimy, sticky, and just something I was not used to at all. How was this supposed to be enjoyable as part of a meal? After a few more tries in different dishes, I eventually grew accustomed to the unique textures of the okra, also known in some regions as “lady’s finger” (why? I have no idea, because those would be some really unattractive green fingers haha).
After doing a little bit of digging, I found that this little vegetable is super good for you. Okra is an abundant source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients–it’s rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid (a B vitamin important for pregnant women to help prevent birth defects), potassium, and magnesium, just to name a few!
I was lucky enough to visit New Orleans twice and was able to try the real deal, the classic New Orleans gumbo!!!! It was that experience that made me really start liking okra because I didn’t get that sticky feeling since I was basically enjoying a stew for a meal 🙂
ANYWAY, recipe time! My mom taught me this really simple recipe for making sautéed okra at home, and you can add meat if you want. I usually add a little ground meat so there’s some protein to the dish.
Here are the ingredients I used:
- okra
- McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning
- ground meat (beef or pork, or whatever meat you want, really haha)
- half a head of garlic
- soy sauce
- red pepper flakes (I love heat in my dishes!)
Steps:
- Chop the stems off the okra and slice the okra diagonally.
- Rinse them thoroughly and set them aside.
- Peel and dice the garlic.
Look how yummy it looks!!! - Marinate the meat with a little bit of soy sauce and steak seasoning for flavor.
- When you’re ready, heat a wok and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic when the wok is hot enough.
- Add the meat and stir occasionally until it is half-cooked.
- Add your okra and your seasonings of preference (for me I used more steak seasoning and red pepper flakes) and put the lid onto the wok half-way to let it kind of steam cook for a few minutes.
- Stir occasionally until the okra is a shiny green and the meat is fully cooked and take it off the fire and you’re ready to enjoy your dish!
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A Healthy Blueprint 