Are you guys loving Paulina's Cooking School? I had so much fun cooking with her and love that I have some healthy options for dinner with the family.
I love fried okra. Only fried okra. I hadn't ever known people cooked it in other ways. Just fried or slimy on the salad bar. Those were my options before cooking school. Because I like okra, Paulina offered me two healthier ways to cook fresh okra.
You can grill it! How easy is that! Just wash your fresh okra, drizzle it with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and place it on the grill with your meat. It will be done when there are grill marks on the outside, it was less than 10 minutes. Super easy to add when your steaks or chicken are cooking.
If you aren't grilling or want to add a little color to your plate, this dish was awesome! I'd call it Okra Succotash, a word I don't use often enough. Hehe!
Paulina's Okra Succotash
Chop the following veggies:
Okra
Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
Onion
Garlic
Roma Tomatoes
Yellow Squash
One Pepper, jalapeno or habanero for spice, is optional
Saute onion, pepper, and garlic in a skillet until soft
Add okra and squash and 1/2 cup water
Place a lid on the skillet and allow to boil/steam for several minutes.
Here is the fun part.... okra has a slimy liquid inside. It is great for your skin, but it can be a little creepy for people to eat. Adding the water helps to pull out the slime from the okra while it cooks. To test that, pull out a piece of the okra from the skillet and check it with your hand or your tongue.
After the okra is done, add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve your succotash with a slotted spoon to leave the slimy water behind.
Enjoy your new okra dishes! Up next, delicious grilled fruit!
