Until I moved to Raleigh exactly two years ago, I have never heard of okra in my life. My first trip to the State Farmer’s Market was very interesting when I first discovered okra at a farmer’s stand. I had quite the lengthy conversation with the farmer, starting by asking, “What’s that?” Ever since that day, I have been hooked. I enjoy eating okra sauteed or fried, and I especially enjoy this creole okra recipe that I used during my first cooking experiment with okra. I recommend serving this side dish on top of rice, quinoa, or serve alongside a spicy black bean burger.
Not only is this okra dish tasty, but it is very inexpensive to purchase at the farmer’s market. Here is the cost breakdown of my ingredients (found at the State Farmer’s Market):
$1 for 1# okra
$0.50 for 1 tomato
$0.75 for 1 onion
$0.75 for 1 green pepper
Total: $3.00
FYI– this dish makes a large amount of okra…I would say it is enough to feed 4-5 people generously…so this stretches the $3 even further!
Creole Okra
Ingredients:
¾ cup sliced okra
¼ cup minced yellow onion
¼ cup minced green pepper
1 tbsp. margarine/butter (I like to use Best Life Buttery Spread for the added mono and polyunsaturate fats…aka the heart healthy stuff!)
¾ cup chopped tomato
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
Ingredients required to make creole okra- chopping all of your veggies ahead of time is a great time-saver!
Preparation:
1. Saute okra, onion, and green pepper in margarine or butter for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Saute vegetables in a small amount of margarine or butter
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, continue to sauté.
3. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.
Serve creole okra with quinoa for a nutritious meal!
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