What to serve with roasted okra?

We have a lots of garden fresh okra, and have discovered that roasting it is much healthier than frying, and equally healthy!  Plus, not nearly as slimy as boiled okra! Yay!

If you haven't tried it, slice fresh okra and gently toss with a little olive oil, salt, and black pepper.  Pop in a 425 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes and enjoy!  

But, what to serve with it?  Husband's favorite is smoked sausage, but sooooo not healthy!  Any suggestions for tasty protein sources or other sides?

 

 

Baked chicken might work or maybe thin-sliced pork loin chops...

Pork tenderloin, roasted okra, and baked cinnamon apples sound yummy to me!

There are around 143 calories per serving (serving size is 3 oz) in grilled Pork Tenderloin and 3g of fat.

Have you tried a smoked turkey sausage?  I know some places sell Turkey Kielbasa that is actually not *that* bad for you - it might be a good compromise between your husband's taste and your health concerns?

You could also make a sturdy, steak-like fish like mahi mahi, tuna, or swordfish (you could also do this with chicken) and rub it with blackening spices or cumin/chipotle chili powder for the smoky flavor.

Your roasted okra recipe sounds tasty, though!  Makes me seriously think about adding okra to my garden veggies for next year :) 

edited to add: I don't know why I didn't think of this before - but shrimp & okra go incredibly well together!  If your family likes shrimp, you could just simply grill some (maybe lightly marinade it with rosemary, lemon juice & olive oil) and serve it alongside the roasted okra!

I never thought of roasting okra!  Thanks for the great idea.  When I cook it, which is rarely because you just don't see it up north here, I usually make a stew - tomatoes, peppers, onions, okra.

I agree that shrimp would be wonderful.  So would fish poached in tomatoes with the okra on the side.  I was also trying to think how to incorporate lean pork loin with it.

"Stir-fried" okra is a shorter version of your roasted okra and it is delicious. Same ingredients (a little olive oil and fresh ground salt and pepper); place in a non-stick frying pan and shake and jiggle until the okra is browned here and there (only a few minutes). I don't slice it and even leave the tops on (so you have something to hold on to when you eat it like a carrot).

I recommend serving it with a savory version of Quinoa. Cook the Quinoa (like rice--2:1 ratio of liquid to grain), using chicken or vegetable stock. Feel free to add any/all of the following before you simmer the Quinoa until done: fresh chopped garlic, onions, carrots, mushrooms, celery, green/red/yellow peppers, and diced meat. Quinoa contains more protein than most other grains and really is quite versatile and delicious.

Roasting it is better than frying, but sauteeing with a serving of olive oil and mixing with onions, green peppers and chicken meatballs is delicious!  Try it...Mmmmmm mmmmm good ;)

have you ever smothered okra? i'm from the south and this is how we do it, actually pretty healthful. 

 

about 2 lbs of okra, washed and sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped red pepper

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 c celery, chopped

1 c onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 can low sodium tomato sauce

Basically, you sautee down your onions and bell pepper in the olive oil, then toss in your garlic. Once you start getting a brown on the garlic, throw in your okra with a little bit of water. Cook this on high heat. You're basically cooking all the slime out of the okra.

Once the slime starts coming out of the okra, throw in your tomatoes and raw shrimp. Hold off on the tomato sauce for now. Season at this point with salt and pepper if you like, I normally just toss in some hot sauce and kosher salt.

When the shrimp start to turn pink, add in your tomato sauce. Remember, all this is on high heat. At this point, when you add in the sauce, turn your heat down to low. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

You'll end up with shrimp in a delicious red gravy that you can serve over whole grain rice. My family loves this, my grandmother made it when I was a kid only we ate it over white rice. I just switched to whole grain brown and it's still a family favorite.

 

Sorry if this disgusts anyone, haha. Okra and shrimp is a STAPLE in south Louisiana summer food. :)

Smothered Okra sounds delicious!  I printed off the recipe (now to see if I actually follow through and make it! lol).

Thanks for the great idea!

 

let me know how it comes out!

 

i'm sure if you google "okra and shrimp with tomatoes" there will be tons of similar recipes :)

i like mixing okra and egg whites and nuking them in the microwave til they look good and ready. soooooo goooood!

and yeah, i agree with whoever posted that its good with chicken. i second that.

Oh man, roasted okra + blackened tomatoes (grilled or broiled) is so good. I'm so hungry now.