Bready or Not: Oven Fried Okra
I'm a Californian born and raised, but my dad is from rural Alabama. Therefore, I grew up with good ol' southern foods around, like corn bread, biscuits and gravy, and fried okra. My dad even grew okra for a few years. I have early memories of helping my mom wash off the okra in the sink. It's certainly a peculiar vegetable: prickly and firm, and then when cut, all snotty and slimy. Who would think something that disgusting could become so delicious?
Frying. It's like southern magic.
My husband also has southern roots, via New Mexico--his paternal grandparents are from central Arkansas. He also has a deep and abiding affection for fried okra. But as I've mentioned before, we're trying to eat healthier and include vegetables with every meal. Okra is certainly a vegetable, but the whole deep-fried thing is problematic.
Therefore, I really perked up when I saw baked okra recipes floating around on Pinterest. Would they be as good as "the real thing?" I have to say, we were both pleasantly surprised. The texture and crunch is just as good when okra is baked, and we really didn't miss the oily taste. This is definitely a cooking method we'll repeat in the future.
Oven Fried Okra
Found on Cookin' Cowgirl.
Ingredients:
16 oz bag frozen sliced okra, thawed
1 tsp Cajun or creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup yellow corn meal
Canola/olive oil spray
1 gallon storage bag
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn the zip-lock bag inside out and apply the canola or olive oil spray all over.
Pour the okra in the bag along with the seasoning and garlic salt. Seal bag and shake vigorously. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake up again--come on, let the rage of the day come out! This is therapeutic. Let the okra rest 10 more minutes. Pour okra onto a foil covered baking sheet and spread out evenly. Spray the okra with oil again.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip okra over, lightly spray again and return to oven for 20 more minutes. That's it!
OM NOM NOM!
Frying. It's like southern magic.
My husband also has southern roots, via New Mexico--his paternal grandparents are from central Arkansas. He also has a deep and abiding affection for fried okra. But as I've mentioned before, we're trying to eat healthier and include vegetables with every meal. Okra is certainly a vegetable, but the whole deep-fried thing is problematic.
Therefore, I really perked up when I saw baked okra recipes floating around on Pinterest. Would they be as good as "the real thing?" I have to say, we were both pleasantly surprised. The texture and crunch is just as good when okra is baked, and we really didn't miss the oily taste. This is definitely a cooking method we'll repeat in the future.
Oven Fried Okra
Found on Cookin' Cowgirl.
Ingredients:
16 oz bag frozen sliced okra, thawed
1 tsp Cajun or creole seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup yellow corn meal
Canola/olive oil spray
1 gallon storage bag
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn the zip-lock bag inside out and apply the canola or olive oil spray all over.
Pour the okra in the bag along with the seasoning and garlic salt. Seal bag and shake vigorously. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake up again--come on, let the rage of the day come out! This is therapeutic. Let the okra rest 10 more minutes. Pour okra onto a foil covered baking sheet and spread out evenly. Spray the okra with oil again.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, flip okra over, lightly spray again and return to oven for 20 more minutes. That's it!
OM NOM NOM!
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