Okra Recipes

recipe
Pan of okra and tomatoes

Also known as "lady's fingers", okra is a popular vegetable in American Southern cuisine. It comes in two colors, red and green, but both look the same green when cooked. At only 33 calories per cup, okra is a great source of fiber - 3 grams in one cup. Okra is considered good for lowering cholesterol as it contains a gel-like substance called mucilage that can bind to cholesterol and eliminate if from the body instead of having your body absorb it. Here are some tasty ways to add okra to your meals. 

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Mediterranean Okra

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Serve this spicy stew over polenta for a truly Mediterranean meal. Pick your own 25% item. Mine would be this tofu bacon.

75% fiber foods – whole grain cornmeal, onion, garlic, jalapeños, okra, diced tomatoes, fresh tomato
25% foods – Earth Balance Buttery Spread, olive oil, tofu

Roasted Okra

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Plate with mashed potatoes, and bean salad. Baked cod would make a wonderful 25% part of the plate. Don't eat fish? Use tofu or grilled chicken instead.

75% fiber foods – okra, potatoes, cauliflower, black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, bell peppers, banana peppers, black olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, fresh cilantro
25% foods – olive oil, dressing, cod, Earth Balance Buttery Spread

Southern Okra Bean Stew

Make it a Full Plate Meal: This stew is just right for a light supper. Serve with your favorite crackers as the 25% part of the plate.

75% fiber foods – diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, brown rice, kidney beans, tomato sauce, frozen okra
25% foods – crackers

Corn Okra Creole

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Use this recipe to Power Up your next cookout. Add more fiber to the meal with a fresh fruit salad. Your grilled protein will be your 25% part of the plate. 

75% fiber foods – bell pepper, onion, okra, corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, fruit
25% foods – olive oil, butter, grilled protein

Recipe Note: Use 1 tablespoon of oil and Earth Balance Lite Buttery Spread instead of butter to reduce the amount of fat in this recipe.

Chicken Okra Stew

Make it a Full Plate Meal: Pack your stew and brown rice for a tasty lunch at the office. Fresh figs would add a fun exotic flavor to the meal.

75% fiber foods – onion, carrot, garlic, okra, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh cilantro, brown rice, figs
25% foods – chicken

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