Creole Okra

I don't know how many okra fans there are out there, but I grew up eating these little bullet shaped veggies.  To me, their taste is hard to describe.  Nutty, sticky morsels, perfect for this side dish.  You'll usually find them in Southern cooking with stews, soups, and such.  Personally I love them in scrambled eggs!   

I've attempted to grow okra in my garden, with poor results.  Last weekend at the farmer's market one of the vendors had huge bags of beautiful crisp okra for a great price.  I grabbed them (not that people were flocking to buy this quirky veggie), gave half to my dad and had some with eggs the next morning, still leaving me with quite alot to come up with  another side dish.  Here it is.  If you've never tried okra now is the time.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup washed and slice fresh okra

1 tsp flour

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)

In a medium skillet, brown onion in the oil.  Dredge the okra in the flour, shaking off excess and add to the pan.  Cook until slightly brown.  Add the tomatoes, sugar, pepper flakes and half of the broth.  Keep on a low heat for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.  It will look a bit mushy but the flavor is great.  If the okra looks too dry, add the rest of the broth and cook down during the cooking time.

Serves 2