Okra

Her Produce has some green and red okra at the farmers market right now and let me tell you, if you haven’t tried okra before go and grab some of this delicious fruit. That’s right – it’s technically a fruit as it is a flowering plant with edible seed pods. Grown mainly in warm climates, this native of Africa and South Asia is low in calories and packed full of nutrients. Okra is high in both Vitamin C, which makes it a great addition to support our immune systems, and Vitamin K1, which is a fat-soluble vitamin known for its role in blood clotting. This fruit that is utilized as a vegetable is also a good source of protein. Antioxidants known as polyphenols found in okra, including flavonoids and isoquercetin, are beneficial for brain health, fighting inflammation, and oxidative stress. These antioxidants help to protect our brains from symptoms of aging and can help improve cognitive function and memory. Okra also contains a protein known as lectin, which has been shown in studies to hinder the growth of cancer cells. This fruit has also been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defect in newborns, making it an excellent addition to a pregnant woman’s diet. Okra is amazing pickled, in stews, fried, grilled or charred,
let’s get cooking! 

Oven ‘Fried’ Okra 

Yield: 4 Servings

1 1/2 pounds okra 
¾ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, like oat or cashew 
½ cup cornmeal 
¼ cup brown rice flour 
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder 
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  
1 each lemon, cut into wedges 

Directions: 

1.Wash the okra and trim off the stems. Cut okra in half into 1 ½ inch to 2-inch pieces. 

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven while the oven preheats. 

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cornmeal, brown rice flour, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, cayenne, and pepper. 

4. Pull out the baking sheet carefully and line it with parchment paper. 

5. Put a few pieces of okra into the batter and stir well to coat. Allow batter to drip off and arrange in a single layer on the hot baking sheet. Repeat with remaining okra, working quickly so baking sheet doesn’t cool off
too much. 

6. Place baking sheet back into the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and turn each okra over. Transfer back to the oven and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

7. Serve hot with lemon wedges.