Spicy Roasted Okra

Probably like most of you, I am on this never ending quest/game/journey of trying to discover new ways of expanding the palates of my family.  On one hand it can be a little frustrating, fighting that uphill "mom" battle.  "Here, try this.  Here, try that."  You don't want to get stuck in the same old rut of cooking only the same familiar things over and over.  On the other hand, if you think about it in a little different light, it can be fun.  "What can we do with this?  How can we cook this that would be cool and exciting, that everybody (okay, most everyone) would like it?" 

My mom taught me that farmer's markets are a great place to visit when you want to find awesome, local produce that is locally sourced, supportive of your local farmers, and the freshest and tastiest way to go.  Recently my husband and got up early one Saturday and found the cutest little purple and green okra at our local farmer's market.  I've NEVER seen purple okra!  But they were SO CUTE!!! The only problem is that I sort of only like fried okra.  LOL.   Okayyyyy.... that's a dilemma.  

My husband suggested that I bring them home and "figure it out."  Ha!   This is when you start looking in the mirror.  We all love roasted vegetables, and I read of someone else roasting okra (which removes the sliminess), so I decided to give it a shot.  To give them a fighting chance with the kiddos, I knew they'd better have lots of flavor, so I mixed up a seasoning blend.  And you know what?  EVERYone ate them!  YAY!  Success!!!  

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound or so young okra 
• between the length of your thumb and index finger
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp restaurant style black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander 
• 1/2 tsp Spanish paprika 
• Optional 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne (if you want them spicy)

Step-by-Step:
Begin my mixing up your seasoning mix:

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp spanish paprika (or whatever paprika you have)

Mix the seasonings together.

** Add in additional 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne if you'd like your okra to be spicy

Here are my super cute little okra.

Cut each in half lengthwise.

Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.  Toss to coat.

EVOO

Spread them out onto a sheet pan.

Sprinkle the oiled okra with the seasoning blend.  The olive oil will give the seasoning something to stick to and help them crisp up (read as... not be slimy).

I roasted these babies at 400 x 20 min, then turned up to 450 x 5 min just to get a little extra crunchy edge.  That's up to you.  

I did shake them around every 10 min or so.  Just watch them.  Every oven is a bit different.  

The cooking time will also depend on the size of your okra.  I wanted them to be sort of like crispy seasoned okra "fries."

Here they are as a nice accompaniment to our goat cheese stuffed pork tenderloin, Romano rice pilaf, and stuffed artichoke leaves.

Here are some other recipes I hope you'll enjoy:
Curried Chicken Salad

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Salad

Mediterranean Chicken Pasta

Mongolian Beef

Crab Rangoons

If you'd like to order or check out the interactive MenuMusings Cookbook, Click the link!  These make amazing gifts!  Especially for your kiddos who have just moved out to a new dorm or apartment on their own, or the new happy couple!  Each recipe has "how to" photos and its own QRS code linking it back to the blog for complete step-by-step photos!

Written Method:

Begin my mixing up your seasoning mix.

Cut each in half lengthwise.

Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil.  Toss to coat.

Spread them out onto a sheet pan.

Sprinkle the oiled okra with the seasoning blend.  The olive oil will give the seasoning something to stick to and help them crisp up (read as... not be slimy).

I roasted these babies at 400 x 20 min, then turned up to 450 x 5 min just to get a little extra crunchy edge.  That's up to you.  

I did shake them around every 10 min or so.  Just watch them.  Every oven is a bit different.  

The cooking time will also depend on the size of your okra.  I wanted them to be sort of like crispy seasoned okra "fries."