I never ate okra as a child. My Mom just didn’t cook it.

I had it for the first time at a friends house and loved it.

So this started my trial and error trying to cook it .

After many, many pounds of okra all I had was this slimy vegetable that couldn’t get past my lips. So I stopped trying to cook it.

Last week I was at my friend Maria’s again, I am a real pest.

She was cooking okra and showed me how to do it right.

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 chopped onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

One pound bag of frozen okra, do not defrost it.

One 14 ounce can of diced San Martino tomatoes

Two small cans of tomato sauce.

One teaspoon dried parsley

Four basil leaves

Salt and pepper

Optional spices are oregano and crushed red pepper. I just love basil and put it in everything.

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil till the onions are soft

Add the diced tomatoes and bring to a boil

Add the frozen okra, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.

Cover the okra with the tomato sauce

Push the okra down with a spoon  so it is covered with the liquid

Cover the pot and let simmer until the sauce starts to thicken and the okra looks cooked about 20 to 30 minutes.

DO NOT STIR THE POT

If you start stirring the pot the okra gets slimy because it starts to break up.

I made this the other night and we ate the entire pound.

It is easy, delicious and different.

Thank you Maria

Published by cmangoff

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