Smothered Okra Success

Remember the smothered okra I had at DeJaVu? I tried it at home. I searched for recipes and ended up winging it, but I did consult a recipe from Emeril Lagasse. I started by making a half-batch of his Essence spice blend. I made a mess on the table, but it reminded me of making a sand art jar when I was a kid. I loved those, you filled in your jar with layers of colored sand. And yes, I got myself a label maker when I started buying in bulk. I’m a nerd like that.

Essence: paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme

I didn’t follow the recipe for the smothered okra exactly because I didn’t consult the recipe prior to shopping. I made this with chopped onion and garlic, which I cooked for a few minutes in olive oil while I prepared my tomatoes and okra.

I used two large tomatoes and cut them into large pieces, and I cut my okra into thirds. I’m really glad I used fresh tomatoes over canned, even though I was worried at first whether this would work. But fret not, you can stew fresh tomatoes! I didn’t buy a lot of okra since Alex doesn’t like it. In fact, he refused to try the okra in this dish and ate some tomatoes while carefully avoiding the okra!

I added my tomatoes, okra, and a cup of vegetable broth and cooked for a long time, along with a healthy dose of the Emeril’s Essence seasoning. I let this cook for close to two hours. The tomatoes no longer resembled fresh tomatoes, but were indeed like the stewed tomatoes I’ve had oftentimes from a can. The okra wasn’t slimy after all this cooking, either, and the heat from the cayenne really kicked in. I enjoyed this very much. It’s fine that I ate every bit of it, and Alex doesn’t believe what he was missing.

Summer veggie plate: mashed sweet potatoes, summer squash, green beans, smothered okra, and cornbread