Recently while walking through the produce section of my grocery store, I spotted fresh okra. I remember my mom preparing it when I was a child. I loved it. Our favorite okra dish was “Southern Fried Okra”. It still is crazy delicious. It is quite simple to prepare:
- Simply cut the okra into 1/2 inch pieces equal to 1 1/2 cups, place in a bowl with a lid, add 1/2 corn meal, put the lid on and shake generously making sure the corn meal is evenly distributed on the okra
- Salt to taste, and fry over medium high using about 1/3 cup olive or canola oil.
- It takes perhaps ten minutes at most. It burns quickly so keep a close watch on it. And it is good!!
- Another way we liked okra was pickled. It can be found in most super markets, and it is crunchy, delicious, and very healthy.
I learned that okra as bought over to the Americas by slaves from Africa. There are a few disputes over from just which country it originated. However, the African Americans did well, because not only is okra delicious, but it is also a super food. That’s right! Okra is a super food. It can be eaten raw, pickled, fried, or boiled and in soups. However fried is my favorite.
I did a little research to verify just how nutritious okra is. It is rich in magnesium, folate, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, K1, and A. Not bad! It also helps reduce cholesterol. The mucilage (slimy part) in okra combines with cholesterol in the intestines causing it to be remove cholesterol through the stool. Okra is also high in polyphenols which have a unique capacity to enter the brain, and reduce inflammation. That is quite amazing, and great news for those of us who may be candidates for Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other cognitive issues. It is just an all around great food. If you happen to be at the super market and see cartons of fresh okra, take some home and fry it I promise you and your family will love it!
Cathy Dee 