Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

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Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby Bkworm » Wed Jun 03, 2020 10:00 am

Have lived in Florida my entire life and grew up eating tons of fresh veggies. However, they were always cooked with some type of oil or fat. Of course, since changing to this WOE, I never cook with oil or fat, don’t even have any in the house.

DH just telephoned to say a coworker with a large garden had brought in a large sack of fresh-picked okra for us. Last week he gave us a huge sack of fresh crowder peas. After shelling them, there were at least 2 lbs of the peas with snaps. Had no problem cooking the peas with veggie broth and spices plus potatoes.

Okra is another story. Any suggestions of how to cook the fresh okra? Since following this WOE I have purchased bags of gumbo mixed veggies which contain a tiny bit of okra. Usually put the veggies in a baking dish add some diced tomatoes and spices like basil and oregano. It is ok but not great.

We used to coat the okra with cornmeal, add salt and pepper, then fry it. As I recall, it took a tremendous amount of oil to fry it. Or We would place entire pods of okra across the top of a large pot of field peas or crowder peas. Personally, I did not like the okra cooked with the peas, too slimy

DH husband bringing the okra home tonight so need some quick ideas. Don’t want the okra to go to waste and my DH loves fresh okra. Guess I will check out recipes for gumbo and see if I can convert one to a WFPB recipe if I have the other ingredients.

Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated.
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby Vanilla Orchid » Wed Jun 03, 2020 8:19 pm

There is a wonderful recipe for vegetable gumbo in Dean Ornish's book, Eat More Weigh Less.

Combine in a large pot:
2 chopped onions
4 ribs of celery, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 green bell peppers
a few minced cloves of garlic
1/2 pound of fresh or frozen spinach
about a pound of sliced okra
a small head of cabbage, shredded
a 18oz. can of chopped tomatoes, with juice
2 oz. file powder
1 t. Black pepper
6 basil leaves, chopped
a bay leaf and 3 whole cloves tied in a piece of cheesecloth)
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 at. Vegetable stock

Cook all of this together on top of the stove until the vegetables are tender, then add
2 cups of cooked brown rice

This is DELICIOUS.

You might want to get a copy of the book if you don't have it. Many delicious recipes. It also contains a recipe for tofu gumbo, but I don't like it as well.
Last edited by Vanilla Orchid on Thu Jun 04, 2020 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby michaelswarm » Thu Jun 04, 2020 12:41 pm

Roasting is my go to replacement for frying. Okra has a tendency to sliminess with too much moisture. Oven roasting dry heat should avoid that. My favorite okra dish is an Indian curry I used to get at the restaurant around the corner.
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby Mayapples » Tue Jun 09, 2020 8:29 am

I usually cook okra the Egyptian way, although I prefer to use small pods. I've never done it with the long ones that are typically sold in the U.S. but I'm sure it would work. Basically, trim around the stem to remove the tough parts without piercing the pod and cook them whole until quite soft in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon, cumin, coriander, and no or low salt vegetable stock. It works best baked in the oven but can be done in a pot on the stove -- just be careful when stirring to not break up the pods as they soften. Serve over rice.
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby potatohead55 » Mon Jun 15, 2020 4:17 pm

When the okra in our garden is ready, going to try this recipe:

https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2015/07/o ... -okra.html
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby goal140 » Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:55 am

I know this is out of the ordinary, but have you tried eating it raw? You don’t want them big, but smaller in size. They are so delicious! I rarely cook them anymore, they are so crispy and less slimy!
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby potatohead55 » Sat Sep 12, 2020 8:43 pm

Can't say I've tried okra raw. Not sure I could do it...at least not at this point, lol.

I've been baking them:

Cut into small chunks
Coat in a flax "egg"
Dust with either breadcrumbs or cornmeal.

Bake at about 360 degrees F. for 30 to 45 minutes.

Or, cook for about 30 minutes same temp in my air fryer. Yummy

Also, add garlic powder and nutritional yeast to the cornmeal/bread-crumbs to add a lovely cheesy flavor.
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby Vegankit » Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:39 pm

michaelswarm wrote:Roasting is my go to replacement for frying. Okra has a tendency to sliminess with too much moisture. Oven roasting dry heat should avoid that. My favorite okra dish is an Indian curry I used to get at the restaurant around the corner.

I love okra, but detest the sliminess. Like Michael, I bake okra then I throw it in a recipe as if it’s fresh and uncooked to cook and meld with the other ingredients.
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Re: Help! How to cook okra WFPB?

Postby KatherineUK » Sun Sep 20, 2020 7:35 am

Mayapples wrote:I usually cook okra the Egyptian way, although I prefer to use small pods. I've never done it with the long ones that are typically sold in the U.S. but I'm sure it would work. Basically, trim around the stem to remove the tough parts without piercing the pod and cook them whole until quite soft in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon, cumin, coriander, and no or low salt vegetable stock. It works best baked in the oven but can be done in a pot on the stove -- just be careful when stirring to not break up the pods as they soften. Serve over rice.


totally concur with this - do not pierce the pods - have only cooked in Indian dishes myself
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