It doesn’t get much easier than this dish.  Wish we could take credit for it, but we heard about it from our friend Juli who got it from our friend Dave who got it from our other friend David.  So be assured, we are merely the messengers here.

But it is a message worth heralding.  It’s quick and easy, yummy with variations, completely MWL (McDougall’s Maximum Weight Loss Plan), it sings of New Orleans and it tastes delicious.

The Basics…

All you really need to make this dish is a package of frozen, cut okra, 1 can of diced tomatoes and salt and pepper.  The first time we made it, that’s all we used and we were hooked.  Then Dave told us about some details he adds and we sort of took off from there.

In tonight’s version (our favorite), I used 1 16oz package of frozen cut okra, 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 bag of frozen spinach, 1 large shallot, tony chachere cajun seasoning and garlic powder.  We served it over brown rice.

Directions…

Slice shallot into thin pieces and carmelize in non-stick pan.  To accomplish this without oil, I let them stick to the hot skillet then scrape them up using just a splash of veggie broth or water.  Let the liquid evaporate and repeat the process several times till onions are brown and soft.

Add diced tomatoes and season with tony’s and garlic powder to taste (Dave recommends the sodium free tony’s in the white container).

Add frozen okra and spinach and stir until just combined.  We hear the trick to avoiding slimy okra is not to overstir.  It seems to work (though we don’t mind slimy okra all that much).  Cover and let simmer until okra reaches desired softness.

Give it one last stir, add seasoning if necessary, serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Notes…

Regarding the slime factor (appealing language for a food blog, I know): I intended to let the okra simmer for a long time tonight to let it get really soft (and presumably more slimy) and see if the whole dish would be a little more like a gumbo consistency.  But I was too hungry to wait.  The frozen okra are great if they’re just cooked long enough to be heated through.  They have a little crunch to them but they’re very nice that way. It makes the cooking time extremely quick and I’m sure reduces the risk of slime. Bon Appétit!