Greek Baked Okra - Vegetarian or with Chicken

Baked okra, in scrumptious fresh tomato, is hands down one of my favorite DIY home-cooked meals. Not only is it easy to make, but it brings me back to my childhood.
The simple ingredients marry into a rich concoction of aromas that fill the house and
make your mouth water. I particularly like the little okra seeds that pop as you bite down on them and the savory sauce that begs to be sopped up with paksimadi, the traditional, twice baked, Cretan rusk bread. The flavors on their own, or mixed with chicken,
are fresh, healthy and make your taste-buds feel loved!

This dish is also full of nutrients! Okra are rich in potassium, folic acid, vitamin A and even have a little protein in 'em. The virgin olive oil ties everything together for a nutritious and satisfying meal.

Click here for more on okra.

I put in a quick call to one of my favorite urban domestic goddesses, my aunt Eleni in Athens, who graciously shared with me her secrets to this quick and easy family-style meal.

Recipe: Aunt Eleni's from Athens.
Photo montage: Mine.
Level of difficulty: 3 if you do it all by hand.
1 if you have a cuisinart food processor.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

HOMEMADE GREEK BAKED OKRA

You will need:

Cutting board, cheese grater or electric food processor, sharp knife, oven-safe pan, tissues.

1 LB fresh or frozen okra
1-2 medium onions
3-4 vine or plum tomatoes - OR - 2 large tomatoes.
(Canned peeled tomatoes can also be used.)
4-7 sprigs of fresh parsley, according to taste
1/2-1 cup Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt

If making a carnivorous meal:
4 chicken drumsticks or thighs (more depending on the size of the pan)
Oregano, salt and pepper for the chicken

1. Start with a 1LB bag of frozen okra. Fresh is better, of course. When buying fresh okra, pick the smaller ones, they will be more tender and have less chewiness in the skins.














2. Add fresh chopped parsley. For this recipe I chop about 4-7 sprigs. You can adjust according to taste. You can also throw the parsley into a blender.

3. Next, grate or blend 1-2 medium onions.

Not for the faint of heart...this will get your sinuses and tears going!







Go ahead and add that to the mix.


If you did this by hand, you are probably a weeping mess. Might be a good idea to get a tissue at this point.

4. Next, hand-grate or put the tomatoes in the food processor.

Remember to remove the excess juice before adding to the pan.

5. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and 1.5 tbsp sea salt. Mix by hand gently until the sauce is evenly distributed.

6. If you are feeling meaty, add some chicken legs or thighs, dusted with salt, oregano and pepper.

BAKE in a preheated oven at 325 for 40 - 50
minutes.

If the tops of the okra are getting too dry,push them down gently until they are submerged in the sauce. Don't worry about over-cooking the okra. As long as they are submerged in the oil/tomato juices they are safe from crisping and drying out.

If using chicken, turn the pieces after 30 minutes, piercing to ensure the juice comes out clear.

When you are done, VOILA!
You just brought OLD WORLD GREECE into your kitchen!

You should have something that looks like this:
Let the dish cool slightly as you wash up for dinner, and ENJOY!
Makes 2-3 servings. Great leftover potential and Tupperware friendly.

RISK MANAGEMENT TIPS:

A) Okra become very fragile as they cook. It's important to avoid stirring otherwise they fall apart. Lift the okra gently if the dish needs to be stirred or the okra/chicken repositioned.

B) If there is excess liquid in the pan, put the pan on low heat to boil until it reduces.