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All right.  Whenever I mention okra to anyone, the first comment I get:  Isn’t it slimy?  My kids won’t eat that. 

I have the solution to slimy okra.   Rice.  Rice absorbs.  It absorbs the slime as it cooks.  No slime.  My children have never realized that okra is slimy.  And they love this meal. 

I love this meal, too, because it can all come out of cans and frozen bags.  This is a go-to for lunch after church.  In 20 minutes, you have a hot, piping lunch.  I love cooking, but by Sunday, I am ready to tell the entire family to fend for themselves or have a giant bowl of cereal.  This one, though, I am still willing to make, even if I am tired.  Just dump all the cans, frozen okra, and seasonings in the pot, boil, turn to low for 15 minutes, and your meal is done.   Even the okra can come straight from the freezer: no need to defrost.  You might want to bang the bag of okra on your kitchen counter to loosen it up a bit, if it has frozen into one clump, as often happens.

This is a “before” picture. Yes, those are ice crystals you see on the okra. Those little green stick-things are garlic scapes.  No garlic scapes?  No problem.  We are part of a garden co-op in the summer, so every other week I have a ton of fresh veggies to use up.   You could add an onion, or green onions, or cloves of garlic. 

I also had a defrosted chicken breast in the fridge, so I included that, too. I have made this with just beans many times. 

If you don’t like black beans, use navy, butter, lima, garbanzos, whatever your family likes.

Use the broth of your choice.  If you want this vegan, use vegetable broth. 

For an extra jolt of flavor, I added cumin and Old Bay Seasoning.  Both of those flavors go incredibly well with the Rotel. 

A word on rice:   for every cup you use, it will yield double.  So, 2 cups of raw rice make 4 cups of cooked rice.  Keep that in mind when making this meal.  I am cooking for 5.  Also, whatever amount of rice you need, you need double the liquid.  So, one cup of rice means 2 cups of broth.  No matter how much rice and liquid you use, it only takes 15 minutes to cook after boiling.  I love this about rice.  Feed an army.  Feed one person.  Meal in 15 minutes.  The. Best.

MEXICAN OKRA ONE-POT MEAL

Ingredients:

 ¼ tsp Cumin

¼ tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 can of Rotel

1 can of corn

2 cans of black beans

2 pkgs of frozen chopped okra

1 cup of rice

2 cups of chicken broth

Recipe:

  1. Set your stove to medium heat. 
  2. Dump the drained cans of corn and black beans in your large skillet.   (I have a red Crockpot brand skillet that I love.  Part of the reason I love it is it’s red.  I love red kitchen tools.) 
  3. Add seasonings and a full can of Rotel (not drained). 
  4. Pour in two bags of frozen okra.  Stir. 
  5. Measure out 1 cup of rice (we prefer Basmati rice), and 2 cups of chicken broth.  Turn heat to high.   Stir.  When it boils, turn heat to low, stir one last time, put the lid on and set timer for 15 minutes. 

  

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This is what it should look like.  All liquid absorbed, all flavors combined, everything fully cooked, and NO SLIME.  Stir one last time, making sure all liquid is gone.  Serve hot.  Enjoy. 

Tried this recipe and want to let me know? Email me at [email protected].

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By : elizabethdye