An Okra Recipe? YES! Don't Run Away! It's Good! By Donna Fasano

It’s August here in the United States and that means fresh vegetables are in abundance. I visited a local farmer’s market yesterday and found a huge basket of okra. Now, I use (and love!) frozen okra in my winter soups and stews, but I’ve only cooked fresh okra a couple of times.

Many people shy away from cooking and/or eating okra because it can be unappealingly slimy if it’s not prepared correctly. Despite its reputation, okra can be incredibly delicious and super healthy. It’s low in calories. One cup of raw okra has only 33 calories, and that serving size is packed with a whopping 66% of the RDA of Vitamin K. Okra is also high is calcium, fiber, vitamin C, protein, folate, manganese, and magnesium. I think that makes okra a super-food veggie!

Come on now. Don’t wrinkle up your nose like that. Try it! I roasted this okra and it turned out delicious.

Roasted Okra

1 pound fresh okra, washed, dried, and stem ends removed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (for my European friends that's 200°C, or Gas Mark 6).

2. In a large bowl, coat the okra evenly with the olive oil. Spread okra out in a single layer on your oven’s broiling pan. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the ends of the okra are slightly golden.

Enjoy!

Do you shop at local farmers markets? What’s YOUR favorite fresh veggie? Feel free to share the recipe in the comment section below.

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About the author: Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author who has written over 30 romance and women’s fiction titles. Her books have won awards, have been translated into nearly two dozen languages, and have sold four million copies worldwide. To learn more about Donna, visit her blog, or find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Are you an avid romance reader? Join Donna’s Street Team: The Prima Donnas.