okra & tomatoes
SERVES 4 TO 6
One of my favorite vegetable sides has always been stewed okra and tomatoes. Growing older, I realized that I much prefer my vegetables not cooked to death. That’s why I decided to try roasting this recipe in a high-heat oven instead of cooking it down until mushy, which is more traditional. Simply throw everything in a skillet and pop it in the oven. After roasting, the delicious juices from the ripe tomatoes and young, tender okra fall to the bottom of the pan and the hefty amount of green onions flavor the newly created sauce even more. Before serving, give the mixture a good toss until everything is coated. Absolutely delicious. And talk about easy.
1 pound young, tender okra, washed
1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes, rinsed
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, plus some for garnish
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
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Preheat the oven to 450°F.
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Place all of the ingredients in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and mix well. Once the oven is piping hot, place the mixture inside. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove and mix well. Garnish with more green onions and salt and pepper to taste.
lagniappe: When it comes to green onions, I cut off the lower root and an inch or two off of the top (usually the dried-out part) and use the rest. I usually reserve the lighter green parts for garnish, as I find them to be the prettiest.
