Today I got for YOU an easy recipe of roasted eggplant with okra stew slow cooked in the oven. This dish is highly nutritious, vegan ,and gluten free, and its the perfect healthy comfort meal on Sunday!
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This recipe is easy but needs some time to prepare. These day I do prefer quick meals, and I’m sure YOU do too. But some days, especially Sundays call for slow cooking. It calms you in a therapeutic way, and its very rewarding since the flavors got deepened, very rich and aromatic. I originally made this recipe, by preparing marinara sauce for chicken parmesan- wasn’t thinking of creating new one-I wanted a change and to make it healthier. So, I threw the vegetables I had at that time, eggplant, okra, and rocket leaves, I mixed them long with the sauce and put it in the oven. It was fantastic and so delicious. But the rocket leaves of course got welted so I skipped them today.
And I really needed a way to use okra, it’s one of my favorite vegetables, and I love it cooked in a stew with lamb meat. However, I don’t make it often as I wish, as my family are not very fond of lamb meat in stews. So here this recipe comes to life.
Eggplant
Is a vegetable related to a night shade family. It’s low in calories, fats, and has good amounts of fibers, and minerals. I was for real an eggplant hater, and I converted. Eggplant recipes on the blog are THE MOST visited at all times. Eggplant fits wells with meat, and as well in vegetarian and vegan meals, has a fulfilling texture, affordable and easy to find all year around.
Most of the benefits comes from the skin, so its crucial not to remove it when you cook. It becomes thin, and totally, edible, and palatable. The bigger the eggplant is, the bitter flavor it has! But oddly enough, it becomes higher in antioxidants contents!
- It has compound called anthocyanins, that is belongs to phytochemicals known as flavonoids. It may lower cholesterol too, but this not conclusive yet.
Roasted eggplant
Keep in mind, that eggplant needs roasting before adding it to the stew. But relax, it is easy and straight forward. You cut eggplant in slices, brush it with olive oil, and some salt. Put it in the oven, while you can prepare the marinara sauce.
Okra
It’s called lady fingers too! Is a vegetable, its contains edible seeds. The longer the okra pods are, the more fibrous it gets. I prefer to get the frozen one that are small in size, and ready for cooking.
Why you should include okra in your diet
- A low calorie vegetable, and has good amounts of fiber and protein. A cup of it has almost 100% of daily Folate intake! And it’s also high amounts of Vitamin A, K, and C. It has high amounts of minerals too, like magnesium, manganese, and calcium too.
- Okra has antioxidants, and other compounds that maybe helpful in treatment of diabetes, and can lower cholesterol too.
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Roasted eggplant with okra stew
Ingredients
- 4 Tb olive oil divided
- 2 medium size red onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 6 medium size vine tomatoes, ( around 1 kg)
- 100g eggplant (2 medium size eggplant)*
- 100g okra ( frozen of fresh , preferably small size)*
- spices:
- Salt, freshly ground pepper, dried oregano, dried or fresh basil.
- Optional:
- 2 Tb tomato paste
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube + 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 320f , 160 C
- On flat baking sheet, put eggplant slices and brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle some salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.
- Meanwhile in a medium pot, on medium haute, add 2 Tb of olive oil.
- 5add chopped onio0ns, and garlic and sate for 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add chopped tomato, salt and black pepper, and cover with a lid for 25 minutes,
- I the last 5 minutes, add fresh chopped basil.
- Optional steps :,(8-9)
- Blend marinara sauce until smooth.
- Return to the same pot, add tomato paste, vegetable bouillon cube and water. Let them simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a baking dish, ad the marinara sauce, okra and eggplant slices.
- Bake for 45 minutes or up 1 hour, okra should be tender.
- in the last 10 minutes, increase the oven temp to 392 F, 200C
- Server with toast, plain pasta, or white rice, shaved fresh parmesan if not vegan
- Keep leftover in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze in the freezer up to 1 month in a zip lock bags or in air tight container.
