Oven-Fried Okra

Being from Alabama, I am particular about my fried okra. Whenever my stepmother made it, she started with the contents from a strainer can of bacon dripping and previously used frying oils and added whatever new Crisco she needed. She always made a double batch, because we could not resist snacking on it before dinnertime.

This recipe is for an "oven-fried" okra that is trans fat (un)friendly. It passes my muster, so it should pass yours, too.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil generously with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Spray the inside of a gallon-sized food storage bag with cooking spray. Add the okra, a half-teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Close the bag and shake to blend everything well. Let the okra rest for ten minutes to extract juice from the okra. Add the cornmeal to the bag and shake vigorously to coat the okra. Let the bag sit for ten minutes; then, shake it up again.
3. Using a wide mesh strainer or a colander over a large bowl, remove the okra in batches and shake off excess cornmeal into the bowl, discarding the leftover meal.
4. Place the coated okra on the sheet pan and continue the process until all the okra is on the pan and the pieces are not touching each other. Spray the okra well with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the okra, trying to turn over as many pieces as possible. Lightly spray them again. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly spray the pieces again.

   Nutrition Analysis (per serving)

   Calories

   70

   Total Fat

   0.5 g

   Saturated

   0.0 g

   Polyunsaturated

   0.0 g

   Monounsaturated

   0.0 g

   Trans Fat

   0.0 g

   Carbohydrates

   16 g

   Sugars

   3 g

   Fiber

   3 g

   Cholesterol

   0 mg

   Protein

   3 g

   Sodium

   197 mg

   Dietary Exchanges:

   1/2 starch, 1 vegetable

   This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association's Face the Fats program. Recipe copyright © 2007 by the American Heart Association. Look for other delicious recipes in American Heart Association cookbooks, available from booksellers everywhere or online at americanheart.org/cookbooks.