VEGGIE LOVE: Okra

A couple of months ago, we were overwhelmed by the large harvest of okra in the garden.  I had to get down and dirty in the garden to help pick all of it, and also put my creative cooking skills to work to whip up new uses for it. Below is the video for my delicious Okra Cobb Salad that I shot awhile back and am just now getting around to releasing. Before you check that out, here’s a few fun facts about okra you may not know that’ll make you think twice when you pass it by in the veggie aisle.

Okra also known as gumbo, lady’s finger, bamia, or bindi, is a member of the mallow plant family and is kin to cotton, hibiscus, and cocoa. It was also discovered in Ethiopia during 12th century B.C and cultivated by ancient Egyptians; Cleopatra of Egypt was known to regularly consume okra, possibly because of its beauty enhancing benefits as it protects from pimples and enhances the skin. The seeds in some regions are toasted, ground and served as a substitute for coffee!

Okra is a mucilaginous vegetable, full of natural fiber which regulates blood sugar levels by curbing the amount of sugar absorbed in the intestinal tract. It helps to relieve constipation and can aid with a host of other ailments including diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and acne.

Besides being fat-free, okra is also low in calories it is packed with nutrients including: vitamin A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium, zinc and dietary fiber. In addition, okra feeds good bacteria/probiotics to flourish in the body. What’s not to love about this gooey veggie? If you need some inspiration, below is the raw okra salad recipe that had everyone in my household talking for days. I was surprised at how good it tasted raw; okra is now a staple for me.  Hope you’ll give it a try! -XoXo RawGirl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDLFWwFVTSQ]