Okra with an Attitude

We tried something new. We've never attempted to make okra and when I saw a recipe in the latest edition of Food and Wine magazine, we had to try it. We made a few adjustments to our taste and have added this to our favorite side dish recipes. It's a keeper, for sure. We made it along with mashed potatoes and gravy, pot roast and a zucchini casserole.
I had vegetarian gravy on my potatoes and no pot roast and the meal was delicious.

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lb. (2 cups) fresh okra, cut lengthwise and ends snipped

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon paprika

Dash ground cumin

Dash ground coriander

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

Dash turmeric

Dash cinnamon

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

In small bowl, blend all the spices and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Place okra, cut side down for 2 – 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until brown, about 4 minutes. Turn okra and cook over low heat until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the spice mixture and cook, stirring for 1 minute, distributing the mixture evenly.

Drizzle the lemon juice over the okra before serving.

This side dish goes well with mashed potatoes and roast beef.