Okra is a long, lantern-shaped vegetable that becomes gooey during preparation. Though cooks commonly sauté, boil or steam okra, you can also bake it with corn and cream. Okra serves as a thickening agent, so you can use less cream and reduce calories. If you only bake with vegetables, dairy and spices, you make a nutritious, vegetarian meal.
Okra
Choose fresh, young okra. Older okra is tough and does not cook as well. As a rule of thumb, young okra is less than 3-inches-long. Okra gets slimy the more you cut it, so slice it sparingly. Also, avoid overcooking okra to reduce slime. Saute the okra in vegetable oil for 10 minutes before adding it to your casserole. One serving of okra provides 2 g of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and iron.
Corn
For the best results, use fresh corn kernels as opposed to frozen corn. Choose corn with green, firm husks. Boil corn on the cob in a large pot until tender. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the corn kernels from the cob. Thaw frozen corn and substitute for convenience. Corn provides 2 g of fiber, vitamin C and iron per serving.
Cream
Cream has a lot of saturated fat so try to cut back. Substitute half-and-half or whole milk for heavy cream. Instead of adding half a cup of cream, use 2 tbsp. to give your casserole a creamy taste without the heaviness. Use caution when substituting skim milk because it curdles at high heats. To make your casserole hearty without fat, add extra vegetables such as kale, broccoli or green beans.
Cooking Overview
You can slice the okra into thick chunks and saute in 1 tsp. of vegetable oil for a few minutes to prepare it for the bake. A cup of vegetable broth and 2 tbsp. of heavy cream help make the bake moist. The okra simmers for several minutes until it becomes tender and the liquid thickens. Mixing in 2 cups of corn kernels and 1 cup of reduced-fat shredded cheese adds another layer of taste. Most bakes are cooked in a glass baking dish at 350 degrees until they turn brown and bubbly.
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