It's always fun to take advantage of vegetables that are just in season and fresh okra should be in abundance at your supermarket or in your garden. Okra gets a bad rap many times because of the "slime factor". Most times it's relegated to be a thickener in soups and stews, but it's hot outside, who feels like soup or stew? It's also breaded and fried, a great way to make a vegetable unhealthy, or pickled which most of us don't have the time or resources to do.

Okra definitely fits our definition of healthy choices in the workplace. Besides being low in calories it is aplenty with vitamins of the category A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium, zinc and dietary fiber. Eating okra is recommended for pregnant woman since it is rich in folic acid which is essential in the neural tube formation of the fetus during 4-12 weeks of gestation period in the mother's womb.

I think okra deserves better. How about a delicious spicy snack that is portable and stores well? Or an excellent oven roasted side dish to change up the boring green beans? This recipe is actually 2 dishes in one. You can avoid the last time consuming step of making chips and you'll have oven roasted chile lime okra. We will also remove some of the slimey texture by letting the okra rest in vinegar water.

Chile Lime Okra Chips Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh okra, trimmed and sliced length-wise

2 Tbls vinegar

2 Tbls olive oil

1 lime (zest plus juice)

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place sliced okra in a bowl and fill with water till covered. Add vinegar and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes, mixing and agitating every 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in colander and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix kosher salt, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne. In a large bowl mix okra with olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, and dried spice mixture until fully incorporated. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning with a spatula after 10 minutes.

STOP HERE IF YOU WANT TO SERVE AS OVEN ROASTED OKRA. CONTINUE ON IF YOU WANT TO MAKE OKRA CHIPS.

Remove from oven and set oven temp to 170. When oven is down to temperature, place back in oven and prop the oven door open 1 inch with an oven safe kitchen tool - I used all metal tongs. This will allow the moisture to escape which will make them crispy. Continue to bake for 2 to 3 hours until crisp. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6

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