Braised Smothered Okra & Eggplant

Check our Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen Blog Post – Late August Recipes: Braised Smothered Okra and Eggplant

1 tbsp canola oil
½ cup diced yellow onion
1 lb diced eggplant
2 cups diced okra
¾ cup V8 juice
¾ cup tomato juice
½ tbsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire
2 tsp Texas Pete
¾ tsp dried thyme

Beat softened cream cheese in mixer with paddle attachment until smooth. Add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs one at a time, while mixing. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again. Slowly incorporate milk while mixing. Place two slices of bread in each of 10 casserole dishes, flat sides to the center. Top bread with 3 ounces of custard mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and top each portion with ¼ cup of bourbon stewed apples. Serves: 4.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté for about three minutes. Add the eggplant and cook until eggplant is softened (about 5 minutes or so). Add the okra and sauté. Pour in the V8 and tomato juice mixture and braise over medium-low heat. Add the remaining spices and simmer until all is tender (about 5-10 minutes. )

Optional entree: Add some shrimp, sausage or both and serve over rice.

Disclaimer: All our recipes were originally designed for much larger batch size. This recipe has been reduced – but not tested at this scale. Please adjust as to your taste and portion size.