Roasted Chili Lime Okra

I'm trying to ease up a little when it comes to planning what I eat.  Not that I'm not planning it, but I'm sort of leaving it up to the farmer's market.  Lately I've been heading there to buy whatever looks good, and letting the meal planning go from there.  Sometimes what looks good are the veggies I've eaten forever, like arugula and carrots. Sometimes they're foods I never knew existed, like squash blossoms. This week, the okra was blowing every other veggie out of the water, bright green and overflowing from every stand.  

Now, this is a veggie I've honestly never had a real relationship with, and only ever associated with being eaten, fried, at Cracker Barrel.  But as delicious as fried okra can be, I wasn't down with the idea of reducing such beautiful greens to such an unhealthy option.  So!  I roasted them instead, and ohmygod mmmmmm, the lime and spice are perfect for summer.  (Disclaimer: The use of the oven in summer is rough.  While I do think they're worth it, I'm going to try grilling them outdoors next time.)  

Shall we?

Roasted Chili Lime Okra

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh okra, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
2 Tbls vinegar
2 Tbls olive oil
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cover the okra in cold water and add vinegar.  Let soak for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.
3. While the okra is soaking, zest and juice the lime.  Mix into a large bowl with olive oil, salt and spices.
4.  Drain the okra and pat dry with paper towels.  Add okra to the large bowl and toss until coated in olive oil/lime/spices mixture.
5. Spread okra onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Flip okra and cook for 10 more minutes (total 20).
6.  Remove from oven, let cool and serve!