Nouveau Africana - A Magazine For The New African Woman

1.5 lbs finely chopped FRESH okra
0.5 lb spinach
1 large red bell pepper (oil substitute)
2 cans fat free chicken broth
1.5 cups ground dried shrimp (popularly called crafish)
salt (to taste)
0.5 scotch bonnet pepper (optional, it's extra hot)
Two cups water
1 large or 2 medium sized onions
three of four fresh or frozen croaker scaled, cleaned) fish (each cut in twos or threes)
—you can substitute croaker for tilapia, red snapper, or any scaly fresh water fish)

A blender
1 large pot
A cooking spoon
Knives
A range (obviously)

Chop the onion(s), red bell in quarters. Blend onions, red bell pepper, and optional scotch bonnet pepper in one can of chicken broth.Consistency should be semi-liquid frothy mix.

Combine the fish and the blended mixture in a larged sized pot. Use a large sized pot so the fish is as spread out as possible, and so will cook in less time. Add salt to taste. Bring to a rolling boil and turn down heat to medium -low -(Cooking the fish on low heat prevents it from disintegrating in the sauce). cook for about 10-15 minutes, but check fish to see if its done. Fish is done when it's flesh is white all the way through. Using a spoon or spatula, care fully remove the fish, piece by piece from the sauce and place in a bowl (this will prevent the fish from disintegrating in the sauce).

Add one can of broth to the sauce, and increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, add salt to taste (if necessary). Add dried shrimp(crafish), and okra. Bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add spinach, Stir, and turn off the heat. add fish to the sauce before serving.

(if the sauce is too thick , add one cup water and bring to a boil). Serve with Garri, Pounded yam, farina, or just eat on its own.

Fat Free Okra Soup