Creole Summer Okra Stew

Fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and okra from the garden are the most quintessential veggies of summer. I do miss how much Okra that my garden in Houston, TX used to produce, but I'm working on getting some out of my CO space! This 'stew' is an easy weekday side dish with creole seasoning to compliment any protein you want to serve up!

This 'recipe' is a classic example of "take what you have" and that will be good enough ... the quantities of veggies aren't exact, and you can play with what ratios you like best.

What You Need:

• 1-2T Avocado Oil

• 1-3 Yellow or Sweet Onions

• 2-3 Bell Peppers

• 2-3 Pounds Okra, frozen works too!

• 3-5 Medium Tomatoes or 2-3 Large Tomatoes + 1 1/2 Cup Water

  *You can substitute a can of diced tomatoes as well, 24-28 oz; Keep the juices

• Creole Seasoning, see below

Homemade Creole Seasoning:

• 2T Paprika

• 1T Garlic Powder

• 1T Dry Oregano

• 2T Dry Italian Seasoning

• 1T Salt

• 1T Fresh Ground Black Pepper

• 1T Chili Powder

• 2 tsp Onion Powder

Throw It All Together:

1. Chop all of the veggies to be bite-sized pieces. It doesn't need to be too small.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add Oil. Measure the oil!!!

3. Add chopped onions. Let cook in oil about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add bell peppers and okra and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes, water and seasoning. Stir well and bring to a low boil.

6. Reduce the heat to simmer covered for 35-45 minutes.

7. Serve!