OKRA HASH
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the health benefits of coconut oil, so I’ve been giving it a whirl in the kitchen. It’s quickly become a staple in my pantry. Refined coconut oil is mild-tasting, with a slightly tropical flavor, and it can take a higher heat than olive oil when sautéing or frying, which is helpful in this recipe.
Okra is high in fiber and potassium. It’s also awfully hard to sneak past some kids. This colorful, nutritious hash uses the buddy system and pairs it with sweet potatoes and sweet peppers to give it a bit more kid appeal.
Makes 4 servings
2 TABLESPOONS REFINED COCONUT OIL
½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED ONION
2 CUPS PEELED AND FINELY DICED SWEET POTATO
3 CUPS (¼-INCH-THICK) SLICES OKRA
½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED RED BELL PEPPER
½ CUP FINELY CHOPPED YELLOW BELL PEPPER
½ TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the okra, bell peppers, and smoked paprika and cook uncovered until the sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not stir for the last 6 to 8 minutes of cooking so that a bit of brown crust forms on the hash. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
SOUTHERN SIMPLE: You can substitute frozen okra right from the freezer in place of the fresh okra; just cook it a minute or two more, if needed.
When you’ve got hair like mine, you are always on the lookout for a good conditioner. Sometimes I just look in the pantry—I use some of that coconut oil to tame these tresses!
When I was a little girl, my Papa Bramlett was a hog farmer, so we always had large tin containers of lard around. Mama would store them in the attic. One hot summer day, she was getting something out of the attic, and I was right under her feet on the attic stairs. One of those large tins of lard fell out, spilling all over my head and giving me the conditioning treatment of my life! Come to think of it, why do I spend so much money on expensive hair products these days when I could do it the “old-school” way?