Okra is in season around these parts of Texas.  The most common okra recipes involve frying it up.  And while I love the salty crunch of good fried okra, it's not my favorite favorite.  Okra cooked with stewed tomatoes and onions is what I crave this time of year.  My Memaw called it 'Okra Gumbo'.  Is that what you call this too?

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 pint fresh okra, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes with liquid
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Add all the ingredients to a medium sauce pan, cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until onions are soften and okra is tender.

Serve hot on the side!

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Of all the simple lentil recipes I have tried, this one is fast becoming my favorite way to eat lentils.  My newest friend from Virginia, Cheryl B., brought this soup over last week for our lunch together.  The kids chowed down!

Cheryl was sweet enough to leave extra lentil chili behind for me to photograph and enjoy.  And I certainly did just that. ;D

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 1/2 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon. minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen carrots (I use about 4 cups of fresh sliced carrots)
• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. lentils (any color is fine but red looks the nicest)
• 1 (6oz.) can tomato paste (can substitute stewed, diced, or chopped tomatoes)
• 6 cups water
• 14 oz. water
• 3 teaspoon beef bouillion
• 1-2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt & pepper to taste
• grated cheese to top (mexican, cheddar, or just be creative)

Cook oil, garlic, onion, and carrots 10 minutes on med. high, until looking a bit brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients, cover, and bring to a boil.  Then lower heat to simmer for 35-40 minutes, un-covered.  Add more seasonings to taste.  Serve with grated cheese on top.

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From one of Simple Daily Recipes' youngest readers - Kelsey shared her cream soda recipe with us.  This one is a Winner with my kids and the kids in our hood.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of Big K Cream Soda
• 1 Cup of orange juice
• 1 Cup of ice

When you're in the mood to bring on the heat, go ahead and grill up a batch of jalapenos to have ready for spicing up your other recipes.

Start with two skewers, wood or metal is up to you.  With the two skewers parallel to each other, push the pepper onto both skewers so there's a skewer on each end of the pepper. Continue adding one pepper at a time until the skewer is full.  Spray the peppers with a little oil and they're ready to go on the grill.

On a gas grill, turn one burner on medium high and place the skewered peppers directly over the heat. Close the lid and check on them every 3 to 5 minutes.

Continue grilling until the pepper skins are blistery and black, then remove from heat.  Allow to cool before handling.

Using latex gloves, remove most of the blacken skins, but leave some for a smokey flavor later on.  Remove stems and seeds, and discard.  You should be left with soft, smokey pepper flesh.  Store in an airtight container until ready to use.  Good for 7 t0 10 days in the refrigerator.

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Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats Cookbook
A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Now you don't have to worry about having the same meals week after week.  Rachael Ray has set you up with a variety of recipes that will carry you through the next year.  If you're a Rachael Ray fan, you'll appreciate this book.

Please Read the Giveaway Guidelines so you know what to expect.  Then fill out the private form below. No one will see your answers, except me.  Let's have fun here. All I ask in return is for you to share SimpleDailyRecipes.com with your facebook friends, Twitter peeps and everyone else you know.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Cynthia M. is our WINNER!!

Give her a round of applause, ladies & gentlemen. *clapping*

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I'm giving away Something Every Saturday. Yes, EVERY SATURDAY I'll announce the product (or service), then declare the Winner on Wednesday.  Winners on Wednesday. Winner will be contacted through their email.

All you have to do is fill out a private form that will be under each Saturday's giveaway announcement.  No one will see your answers on the form, except me.  Your information will be kept completely private.

One entry per person.  One winner each week.  If you win one week, then be cool and let someone else win for the next four giveaways, then get back into the game.

If I catch you trying to win again and four giveaways haven't passed by, then you're in BIG TROUBLE.  I'll put you in time out until I see fit.

Prizes will vary from kitchen tools to cookbooks.  At this time, these prizes are coming out of my own pocket.  Until I can find businesses willing to giveaway their goods, this is between you and me.  When I do find sponsors for prizes, you can trust me to make it clear and obvious.  And finally, I will only ship prizes within the United States.

I, Jill McKeever, reserve the right to change these guidelines at anytime to protect the fun, safety and privacy of all participants in the weekly giveaways.  I'm trying to keep this simple, but if I have to whip out the tiny print from the lawyers, I will.  Enough said.

NOW LET'S PLAY!!!

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With all the sweet Texas Peaches coming into season, I helped myself to a few frozen peach smoothies.

THERE'S NOTHING TO IT

• 6 ripe peaches
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup orange juice or water

Peel peaches and cut into 1 inch pieces.  Place in a 1-quart freezer bag and freeze for at least 1 to 2 hours.

Transfer frozen peach pieces to a drink blender, start with 1/4 cup of orange juice or water, blend on high until smooth.  You may need to add the other 1/4 cup of juice or water if the consistency is too thick.

Pour into serving glasses and you're ready for a treat!

If you have popsicle molds, this recipe would be good for making peachy popsicles.  If you don't have popsicle molds, well then, IMPROVISE!

Get a small plastic cup, a spoon, and a little aluminum foil, enough to make a lid for the cup.  Fill the plastic cup with about 1/2 cup of peach smoothie.  Put the spoon down into the smoothie.  Push the foil down over the spoon handle so that the handle is in the center of the cup.  The foil keeps the spoon handle upright.  Place the cup in the freezer and freeze for at least one hour.  The homemade popsicle smoothie should pop right out with a little twist.  If it doesn't budge right away, then run the bottom of the cup under cold water to set it free.

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Cheesey Zucchini and Squash goes WAY BACK for me.  I started eating it as a filling with pita bread, back in the days when I lived single and poor in Fort Worth.  I would eat cheesey zucchini & squash when I grew tired of egg salad sandwiches.  Those two recipes kept me going.

Today, I eat it as a side dish.  I'll either make it spicy with green chilies or mild with thin slivers of onion.  It's very good with jalapeno jack cheese when I don't have green chilies on hand.

SO HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 small green zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 thin slice of yellow or purple onion
• 1 tablespoon mild green chilies, optional
• 2 ounces Monterey Jack or Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded

Place the cut zucchini, squash and onion in a medium sized, microwaveable bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap or a saucer.  Microwave on high for up to 2 minutes.  VERY CAREFULLY, remove cover.  Add green chilies and shredded cheese.  Return to microwave uncovered, heat for up to 30 seconds until cheese is melted.  Allow to cool a minute or two before serving.

This makes a small serving for two or a healthy heap for one.

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• 2 pounds fresh shelled black eyed peas
• 1 tablespoon oil or bacon drippings
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• enough water to cover peas in the pot

Place all the ingredients in a large pot over medium high heat. Make sure you have enough water to cover the peas with 2 inches of water. After the water comes to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Set your timer for the first hour and check the water level on the peas. Add more water if necessary, you want at least 1 inch of water above the peas. Cover with lid, again, and set the timer for the last hour.  Peas should be tender, but not mushy.

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Mango Salsa
1-1/2 cups finely diced fresh mango
2 T. green onion, minced
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. fresh cilantro, minced
1 red serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients; wait 30 minutes or so for the flavors to get busy with each other, then chow down.

It's suppose to be wonderful with grilled chicken, fish tacos, fajita condiment, or always with tortilla chips.

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