Sunshine Skillet

I didn't get any blogging done this week, mostly because my husband was out of town (playing in a golf tournament in Vegas, but I'm not jealous or anything...) Since it was just me and the little guy, who isn't a huge eater, I kept our meals very simple. I was looking very forward to making Sage a nice big dinner when he returned, only for his first day back, he had to work late and I wasn't sure what time he'd be getting home. That meant I needed something that would be quick to put together when he was on the way, and nothing too heavy since we'd be eating later in the evening.

I remembered a recipe I'd seen just a few days ago on Ashlee's blog, which seemed to fit the bill. It was a quick and easy meal, and I had pretty much everything I needed. It also contained a vegetable that is one of Sage's favorites, okra, which I never really know what to do with, but have a bag of in the freezer. Growing up my vegetable-loving mom had one food she didn't care for and that was okra, so I have little experience with it. I figured we'd like this dish, but I actually wound up enjoying it even more than I expected.

This photo was hastily taken, as it was getting late and I was losing the light fast, but I also served this with tomatoes, which made their way to the bowl after I got the picture. Ashlee used fresh tomato wedges, but I had some canned diced tomatoes leftover from another recipe and they worked nicely. The next day, I had the leftovers cold with salsa on top, and I'd be very pressed to say which way I liked best. Either way, this was a fun dish I wouldn't have came up with on my own, and so very good that I think I'm going to convince my mom give okra another shot.

Sunshine Skillet
slightly adapted from A Year in the Kitchen, inspired from Kath Eats Real Food

Olive oil mister or spray (or about 1 tsp olive oil)
1 shallot, minced
3 ears corn, cleaned and kernels cut off cob (mine was bi-color)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (16 oz) can reduced sodium pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp minced cilantro

Accompaniments:
Tortilla chips
Tomato wedges or diced tomatoes (fresh or canned) or salsa
Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
Hot sauce (if desired)

Mist a skillet with olive oil and heat over medium. Add shallot and saute until just softened, 2-3 minutes. Add corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add okra, beans, chili powder, cilantro, coriander and lime juice. Gently stir to combine and heat through. (Do not stir too much or okra will goo up.) Toss in cilantro and remove from heat.

Spoon into bowls and serve with accompaniments.