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Christmas always brings in new toys, and I'm happy to have this Instapot to break in and make you the beneficiary. So let's just say this will be the gift that keeps on giving. Seeing I'm late to the Instapot craze, I'm in catch-up mode and hope to be as prolific as Quincy Jones once I get the hang of it. For my first foray into things, I decided to convert an older traditional stove-top recipe for white bean stew. Plus, I had leftover ham hocks I was trying to get rid of from the pork nachos recipe for tonight's bowl games. Feel free to use this recipe to make black-eyed peas for New Year's as the peas are easily substitutable for white beans in this recipe.

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Crispy roasted okra is one of my new favorite veggies. Its a no-fuss, delicious side that is ready in less than 30 minutes. Down here in Texas we're lucky to still be able to get fresh okra locally. If you're fortunate enough as well this is a great side you can add that will free you up to focus on other dishes. Many people fear okra because of the slime. Don't fear the slime, as a matter of fact, follow the great Nelson Mandela's words and don't fear anything - "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." I recently discovered the musician Mimi. She is an incredibly inspiring and brave artist. Check out her song "Afraid" as an example of her talent and testimony.

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As I continue to delve deep into okra this month, I thought I'd introduce my first okra soup. The soup borrows its flavor from smoked chicken, which I bought from one of my favorite local bbq spot. I'm all about saving time when I can and left-over smoked chicken works well. This recipe calls for a pressure cooker/Instant Pot, but easily converts to regular stovetop prepared soup.

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A big green salad just in time for Thanksgiving side dish plans. It's a unique salad featuring an unlikely mix of ingredients that work magic together. Collard greens, baby lima beans, smashed cucumbers, and lemongrass-coconut pickled celery make for soul food meets Asian cuisine mash-up. Requires little cooking to free you up to focus on other things. The recipe is powered by a soulful hip hop track "Greeny Green" from Atlanta's finest Goodie Mob featuring Ceelo Green.

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