Folks, this is a rock star side dish. Vegetarian, good amounts of protein, terrific amounts of fiber, low calorie, bursting with flavors, and ingredients that you want in your everyday diet, such as olive oil, ginger, pepper, garlic, chickpeas...WOW!

Check this out:

Okra and Chickpea Tangine
Low Calorie | Low Carb | High Fiber | Low Sodium | Low Cholesterol | Low Sat Fat | Heart Healthy | Healthy Weight

Makes 6 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 50 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 pound fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon harissa (see Ingredient Note) or hot sauce, or to taste

Go to the website to read the cooking instructions here: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/okra_chickpea_tagine.html

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving:
136 calories;
6 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono);
0 mg cholesterol;
20 g carbohydrate;
5 g protein;
7 g fiber;
443 mg sodium;
389 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus:
Vitamin C (80% daily value),
Vitamin A (25% dv),
Folate (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

For you folks who live north of the Mason-Dixon line and who consider okra to be only a southern "treat", you should be able to find okra in the most stores. Finding it now may be difficult as it is end of the season, but if you can buy, buy it fresh and try a recipe like this. Okra's flavor is not unusual, it will remind you of a green vegetable. The texture of cooked okra is distictive because the okra pod sweats out its liquid, making the vegetable feel a little slippery. That would be more noticable in a stewed okra dish, like a gumbo, and less so in a dish like the one above.

So, the lesson here, don't be afraid of the okra!