Category Archives: Side Dish

February 13, 2011 · 8:14 pm

Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli

I had no doubts that our youngest child would go running for the hills when he saw broccoli on his plate, but it was still good and he still ate it.

Ingredients:
2 heads broccoli, separated into florets
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter.

Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.

We had this with salmon and a baguette.

Did I change anything? I drizzled a little extra olive oil over the broccoli after I put it on the baking sheet, but before I put it in the oven

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it. The kids ate it, but broccoli is definitely not their favorite. Our youngest told me he would give me all of his allowance for the next 40 million years if I never made broccoli again.

from allrecipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

February 9, 2011 · 1:08 pm

Jessica Seinfeld’s Rice Pilaf

Our oldest has finally started eating rice, so I thought I would try this recipe out to have with the teriyaki chicken I was making.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup cauliflower puree ( SO EASY…see recipe below)
1 1/4 cup chicken broth

Instructions:
In a saucepan, saute the garlic for about one minute. Add the uncooked rice and toss to coat.

Add the cauliflower puree and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook with the lid tightly in place, about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Do not stir!

Let the rice stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Did I change anything? I had to add more water as the rice cooked because all of the chicken broth was boiling away, but the rice wasn’t done yet. I was also wondering if I could make it with the brown rice that Minute Rice makes to speed the process up a little bit. I might try that next time.

What did the family think? Everyone in our house who likes rice thought this rice was very good.

Cauliflower Puree
Boil a bag of frozen cauliflower per the directions on the package, but cook it longer than it says because you want the cauliflower to be super soft. Put cooked cauliflower in a food processor or a blender. Blend until pureed…you may need to add a little water to it. Voila!

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

February 6, 2011 · 8:40 pm

Black Beans with Lime and Cilantro

A quick little side dish that takes about three minutes to make.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
Juice of one lime
1 green, red or yellow pepper, diced
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
Pinch or two of salt

Instructions:
Rinse and drain beans. Put in microwaveable bowl and heat in microwave for about two minutes.

Combine all ingredients. Stir and serve.

We had this tonight with fish tacos and Spanish rice with a side of avocado.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it. The boys aren’t big bean eaters.

from half-assed kitchen

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Mexican, Salad, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

January 24, 2011 · 9:30 pm

French Onion Split Pea Soup

This little creation was the result of our oldest kiddo asking if he could make up his own recipe and make it for dinner. He did a great job and other than me steering him in the right direction in the spice/herb department, it was all his.

Ingredients:
32 oz. chicken broth
olive oil
1 onion, sliced into rings
3/4 dried split peas
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp marjoram

We had this with baked chicken, salad and the rest of last night’s baguette.

Instructions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and onions. Saute onions until they soften.

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add onions, split peas, rosemary, bay leaf, basil and marjoram.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until peas soften.

Did we change anything? Our oldest said next time he would leave out the peas. I think you need to add about 12 more oz. of broth, too.

What did the family think? Well, since I am the only person in the house that likes peas in any form, I thought it was kind of strange that he would pick peas as an ingredient. So I think I was the only one who actually ate all of their soup. It was good though.

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Filed under Lent, Side Dish, Stew/Soup, Vegetarian

January 5, 2011 · 7:18 pm

Creamy Cole Slaw from Bobby Flay

I made this tonight to go with the chicken we had (that recipe to come later). Hubby ate one bite, looked up and asked me if made this. I was a little hesitant to answer because I didn’t know if that meant this is really bad and I don’t want to offend you by saying I hate or this is so awesomely good I didn’t even know you knew how to make cole slaw like this. Luckily, it was the latter.

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, finely shredded
3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Spanish onion
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery salt
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.

Did I change anything? I left out the onion. I also used a bag of broccoli slaw instead of shredding the carrots and the cabbage. Since the pre-made slaws come in different size packages, I would make the dressing and then add the cabbage mixture to the dressing slowly, stirring it, to make sure you get the cabbage to dressing ratio that you like. Also, I made this a few hours ahead of time so that all of the flavors had time to mix together. I think coleslaw always tastes better when it’s had time to sit for awhile.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought is was super yummy. The kids ate it, but cole slaw isn’t their favorite.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Salad, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

December 11, 2010 · 9:44 am

Roasted Butternut Squash

I love Trader Joe’s! They have pre-packaged already chopped up squash, so all I had to do was add some olive oil, salt and pepper and throw it in the oven. Voila!

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage, (optional)
honey or maple syrup, for drizzling (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Slice the stem off of the top of the squash and remove the bottom. With a strong vegetable peeler, remove and discard the squash’s skin.

Cut the squash in half down the middle. Remove and discard the seeds.

Slice the flesh into 1/4-inch dice and place on a baking sheet lined with foil.

Liberally drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. If desired, sprinkle with the herbs and drizzle with the honey or syrup. Toss to combine.

Roast for about 15-20 minutes.

We had this with fish and a fruit salad.

Did I change anything? I didn’t add any of the optional ingredients. We just had it with olive oil, salt and pepper.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it. Our oldest liked the pieces that hadn’t gotten too mushy. (Some of the pieces were smaller than others, thus they cooked faster.) Our youngest had a bite or two.

from yumsugar.com

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Filed under Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

December 7, 2010 · 9:02 pm

Haricots Verts with Shaved Parmesan

In an attempt to get my children to eat some greens other than salad…

Ingredients:
3/4 pound ready-to-cook haricots verts
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Place the haricots verts in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and drain, if necessary.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lemon juice. Pour over the haricots verts and toss to coat.

Serve immediately with shaved parmesan and freshly ground pepper.

Did I change anything? I left out the pepper because I forgot it and I didn’t have any parmesan that I could shave, I just had the regular kind in a can. It worked just fine. Also, I didn’t microwave the green beans, I cooked them on the stove.

What did the family think? No one liked this but me, which quite frankly, I am surprised by. Parmesan makes everything taste better…right? Both hubby and our oldest said they would have rather had their green beans plain. Crazy boys.

from Food Network

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Filed under Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

December 4, 2010 · 8:53 pm

Roasted Herbed Potatoes

These are pretty easy and super yummy…

Ingredients:
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

Roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Did I change anything? I left out the dill…not a huge dill fan.

What did the family think? Hubby and I loved them. Our oldest is sick and didn’t eat dinner, but he would have really liked them and our youngest acted like he was going to die if he had to eat them.

from allrecipes.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Vegetarian

October 29, 2010 · 2:19 pm

Egg Drop Soup

We needed some soup on this chilly night, but I had also planned to make some Vietnamese sandwiches. These two paired up nicely with the sushi I got at the store…we had an Asian sampler night. 🙂

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Instructions:
Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil.

In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have been dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

Did I change anything? I had some shredded carrots left over from a recipe I made earlier this week, so I added some of those.

What did the family think? I was a little nervous that the soup would not taste AT ALL like restaurant soup, but it turned out great. Hubby and I liked it. Our oldest tried it, but he was not impressed.

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Filed under Easy, Side Dish, Stew/Soup

October 20, 2010 · 9:42 am

Onion Potato Gratin

In an attempt to get my children to eat a potato in a form other than a french fry…

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3/4 pound onions, thinly sliced
1 cup (packed) grated Gruyere cheese (about 4 oz)
8 Tbsp (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 oz)
2/3 cup whipping cream

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (unless preparing in advance).
Combine potatoes and sliced onions in heavy large saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Drain potato onion mixture well.

Arrange half of potato-onion mixture in 11×7 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture with 1/3 cup Gruyere cheese and then 2 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

Arrange remaining potato-onion mixture atop cheeses. Pour cream over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup of Gruyere and 6 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

(Can be prepared 8 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

Bake gratin uncovered in 400°F oven until cream thickens, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Broil gratin until top is golden, about 2 minutes.

Did I change anything? I couldn’t find any Yukon Gold potatoes, so I just used another kind. I don’t think it’s super important that you use that variety. I love that you can prepare it ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you are ready. That’s what I did and it worked out perfectly.

What did the family think? Three out of four’s not bad. These are really, really good and we all loved them except for our youngest who just has to get over his fear of new foods. Once he’s seen these on his plate a few times he’ll probably be fine with them.

from Simply Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Make Ahead of Time, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian