Tag Archives: side dish

Roasted Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Other Veggies

Main Course, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , ,

I have learned over time that the best way to bring out the natural flavors of vegetables is to roast them. Whether it is to create a delicious soup, add to a favorite recipe or to just have a medley of veggies, roasting is the way to go.

This past summer proved to be a veggie delight for me and hubby. Between the tomatoes and peppers we grew on our porch and the beautiful vegetables we bought from local farmers we were in veggie heaven.

To pack a lot of flavor into one vegetable side dish I roasted zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, onions and peppers together. The prep time was quick and the end result was fantastic. Also, using a sheet pan to roast the vegetables kept clean up time down to a minimum.

Next time you want to have a flavor packed side dish or just a bowl of good veggies, try roasting a bunch of your favorite vegetables together for a Healthy, Quick and Easy recipe.

Roasted Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Other Veggies

Ingredients:

1 lg zucchini quartered

1 lg yellow squash quartered

1 pkg Campari tomatoes cut in half

1 lg onion cut into wedges

1 small jalapeno pepper sliced thin

1 medium green pepper diced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray then add the vegetables to the pan. Sprinkle with all of the seasonings then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Toss to mix and coat the vegetables. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and cooked to your desired tenderness. Serve with your favorite meat or over rice as a vegetarian meal.

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Crab Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Main Course, Seafood/ Fish, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , ,

Stuffed poblano peppers has become one of my favorite side dishes because they go well with any main course. Plus, you can stuff the peppers with just about anything. Rice, cous cous, tomatoes or even crab meat.

The last time I decided to stuff some poblano peppers I made Crab Stuffed Poblano Peppers. This recipe was created because I had crab meat on hand and fresh salsa I did not want to go to waste and a few poblano peppers hanging around. My original thought for the crab meat was to make crab imperial (I’ll post that recipe one day) but I decided I wanted a lighter meal on this particular day. Stuffing the peppers with crab meat seemed like the perfect side dish to our lollipop lamb and I was right.

The combination of the crab meat, fresh salsa and cheese tasted great with just a hint of spiciness. If you want more heat don’t remove the rib of the poblano peppers and leave some seeds. As most folks know that is where most of the heat comes from for any hot pepper.

Although I paired the stuffed peppers with lollipop lamb chops, they would also go with a nice Big Salad. Check out the link for a great salad recipe.

Crab Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients:

4 poblano peppers (seeds and ribs removed)

1 small container of lump crab meat

½ cup fresh hot or mild salsa

¼ cup shredded Queso or Mexican Cheese

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

Juice from ½ a fresh lemon

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slit the top of each poblano pepper half way lengthwise. Set aside.

Combine the crab meat, fresh salsa and seasonings in a large bowl. Add the cheese to the bowl and stir to blend well. Stuff each pepper with a few spoonfuls of the crab mixture. Do not over stuff.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray then lay the peppers on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until the peppers are softened and the cheese is golden brown.

Squash Casserole

Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , ,

Yellow squash is one of those vegetables I have loved since I was a kid. My mom would saute the squash with plenty of onions and bacon fat to make a simple side dish. I still like making yellow squash this way although I have cut down on the bacon fat and salt pork my mom used.

The other day I saw someone making a squash casserole on a cooking show which involved crackers, mayonnaise and sour cream. I liked the idea of a casserole but using such rich and high calorie ingredients was too much for me. Instead, I decided on ingredients that were a bit lower in fat content yet tasty and surprised even me.

The real surprised was my taste tester son who said “This is good mom”. I wasn’t sure he would like the squash since he was giving me the side eye while I was slicing it up. When he asked what was for dinner and I said Squash Casserole T did not have an excited look on his face. The only response was humph.

I am going to categorize this as a quick an easy dish. The hardest part of the recipe is waiting for the casserole to finish cooking in the oven. Before and after that piece of the process is easy peasy. With summer upon us and the bounty of squash at the local grocers and farmer’s markets, Squash Casserole is a repeat dish in our house!

Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

2 yellow squash sliced

2 zucchini squash sliced

2 eggs beaten

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ small red onion diced

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp grape seed oil or olive oil

1 tbsp Kosher salt

½ tbsp ground black pepper

½ tbsp dried oregano

½ tbsp dried basil

½ tsp onion powder

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter and grape seed oil in a large no-stick frying over medium heat. Add red onion and saute for approximately 1 minute. Add squash and season with salt, ground black pepper and onion powder. Stir and saute until squash slightly softens. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together eggs, oregano, basil and cheeses (reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top of casserole). Add squash and onions then stir until well mixed. Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the center is set and topping has turned light golden brown.

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Rice and Spinach Casserole

Pasta and Grains, Rice, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , ,

Some days are harder than others to come up with side dish ideas. Potatoes, pasta and rice in various forms usually come to mind but can become boring or routine.

The other day I was trying to figure out what to do with the leftover rice in the fridge because I had made too much. Chicken and rice soup was one idea but we were still eating the Lentil and Carrot Ginger Soup I had made two days before. So, soup was out. Then I thought about making a casserole and maybe making it similar to my Macaroni and Cheese recipe. The idea morphed into a Rice and Spinach Casserole.

This recipe was so simple and quick to make because the rice was already cooked which meant it did not take long to pull the recipe together. I must say the Rice and Spinach Casserole did not come out exactly like my macaroni and cheese but it was doggone tasty. I think because rice and pasta have two different consistencies the rice did not come out as creamy as macaroni and cheese. Still the rice dish had a certain level of creaminess. It’s kind of hard to explain so I will just say you will have to try the recipe to see what I mean.

As always, I use my family as a guide to whether or not a recipe is blog worthy. Both my youngest son and hubby enjoyed my “new” side dish and happily had seconds of the Rice and Spinach Casserole. I will say a side dish tastes even better when the entire meal is good so that folks want to get just a little bit more of everything.

Rice and Spinach Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice (leftover rice works well)

1 ½ cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese

½ cup half and half milk

1 can 2% evaporated milk

2 tbsp butter

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside ¼ cup cheddar cheese.

Place cooked rice into the casserole dish. Pour evaporated milk and half and half over the rice. Add spinach, cheese and butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well then top with remaining ¼ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the liquid is evaporated and a knife comes out clean when placed in the middle of the casserole.

Remove from oven and serve with your favorite dish.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Appetizers, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

What can be an easier side dish than Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms? Not too many things. Depending on what you are using to stuff your mushrooms the process can be easy or a little complicated. The process I used for this recipe was extremely easy.

Stuffed mushrooms were one of the my favorite appetizers back in the days when it was safe to sit down in a restaurant and enjoy a full course meal. In the days of Covid-19, my family and I are cautious about social distancing and staying as safe as possible. Although we miss dining out, we are definitely supporting our local restaurants by doing take out a couple of times each week. I enjoy cooking for the family but even I need a break now and then.

So, since I couldn’t have Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms at a restaurant I made my own version at home. Instead of sauteing baby spinach and chopping up onions along with other veggies, I used frozen creamed spinach to reduce my prep time. By adding a few seasonings along with some grated Parmesan cheese I created a quick filling. Viola! I made a lovely Spinach Stuffed Mushroom appetizer or side dish to compliment dinner.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

12 large mushrooms cleaned (chop stems and reserve)

1 pkg frozen creamed spinach

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp Kosher salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

Grape seed oil or olive oil

Pinch of cayenne powder or red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw creamed spinach in a medium sized bowl. Add salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, ½ of the bread crumbs and cheeses. Stir to mix well.

Rub mushrooms with a little grape seed oil them place in a rectangular baking sheet lined with foil or a casserole dish. Stuff each mushroom with the creamed spinach filling then top with remaining bread crumbs. Drizzle a little grape seed oil over the bread crumbs and sprinkle with paprika then place in oven. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the mushrooms are softened and golden brown.

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Quiche

Appetizers, Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , , , ,

During warmer weather I shy away from always fixing meals that require me to be around the stove for any length of time. One pot meals and meals that go into the oven are my favorite things to prepare when it is hot.

Quiche is one of those meals you can quickly prepare then stick it in the oven to do its thing while you do something else. Quiche is also versatile because you can use anything you want for the filling whether it is veggies, meat, cheese or a combination of all three. The only thing I haven’t tried in a quiche is pasta. But who knows, that might work too. I’ll let you know if I ever get bold enough to try it.

I have two quiche recipes you can try for my vegetarian friends and meat eaters like me. I encourage you to experiment with the ingredients to make this your own favorite recipe.

P.S. Crab quiche is wonderful too. I’ll write a recipe on that one too sometime soon.

Quiche

Basic Quiche Recipe

Ingredients:

6 extra large eggs

1 ready made pie crust (roll out to fit in pie pan)

½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese

¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup half and half

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

½ tsp mushroom seasoning (Trader Joe’s)

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cracked black pepper

¼ tsp dried parsley

¼ tsp dried thyme

2 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

cooking spray

paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pie crust in a pie pan sprayed with cooking spray. Gently tap the bottom of the pie crust with a fork to prevent puffing. Set aside.

Beat together eggs, seasonings and half and half until well blended. Fold cheeses into the egg mixture. Sprinkle with a little paprika. Place pie pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Test to make sure the quiche is cooked thoroughly by placing a butter knife in the center after 30 minutes. Cook a few minutes more if not completely done. Let the quiche cool for about 5 to 10 minutes then serve with nice soup or salad.

Additional Ideas:

Mushroom Quiche:

Saute 1 package each of baby portobella mushrooms and white button mushrooms in 1 tbsp of butter or olive oil. Place on the bottom of the pie crust then pour egg and cheese mixture over the mushrooms. Bake according to basic the recipe.

Chicken and Broccoli Quiche:

Season one package of cooked diced white meat chicken with a little salt, onion powder and pepper.  Set aside.  Blanche 1 package of broccoli florets in salted water for about 3 minutes. Remove from water and place in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and sprinkle broccoli with a little salt. Place chicken and broccoli in the bottom of the pie crust then pour egg and cheese mixture over the filling. Bake according to the basic recipe.

 

 

 

 

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Eggplant with Crispy Parmesan Cheese

Appetizers, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , ,

A steak, pork chop or chicken might be the star of the show on a plate but all stars need a co-star to be truly successful.

Thinking of new side dishes isn’t always easy. Sometimes it depends on what vegetables are in season or it may be as simple as what is in the refrigerator. On the day I decided to make Eggplant with Crispy Parmesan Cheese I just happened to have an eggplant calling my name and begging to be created into something delicious. I didn’t want to turn it into a casserole or a stew so I settled on baking the eggplant.

I like easy and this recipe is just that… easy. There is not a lot of fuss when all you need to do is slice the eggplant and mix together a cheesy topping. Since my sons are learning how to cook a little more I think I will pass this recipe on to them to impress the women in their lives.

Eggplant with Crispy Parmesan

Ingredients:

1 medium sized eggplant

½ cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

½ cup panko bread crumbs

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp smoked paprika

salt

cracked black pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together Parmesan cheese, panko bread crumbs, oregano, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

Slice eggplant into ½ inch rings. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper. Top each slice of eggplant with the cheese topping and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until eggplant is fully cooked and topping is brown and crispy.

 

 

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Eb’s Brussel Sprouts and Turkey Bacon

Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Eb’s Brussel Sprouts with Turkey Bacon is a sister recipe to my Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta recipe and post.

Ingredients:

1 lb brussel sprouts cut in half

6 – 8 slices of turkey bacon diced large

½ cup diced onions

¼ cup white wine

¼ cup chicken broth

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp Sazon seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp minced garlic

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bacon in a single layer in a rectangular casserole dish. Sprinkle with onions and minced garlic. Pour white wine and broth over the bacon. Season the brussel sprouts with salt, pepper, rice vinegar and Sazon seasoning. Place brussel sprouts cut side down over the bacon. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

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Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta (or Turkey Bacon)

Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

My hair stylist Eb (and little brother) and I often discuss anything from family, food and sports to politics while I am sitting in his chair. A while ago we talked about a couple of the dishes he makes for Mother’s Day. He showed me a picture of one recipe in particular he had created which consisted of brussel sprouts and turkey bacon. I must say it looked absolutely delicious and of course made me want to create my own brussel sprout recipe. So this post is dedicated to Eb and all the brussel sprout lovers of the world.

Brussel sprouts are one of those vegetables I found that people either love or hate. I am on the side of loving them. Not just because I love most foods but because they are very low in fat and have a high percentage of potassium and vitamin C. Plus, they have a nice little bite in flavor. Contrary to what some folks think, brussel sprouts are not baby cabbages. Where as cabbage grows out of the ground and we eat the head of the cabbage, brussel sprouts are buds that grow on thick long stalks. Both vegetables are in the same cruciferous family along with kale, collard greens, bok choy and other types of greens.

The haters of brussel sprouts have given this vegetable a bad rap. Probably because whomever prepared them were not totally sure how to cook them. Take frozen brussel sprouts off your list. Once frozen they are not quite as delicious as they could be. Brussel sprouts need to be cooked fresh. The smaller the brussel sprout the sweeter the taste. Larger brussel sprouts tend to be more bitter but if they are prepared the right way large sized brussel sprouts will taste wonderful too. Lightly browning or caramelizing the brussel sprouts enhances the nutty flavor and cuts down on the bitterness in my opinion. Pairing the brussel sprouts with other wonderful flavors like pancetta and onions also brings out the savory taste of the sprouts.

However, you decide to fix them just make sure you give brussel sprouts the tender love and care they deserve. I think if given another chance, even haters will grow to love brussel sprouts.

Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

Ingredients:

10 – 15 small brussel sprouts cut in half

1 pkg pancetta

1 clove garlic minced

½ small onion sliced thin

¼ cup chicken broth

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp onion powder

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium sized non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until the onion softens and pancetta slightly browns. Add brussel sprouts and seasonings. Stir to mix the pancetta, onions and brussel sprouts. Lightly brown the brussel sprouts for approximately 3 minutes then add the chicken broth, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook until the brussel sprouts are fork tender but do not over cook. Serve with your favorite fish or meat.

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Spicy Meatballs

Appetizers, Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Spicy Meatballs are one of the simplest dishes I have ever made.  Most good chefs/ cooks know how to make a meatball.  Whether you are adding them to pasta or making a meatball sandwich, meatballs are pretty easy to make. The trick is to make them flavorful. This meatball recipe was created to go with my Penne Pasta and Eggplant with Spicy Meatballs on the side.

Follow the link for another delicious recipe.

Spicy Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 package fresh Italian sausage

1 package ground pork

1 package fresh hot sausage

1 egg

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

¼ cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp onion powder

Preheat oven to low broil.

Combine Parmesan cheese, egg and milk in a small bowl. Place meats and seasonings in a large bowl along with panko bread crumbs. Add egg mixture to the meat. Mix well to combine but do not over work the meat. Form into golf ball sized balls (or whatever size you like) and place meatballs in a large iron skillet. Place in the oven and brown the meatballs for about 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs and place in a large pot with marinara sauce. Simmer over medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes until meatballs are cooked all the way through.

These are good for spaghetti and meatball dishes, meatball sandwiches, appetizers and of course Penne Pasta and Eggplant with Meatballs on the side.

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