Roasted Chili Garlic Asparagus – Quick, Easy and Wow!!!

Tags

low sodium, Roasted Chili Garlic Asparagus, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

I sprained my ankle last week and it’s still hurting, so I’ve been trying to keep my meals pretty easy. I need to keep off my feet as much as possible! Last night I made chicken and mushroom risotto in my pressure cooker, yum!!! I thought this roasted asparagus recipe would be a quick and simple accompaniment to the risotto and it was a great add! The tender asparagus was bursting with flavor; fresh, garlicky with a little spice!

Chili Garlic Asparagus

2 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (cut off the bottom inch or so of the stalks and discard)

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an oven safe skillet, pour in olive oil. Add asparagus and toss, so coated with oil. Sprinkle on chili flakes and garlic and toss. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. You can cook them more or less depending on the texture you like. These came out pretty soft, but not mushy.

Enjoy!

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A Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish – Sweet Potatoes and Apples

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side dish, Sweet Potatoes and Apples, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

About 20 years ago (man, I’m old!), I was at an office potluck and a co-worker of mine brought the most wonderful sweet potato dish. Keep in mind, prior to this I did not like sweet potatoes. My mom didn’t cook them much at all growing up, so my only exposure was that dish where they’re covered in marshmallows and to top it off, I don’t like marshmallows much either! Anyway, this dish my coworker brought was both sweet and savory. In addition to the sweet potatoes, there were apples in the dish.

I asked her for the recipe and she said she didn’t have it. Her mother had made the dish for her to bring, so I asked her to please ask her mom for the recipe. She comes back into work and tells me that her mom won’t give her the recipe. It’s a “secret” family recipe. What’s a girl gotta do to get that stinkin’ recipe!?! Thanksgiving was coming and my friend said that her mom would make those sweet potatoes every year, so I gave her marching orders to hover around her mother and take copious notes. Well she came through!!!

This dish has been a family favorite for the last 20 years and it always gets rave reviews when I share it with others. I’ve taken it to a few church potlucks and the such.

Not only is this dish delicious, it’s also pretty darn easy to make. Nothing complicated, but the flavors come together wonderfully! The recipe I have is pretty rough and these days I usually just make it from memory. It’s kind of a vegetable lasagna as you’re simply layering the ingredients and it’s easy to increase/decrease the recipe based on how many people you’re feeding. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!

Sweet Potatoes and Apples

4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half, short-ways

2 – 15 oz cans apple pie filling
Butter or margarine
Brown sugar
1 tbsp Brandy
Place sweet potatoes and 1 tbsp brandy into large pot of water making sure to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes from hot water and slice into ½ inch slices. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray and spread one layer of sweet potatoes, then thinly cover this with a layer of pie filling (about ½ can or more if you need it), spoon dots of butter over apples about a teaspoon or so 2-3 inches apart. You just want them spread apart. Then sprinkle about 1/3 cup brown sugar. Now repeat these layers. I usually try to end with the brown sugar on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until warmed through and bubbly. If you’re making a bigger batch, it may need to cook longer.
You really can’t go wrong with the amounts of the ingredients, so play with it and see what looks good to you. It’s amazing how much flavor that little bit of brandy in the water adds!

Thanksgiving Part 5 – The Best Dressing EVER!!!! Lets Just Say There Is Chorizo In It!!!

Tags

cornbread, side dish, Southwest Chorizo Dressing, Stuffing, Sunset Magazine, Thanksgiving

For some odd reason that I don’t understand, I am the only person in my family that likes stuffing/dressing. Who are these people I live with??? Since they don’t much care for it, I rarely make it. Thanksgiving is my one exception though! I ALWAYS make dressing on Thanksgiving and several years ago I came across a recipe that is so fantastic, even my dressing-free family and friends love it. One of my girlfriends stakes her claim on our leftovers every year!

One year we picked up a holiday edition of Sunset magazine and this is where I found my all-time favorite dressing recipe. This dish is extremely colorful and the variety of unique ingredients create a bold, bright flavor. Let’s just say there is chorizo involved! CHORIZO!!!! Geez I love that stuff!!! There is also fresh baked corn bread, mushrooms and butternut squash, just to name a few.
I just know you and yours will love it as much as we do!!!

Southwest Cornbread and Chorizo Dressing

1 butternut squash (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb.)

2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 onion (6 oz.)
1 red bell pepper (8 oz.)
1 fresh fennel head (9 oz.)
1 pound mushrooms
1 pound chorizo sausage (see notes)
1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 large eggs
1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth 
CORNBREAD (RECIPE FOLLOWS)

Preparation
1. Peel and seed squash. Cut into 1-inch chunks; you should have about 3 cups. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, combine 1/2 cup water with brown sugar and the squash. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring once, until squash is almost tender when pierced, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, occasionally stirring gently, until most of the water is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Peel and chop onion. Rinse, stem, seed, and chop bell pepper. Rinse fennel and trim off and discard base of head and tough stalks. Chop enough fennel to make about 1 cup. Rinse mushrooms and slice 1/4 inch thick.
3. Squeeze sausage from casings and break into chunks into a 12-inch frying pan or 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat; stir often until lightly browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour sausage into a wire strainer to drain; discard fat.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Add butter to unwashed pan over medium-high heat; when melted, add onion, bell pepper, and fennel and stir often until vegetables begin to soften, 7 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir until limp, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sausage, cilantro, sage, and thyme. Add squash.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and broth. Break cornbread into 1/2-inch chunks and drop into bowl. Add sausage mixture and stir gently to combine. Scrape dressing into a buttered 9- by 13-inch baking dish and cover with foil.
6. Bake until hot in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisp and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Makes 10-12 servings. 
Cornbread: Preheat oven to 400°. In a bowl, mix 2 boxes (8 1/2 oz. each) corn muffin mix, 3/4 cup milk, and 2 large eggs until blended but still slightly lumpy. I have also used Marie Callender corn bread mix. Just follow package instructions. Pour batter into a buttered 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake until top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cornbread cool in pan on a rack.

Coconut Yellow Rice – Delicious Rice with a Light Curry Flair

Tags

Basmati, coconut milk, Coconut Yellow Rice, curry, side dish, tumeric, vegan, vegetarian

I love the taste of curry, but my stomach does not have the same appreciation and neither do some of my family members. This rice is a fantastic compromise!!! It has the light taste of a curry, but the creaminess of the coconut milk and savory flavor of the onion and garlic give this rice a great balance and full flavor. It was the perfect accompaniment to the Hummus Crusted Chicken with vegetables that I blogged about yesterday. If you’re looking for a dinner with Middle Eastern/Indian flair, this is a perfect choice! It wasn’t too difficult to make, but was impressive enough for company!

I cannot however take the credit for this rice recipe. This delicious recipe came from a fellow WordPress blogger, Cooking with Dexter. The original recipe can be found at https://dexterbritto.wordpress.com/2016/09/10/coconut-yellow-rice/. I altered the recipe a bit based on what I had available.

Tip: After cooking, I tried to pick out the bay leaf, cloves, pepper corns and cinnamon sticks. If you can’t get them all, warn your diners to keep an eye out. Getting a bite of one of these items can really be overpowering.

Coconut Yellow Rice

2 Cups Basmati or Jasmine Rice

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Can (425ml) Coconut Milk

4 Tbsp. Ghee or Clarified Butter (I used olive oil)

2.5 Cups Hot water

Seasoning:
1/2 medium onion-minced fine
2 cloves Garlic – minced fine or pressed
2 sticks Cinnamon
6 cloves
6 Pepper Corns
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp cardamom

3 tbsp. fresh desiccated coconut (Optional. I didn’t have this, so didn’t include it.0

¾ tsp salt

Method:
Wash the rice a few times and drain. Heat a vessel or deep pan. Add 2.5 tbsp. of ghee/oil and when hot add the cinnamon, cloves, pepper corns, bay leaf and cardamom. Fry for half a minute. Add the turmeric powder and rice. Fry slightly. Add the desiccated coconut and fry for some more time (a minute).
Add the coconut milk, Hot water and salt. Mix well, close with lid and cook on low heat. Check a couple of times if water is dry or rice is touching the bottom of vessel. Add more hot water if required. When ¾ cooked add the remaining Ghee or Clarified butter and mix well. After 5 minutes check if the water has evaporated and rice is dry. Fluff the rice lightly with a fork if required. Serve.

Mashed Sweet Potates – A Healthier Version of a Delicious Favorite

Tags

healthy, mashed, roasted, side dish, Sweet potatoes, twice baked, vegetarian, yams

Growing up I was always a little suspicious of sweet potatoes (or yams, same thing). I mean how good could they be if people have to cover them with marshmallows? It’s just how my brain worked. As an adult I have discovered a love of this colorful vegetable! One of my favorite ways to make them is just by making mashed sweet potatoes. I basically use all the savory ingredients I use to make regular mashed potatoes and these really offset the wonderfully sweet flavor of these potatoes. You can do this while keeping the fat levels low too! You get beautiful color on your plate and delicious, healthy food in your belly!!!

Sweet potatoes are just as versatile as white potatoes! I have posted a few different recipes you might want to check out; twice baked sweet potatoes, pecan stuffed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and one of our family favorites, sweet potatoes and apples.

A Los Angeles Times article gives a run down of the health benefits of sweet potatoes vs. white potatoes:

In a 100-gram portion, the white potato has 92 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 2.3 grams of dietary fiber, 2.3 g of protein and 17% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. The same amount of sweet potato, on the other hand, has 90 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, 35% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and 380% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A. 

Sweet potatoes also have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating. Foods with lower glycemic indexes, like sweet potatoes and brown rice, make you feel full longer.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

7 small sweet potatoes (or 2-3 large ones)

2/3 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 cup fat free milk

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 1/2 tbsp butter (optional and you can cut it if wanting to reduce the fat)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fill a pot with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Peel and half sweet potatoes. Add to water and bring to a boil, boiling for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes and mash. Add sour cream, milk, garlic, butter, and salt and pepper and stir until well mixed. Taste as you go and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.

Enjoy!!!

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Bake – A Tasty Way to Get Your Family to Eat Their Broccoli

Tags

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Bake, Cream of Mushroom Soup, side dish, vegetarian, Velveeta

I’m not usually a fan of the broccoli cheese combo, but for some reason I got inspired to make this dish. I had some reduced fat Velveeta on hand and thought I would make a cheese sauce to go with my broccoli and rice. This dish turned out so delish!!! Let’s just say the casserole dish was clean as a whistle after dinner! The cheese sauce was a nice add. It added great flavor without overwhelming the dish and weighing it down. It was a great side dish in that it provided both a starch and a veggie all in one. Good stuff!!!

This could even make for a great vegetarian main dish!

Cheesy Broccoli Rie Bake

1 1/2 cups brown instant rice

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 tbsp butter

3 small heads broccoli, stemmed and chopped

2/3 cup fat free milk

8 oz. 2% milk Velveeta Cheese

1 – 14.5 oz can of reduced fat cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine rice and water and cook over medium heat in a sauce pan until rice is cooked through. Melt butter in a large frying pan and then saute onion until tender and then add broccoli and cook until tender. In a small sauce pan, combine milk, Velveeta and soup and heat until cheese is melted. Pour cheese mixture over vegetables, add rice and stir. Spray a glass casserole pan with non-stick spray and pour all combined ingredients in. Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice – The Easy, Healthy Way!!!!

Tags

main dish, recipe, Red Beans and Rice, side dish, vegan, vegetarian

I’m sure I’ve never had a truly authentic version of red beans and rice, but I would love to!!! I’ve had it from different restaurants and loved it, so I thought I would try my hand at making my own healthy version. The beans and brown rice provide great sources of fiber, making this dish very satisfying. I was making mine as a side dish to barbecued chicken, so I chose to make this a meat-free version. You could very easily add some sausage or even shrimp to make this a great main dish.

Red Beans and Rice

2 – 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp garlic olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (or 2 cloves if using regular olive oil)

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup red wine

2 cups brown rice

Salt and pepper

Optional: 1/2 – 1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa (I was wanting a side dish, so I left this out, but adding the sausage turns this into a great main dish for a carnivore!)

Add garlic olive oil to pan (I used my Dutch oven) and saute veggies until tender. Add all other ingredients, except rice and simmer for 1 hour on low. Salt and pepper to taste. Add rice and cook another 45 minutes on low or until rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille with Black Beans and Zucchini – A Healthy Choice as a Side Dish or Main

Tags

Black Beans, main dish, onion, Ratatouille, side dish, tomatoes, vegan, vegetarian, zucchini

It’s that time of year here in California where the zucchini is in great form and is plentiful! I had some beautiful, organic zucchini and wanted to do something a little different with it. I decided to make something with beans rather than the typical potato, rice or pasta side dish. This ratatouille like dish that I threw together hit the spot! It had a variety of flavors highlighted by fresh, organic veggies and herbs. It was the perfect side dish to our barbecued chicken. 

You could also make it with a little more sauce and serve it over rice or pasta as a vegetarian main dish. Leave out the Parmesan cheese and you have a satisfying Vegan dish!

Ratatouille with Black Beans and Zucchini

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (Tip: Fresh cooked beans would taste the best or you can go the quick route and use canned, like I did. To reduce the salt in canned beans, be sure to rinse them well.)

3 zucchini, sliced

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium red onion, diced

3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or you can use dried)

1 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil (or use regular olive oil and add a clove of fresh garlic to the mixture.)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Add olive oil to large saute pan or wok. Heat over medium heat. Add all ingredients and saute until onions and zucchini soften. I like my zucchini more on the al dente side. Top with Parmesan cheese just before serving.

Enjoy!

Broccoli with Garlic, Bacon, and Parmesan – Even the Picky Eaters Can’t Resist This Veggie!

Tags

Bacon, Broccoli, garlic, parmesan, side dish, taste of home, vegetable

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of broccoli. My husband loves the stuff, so I try to cook it on a regular basis. My youngest daughter, who is a lover of all things bacon,found this recipe in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks. It is packed with flavor and is absolutely delicious! The title of the recipe says it all! Broccoli, garlic, BACON and Parmesan. It’s all good!!! This is a broccoli recipe that even I enjoy! We have made it a few times at our house. If you’re looking for a way to get your picky eaters to eat some broccoli, give this recipe a try!

Broccoli With Garlic, Bacon and Parmesan

1 teaspoon salt

2 bunches broccoli (about 3 pounds), stems removed, cut into florets

6 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 to 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Fill a 6-qt. stockpot two-thirds full with water; add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. In batches, add broccoli and cook 2-3 minutes or until broccoli turns bright green; remove with a slotted spoon.

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.

Add oil to drippings; heat over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until garlic is fragrant (do not allow to brown). Add broccoli; cook until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon; sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes – Easy, Make Ahead, and Delicious!!!

Tags

Cooking, crockpot, Food, pot luck, recipe, side dish, Slow Cooked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes, vegetarian

   
In the past, I have made a potato dish in the slow cooker. It was good, but really fattening. I decided to take the basics of that recipe and make a healthier version. I made these for a family Easter luncheon and everyone really seemed to enjoy them. They were very flavorful and convenient, because you can make them ahead of time and pop into the slow cooker. They were perfect for a big gathering on a busy day!

The combination of sautéed vegetables, cheese, sour cream and ranch dressing mix added a ton of flavor. Using frozen, southern hash brown potatoes makes the preparation of this dish a breeze. No peeling and cutting potatoes is required.

I did all the steps up until putting them on to cook in the slow cooker, the day before and then set the pot in the slow cooker at 7 a.m. Easter morning and they were ready for a 1 p.m. Lunch.

Slow Cooked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

48 oz. frozen southern hash brown potatoes

1 bell pepper, finely diced

¾ white onion, finely diced

6 oz mushrooms, finely diced

1 ½ packets ranch dressing mix

16 oz fat free sour cream

1 ½ cup fat free or low fat motzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup fat free milk

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray and add potatoes. Spray frying pan with non-stick spray and sauté peppers, onion and mushrooms. Add vegetables to potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, cheese, milk, ranch dressing mix, salt and pepper. Add to potatoes and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. This serves about 15-18 people.