I need more sides in my life. Couscous is a great weekday choice because it’s so quick to make, maybe 20 minutes in total. This recipe is from the Fresh & Healthy DASH Diet Cooking Cookbook which I absolutely love. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet was developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute a encourages increasing whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean proteins and minimizing processed gains, high-fat meats and dairy, sugars and sodium… which is basically more just eating healthy versus a diet.
This couscous recipe is made with vegetable broth to give it some flavor with bites of pine nuts, dried cranberries, and scallions.
It isn’t Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. We’ve always had the canned cranberry sauce at my Thankgivings growing up; I honestly believed the ridges from the can were there so I knew where to cut. I am all for the canned version, but I thought I’d attempt to make a homemade version in my slow cooker. I based it slightly off of Cooking Light’s Classic Cranberry Sauce but changed up a few ingredients and the method of cooking.
I love a good mashed potato recipe. They are definitely my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Classic mashed potatoes will always be a favorite of mine, but this recipe from Nigella Lawson that I found on The Chew sounded really fantastic. My aunt and uncle always use horseradish cheddar in their mashed potatoes and I love the tanginess that the horseradish brings. I thought it would be the perfect complement to the sweetness of the apples.
Ingredients:
4 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup whole milk
1 – 1 1/2 cup horseradish cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
2 fuji apples
4 strips of bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
You need a red apple that can stand up to being sauteed and maintain its shape. Look for Liberty, Fuji, Jonagold, or Pink Lady apples.
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Peel your potatoes. Cut into smaller pieces and add to the pot.
Boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
While waiting for the potatoes to cook, add the bacon to a saute pan over medium heat. Heat until cooked through, turning once, about 10 minutes.
Remove the bacon from the pan and add to a plate lined with paper towels. Roughly chop.
Add the shallots and the apples to the saute pan with the bacon drippings.
Saute over medium-low heat until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm. Mix with the chopped bacon.
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain. Take the pot that you used to boil the potatoes and add the 1 cup whole milk over low heat. Using a ricer or potato masher, mash the potatoes back into the pot, stirring to combine with the milk.
The horseradish cheddar I used was really soft so I just broke it into smaller pieces and mixed into the potatoes. If you have a harder version, you can grate the cheese and add it in, mixing to combine. Add the butter and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with the bacon and apples.
I had no idea apples would go so well with mashed potatoes! The slight sweetness with the shallots was such a perfect complement to the subtle tang of the horseradish cheddar. And obviously, everything is better with bacon.
This would be a fantastic spin to traditional mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving without adding too much extra work to your day. You could make the mashed potatoes and the bacon and apple mixture both the day before. The day of, you can heat both separately and then top the potatoes with the mixture.
Horseradish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Apples
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
4 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup whole milk
1 – 1 1/2 cup horseradish cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
2 fuji apples
4 strips of bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
You need a red apple that can stand up to being sauteed and maintain its shape. Look for Liberty, Fuji, Jonagold, or Pink Lady apples.
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil. Peel your potatoes. Cut into smaller pieces and add to the pot.
Boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
While waiting for the potatoes to cook, add the bacon to a saute pan over medium heat. Heat until cooked through, turning once, about 10 minutes.
Remove the bacon from the pan and add to a plate lined with paper towels. Roughly chop.
Add the shallots and the apples to the saute pan with the bacon drippings.
Saute over medium-low heat until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm. Mix with the chopped bacon.
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain. Take the pot that you used to boil the potatoes and add the 1 cup whole milk over low heat. Using a ricer or potato masher, mash the potatoes back into the pot, stirring to combine with the milk.
The horseradish cheddar I used was really soft so I just broke it into smaller pieces and mixed into the potatoes. If you have a harder version, you can grate the cheese and add it in, mixing to combine. Add the butter and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Labor Day is only a week away, which means people around the country are in search of the best ways to celebrate the end of summer with their friends and family. I rounded up some of my past posts that would make any Labor Day celebration a delicious affair.
When most think of Labor Day, they think of grilling. So here are some of my favorites, along with sides and small bites that would be perfect for a barbecue:
As I hear rumblings of all things pumpkin just around the corner (yay!), I realized that my days of beautiful, fresh vegetables are numbered (boo). Which means I needed a recipe that used some of summer’s best. This risotto recipe from Cooking Light fit the bill: Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, Zucchini, Yellow Squash.. mmm.
Ingredients:
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 (8-ounce) zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (8-ounce) yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
I love the taste of beets, but preparing them is so time consuming that I tend to avoid buying them. Most recipes involving beets require you to roast the beets and then peel them. I came across a recipe for beet risotto in Food and Wine that just cooked the beets on the stove top in significantly less time. This risotto recipe is supposed to turn a beautiful red color from the beets. I didn’t get the same bright red color but I still love how it looks!
Ingredients:
3 cups chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 large beets peeled and finely chopped, plus thinly sliced beets for garnish
Today is my first of five different blog posts over the summer with a resolution on how to eat healthier. T-fal is hosting a 2012 Healthy Summer Challenge where I and five other bloggers will work towards a healthier lifestyle through some changes in our diet, exercise, etc. I will, of course, share my food resolutions rather than my exercise ones because, well, I’m a food blogger! 🙂 My first resolution of the summer is to eat more vegetables.
I find one of the easiest ways to do this is to find vegetables you actually like. No one is forcing you to eat broccoli if you don’t like it. Why not try that baby bok choy you’ve seen in the supermarket, or maybe throw a few slivers of radishes in your next salad instead of cheese? The change also doesn’t have to be extreme. Try to incorporate 1-3 more vegetables into your diet per week and go from there.My veggie intake is also being aided by joining a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture (I use Red Earth Farm). I did a CSA last year as well, but this year, I get to choose what vegetables are in my share! The CSA has just begun so I plan on trying out as many new vegetables as I can to expand my veggie horizons.
From last year’s share, I already know kale and I are not friends. Swiss chard is another toughie for me. But, I found out I really enjoy radishes. And zucchini. And a ton of other yummy veggies. So I can’t wait to see what comes my way this year! My first post uses one of my favorite vegetables: sugar snap peas. Even if you aren’t a normal pea fan, try these little guys out. I enjoy them more for the texture than for the taste honestly, the crunch is just so wonderful.
This recipe is a wonderful option for those that aren’t the biggest fan of vegetables and don’t want to just eat steamed veggies. The peas are mixed in with couscous and a vinaigrette that adds a ton of flavor.
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1 cup water
8 cups water
6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
The zest and juice of 1 lemon (grab a larger lemon if you can)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I used Stevia just because that’s what I had)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic scapes
1 tablespoon minced dill
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Begin by cooking your couscous. Add 1 cup of water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, mix, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
While waiting for the couscous to absorb the water, bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the peas and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and add to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and scapes in a bowl. (Garlic scapes are the green part that grows out of the earth while the bulb is growing in the ground. They have a subtle garlic taste which is really appealing. They can usually be found in the spring and early summer. You can substitute in 2 minced garlic cloves if you don’t have scapes. They were in my CSA share this week too!)
Stir with a whisk.
Add the peas and toss to coat.
Combine the peas with the couscous and 1 tablespoon minced dill.
Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
I ate this with a simple grilled salmon and it was just perfect. The dressing with the peas helps bring out their fresh taste and the couscous is a wonderful complement. I actually saved some of this for lunch the next day and it was great then too!
I am in love with all things warm-weather related, but one of my favorite parts of summer is the outdoor eating (surprise surprise). I used to work at a camp on the Chesapeake in Maryland and would spend one day a year stuffing myself with steamed Old Bay crabs. I now have friends who live in the general area and was thrilled when they decided to have a crab feast this past weekend. I, of course, wanted to bring something to eat with me and really had a hard time deciding what was appropriate: I needed a complimentary food that didn’t involve a fork and knife (when you’re covered in Old Bay, the last thing you’re reaching for is a fork). I finally realized the perfect accompaniment: cornbread!
This Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbreadis one awesome recipe, just be sure to limit your intake of these delicious squares, they are pretty darn decadent!
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
We have been having such a warm spring in Philadelphia. So if the weather is going to pretend it is summer, I will as well! To me, summer means tomatoes, corn, pesto, pasta salad, and of course, grilling.
Before I go into this recipe for Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad in a Tomato Bowl, first I want to tell you about Lipman Tomatoes. Lipman Tomatoes, a business-to-business company that has been supplying tomatoes and other vegetables to grocery stores and restaurants for 70 years, is about to launch a consumer-focused brand and website. Lipman contacted me about developing a recipe to celebrate their launch, which is the perfect opportunity for me to give into my “summer fever”. I decided to make a Grilled Tomato Orzo Salad served in a Tomato Bowl. (Update: the site is now live! Check out my recipe here!)
Lipman sent me an awesome assortment of their tomatoes. I decided to use the grape tomatoes for grilling, and the Vintage Ripe (a beautiful heirloom tomato) as my tomato bowls. The assortment also came with some cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes so expect me to be on quite the tomato kick in the coming days!
Ingredients:
4 large Vintage Ripe tomatoes
1 cup orzo
4 cups vegetable broth
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 corn on the cob (or 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed)
8 oz mozzarella balls (if you cant get marinated mozzarella balls, even better!)
I have a confession. Despite cooking most nights a week (and making leaps and bounds over the past year and a half as to what I am able to cook) I still struggle to pull an entire meal together at one time, i.e. a protein and two sides. Unless it is a one-pot kind of meal, I tend to just make the protein and be done with it, or I make a huge batch of the side and have that as my dinner. So with Cooking Lightt’s April issue including 40 Meals Under 40 Minutes, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to tackle making an entire meal. I used their Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Red Potatoes as a base for this meal – Pecan Crusted Halibut with Roasted Asparagus and Potatoes.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 (6-ounce) halibut fillets, skin still on
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 lemon wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of small potatoes (I used red, fingerling, and purple) – Very scientific, I know
So I realized today that this post for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese is my 200th! How crazy is that? Okay, back to your regular programing… time for an awesome recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese!
Winter weather really makes me crave comfort food. When it snows (like it did this weekend) my need for comfort food escalates.
I’ve been looking for any excuse to make another mac and cheese recipe, so I jumped at the chance to make it during the snow.
I originally printed out this recipe from Cooking Light, but I changed it so much to fit what I could find it’s barely recognizable. The overall method is basically the same though.
I still have some prosecco sitting around after New Years Eve that I don’t want to go to waste. It’s already open so there’s really no way to save it. I usually use leftover wine in my risotto, so why not use sparkling wine instead? After all the food I ate in the past week, I thought I should probably incorporate some vegetables into my risotto as well. I adapted a Weight Watchers recipe to incorporate the sparkling wine.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup champagne, prosecco, or other sparkling wine, divided
My goodness, can you really believe that Thanksgiving is in ten days? Thanksgiving is (not surprisingly) my favorite holiday of the year: it’s about coming together with the people you love for one absolutely fantastic meal. I do love turkey, but I always find the sides to be the best part of any Thanksgiving meal. In case you’re like me and you’ve begun testing recipes for the big day, I wanted to share this lightened up version of Green Bean Casserole with Mushrooms from Cooking Light. Although usually made with cream of mushroom soup, this version packs enough flavor that you won’t miss the lack of cream. And don’t worry, the fried onions are still there.
Ingredients
For the fried onions:
1 medium sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk
Canola Oil
For Green Beans:
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
One of my friends asked me if I’d be willing to add some tofu recipes to my repertoire. I was pretty wary to try it. I don’t mind tofu, but I can’t say I’ve ever had a hankering for it. Well, for some reason, I picked up some tofu this week so I decided to finally make a recipe including it for my friend. I also received tatsoi in my CSA share, which is the perfect opportunity to use the tofu in this recipe for Wilted Tatsoi with Sauteed Tofu.
Ingredients:
2 bunches of tatsoi
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
A dash of rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
4-6 oz tofu, cut into cubes
Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ground ginger and brown sugar to a bowl and mix to combine and reserve.
Add 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Cube the tofu.
Add the tofu to the pan.
Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until browned.
Remove the tofu from heat. Cut the stems off of the tatsoi.
Add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil to the saute pan and turn down the heat to medium low. Add the tatsoi.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add the reserved sauce to the pan.
Stir to combine. Mix in the tofu and serve.
This was so quick and easy! I actually ate this as a meal, but if you cut the tofu pieces smaller, this could also work as a yummy side.
I loved the subtle sweetness of the sauce. Tatsoi tastes very similar to bok choi, so the flavors worked really well.
I was really pleasantly surprised by the result. You might just catch me making another tofu recipe in the future!
I love mashed potatoes. I love them so much that my Aunt and Uncle usually ask me to come over the day before Thanksgiving to help peel all of the potatoes so that there are enough for me (I could probably eat just a bowl of mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving and be happy.) I found a new method of making mashed potatoes on MyRecipes, but modified it a bit and added a mushroom sauce to make this vegetarian recipe for Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Sauce.
Ingredients:
8 medium-size red potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Mushroom Sauce:
2 teaspoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 container of sliced cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
