Side Dishes

Asian Style Quinoa

Once again I am looking for things to add to my yummy quinoa dishes. That is one of the great things about quinoa. It’s so versatile! Love it!! Anyway, I was making my Asian style pork chops for dinner and decided to have quinoa with it. So I came up with this quick and easy dish to go with it. This recipe used the plain white quinoa, only because I was out of the colorful ones. Use whichever you wish. I’m finding more and more recipes with quinoa and it’s getting easier to find in the regular supermarket which is fantastic! I still like to get mine from Whole Foods (when I take the trek there) because I can get it in bulk. Much better for me. Just look for it in your local grocery store with the rice and you’ll be happy you did!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

2 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth (gives it a better flavor)

3 scallions sliced, green and white parts

4-5 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (it really does make a difference)

1 tablespoon soy sauce*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the chicken broth and quinoa in a medium pot.

2. Bring the broth to a boil, lower to simmer, covered. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

3. When quinoa is done keep stove on low but add in the garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Mix well. Add the scallions and serve.

*If you want more soy sauce just add it. This is a conservative amount but feel free to add more.

Makes about 4 servings

Best Garlic Smashed Cauliflower, Ever!

So I have been totally slacking in my blogging duties. I apologize. I have many recipes to add and I’m going to start with this one. I love mashed potatoes. My favorite veggie of all time. But what I don’t love is the calories that go with it. For a while I have seen a few recipes from different sources that combine a potato and cauliflower. I know I’ve posted a recipe for my smashed cauliflower before but this one blows it away! I’m not kidding. The majority of the recipe is cauliflower which is low-calorie and good for you. But you will swear there is no cauliflower in this when you taste it. OMG! Oh and it has a bunch of garlic in it too! I made this last night as a side for our pork chops. I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture of it before we demolished it. The recipe makes 4 servings and the picture I have here is what was left. Needless to say I will most definitely be making this again, soon! One of the recipes I found used buttermilk but I didn’t have any so I used fat-free half-and-half. You can definitely use buttermilk or regular half-and-half, whatever you wish. But the great thing about this is that there is about 100 calories per serving! I know! So without further ado here is the recipe I came up with.

(See I told you there wasn’t much left!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes

4 cups cauliflower florets, washed (a small head is probably fine)

¼ cup milk of your choice (buttermilk, half-and-half, regular milk…)

2 tablespoons butter substitute (I use I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, light)

 6 cloves garlic, peeled

salt and pepper to taste (I did find that it does need salt so you may even want to add some to the water)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place the cauliflower, potato and garlic into a pot large enough to hold it all. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
  2. When it boils, lower the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes. Making sure the cauliflower is very tender and soft.
  3. Drain and return to pot. Add the milk and butter. 
  4. Using a hand mixer or potato masher, mash till smooth! Add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve and be ready to be amazed! Makes 4 servings or 2 very large ones! 

Broccoli Slaw with a Twist

Here it is another July 4th and of course most people will be having the usual mayo-laden salads. Don’t get me wrong, I love those salads. If I could eat potato salad every day I would! But I have to be more conscious of things these days if I want to lose any weight. So I came up with this light and crunchy slaw. The twist in this slaw is jicama. I know many of you do know what jicama is but I’m sure there are many who don’t. Let alone know how to pronounce it! The ‘j’ is pronounced like an ‘h’. But no matter how you say it you may be pleasantly surprised by it. Jicama is sometimes called a Mexican turnip. It’s composed mostly of water so it’s also very low in calories! Bonus!! The taste is hard to describe. It’s crunchy with the texture of a potato or apple but sort of sweet and sort of earthy. Usually it’s found in salads. You can also fry it up like french fries! For this recipe I shredded it but you can also julienne it. It’s great with dip too. They are usually the size of a large grapefruit and can weigh a couple of pounds. Just peel the outside skin and slice it up! Try it!!

Well I made this originally for a side to go with our rib dinner this weekend. I made it the night before which is advised so that the flavors can blend. It’s not a heavy mayo slaw either. I brought it over to a friend’s house tonight because we did have leftovers. This recipe makes quite a bit so share it! And I have to say even though my husband and I loved it we knew it was a hit when our friend Brad loved it! Then again, there isn’t much food that Brad doesn’t like! But really, he gave his thumbs up approval so we know we have a hit! Thanks Brad!

I know there are many recipes out there that use jicama in a broccoli slaw but mine also has a slight Italian flavor to it. I used the new Breakstone’s Zesty Blends sour cream. They come in three flavors and I used the Roasted Garlic and Herb. Delicious! It’s great as a dip just as it is too! Great for dipping that extra jicama in!

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup light mayonnaise

½ cup Breakstone’s Zesty Blends “Roasted Garlic and Herb”

1 package broccoli slaw

2 large scallions chopped

½ of a large jicama, peeled, shredded or julienned

2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions and vinegar in a large bowl. Add the slaw and jicama and mix well.

This is best if it is made the night before or several hours before using.

Edamame Fried Rice

Who loves edamame? Me! Who loves fried rice? Me! Who loves edamame fried rice? Me! And hopefully everyone else who reads this! I found this recipe some time ago and when I made it I of course didn’t take a photo. So the photo with this is not mine. The recipe also calls for one of my favorite (not!) vegetables in it, peppers. I of course leave it out when I make it. I’m trying to like peppers, I really am! I’ve actually started to eat roasted peppers in dishes and they weren’t so bad. So I guess there may be hope for me yet! Either way, this is a delicious recipe. Simple too. It works best with pre-cooked  cold rice too. I also use jasmine brown rice in this but feel free to use a rice of your choice.

Whenever I make rice I always make extra and freeze some just for recipes like this. And for those of you who have eaten edamame in Japanese restaurants don’t worry, you don’t have to shell all 3 cups needed for this recipe! You can also buy them already shelled. Simple again.

Make up a batch for the holiday weekend, it’ll be something different! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 carrots, shredded

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

5 scallions, minced

3-4 tablespoons tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

3 cups cooked shelled edamame

4 cups cold cooked brown rice
DIRECTIONS:

  1. Heat oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, bell pepper and scallions, and stir-fry until just tender, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add tamari, edamame and rice, and stir-fry until combined and heated through, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Tricolor Quinoa w/Roasted Garlic and Broccoli

Once again I have found a new “color” for quinoa! I was in Whole Foods looking for the red one and they didn’t have it. I did discover a really cool looking one though. Tricolor Quinoa!  So pretty, tiny grains of red, white and black. So I figured I’d give it a try. Delicious! As usual! This time I made it with some roasted garlic and fresh broccoli. So yummy!! And I keep forgetting that a little goes a long way. I made a cup of quinoa and it’s enough for two meals. It’s just me and my husband and we just love it, fresh or leftover! First night we had it with t-bone steaks that we grilled on the barbecue and tonight it is being served with roasted chicken! It’s a very versatile side dish!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup tricolored quinoa

2 cups water or chicken broth

6-8 cloves of roasted garlic, roughly chopped

1 bunch of broccoli crowns chopped into small pieces

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup grated Locatelli Romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium pot add water and quinoa. Bring to a boil, stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered. Simmer until all liquid is gone.

2. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan heat olive and garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the broccoli and sauté for about 5-10 minutes. Place broccoli mixture on a cutting board and chop finely.

3. Add broccoli mixture to cooked quinoa and mix well. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Red Quinoa w/Broccoli & Feta Cheese

Well I’m now in my third week of the new job. Still exhausted from standing for 8 hours a day, in shoes! The blogs won’t be done every day as before but I am working on it.

I had some red quinoa in the pantry and since we haven’t had it in a while I came up with a quick side dish. I had just bought some fresh broccoli so I incorporated it into the mix. This was a pretty simple recipe and it came out great. We have enough for leftovers! I served it with roasted chicken breasts and it was delicious. We prefer to eat it hot/warm but it can also be eaten cold. It’s your choice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup red quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water or chicken broth

2 cups chopped broccoli florets

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons roasted garlic butter (see recipe)

½ cup fat-free crumbled feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan add the rinsed quinoa and water/broth. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 20-25 minutes. Or until all the liquid is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile  in a medium saucepan add the olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add the chopped broccoli and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and chop finely on a cutting board.

3. Add broccoli and roasted garlic butter to cooked quinoa and mix well, till butter is melted in. Add the feta cheese and mix well. Serve!

Shrimp Salsa

Okay, I need to make another resolution. ALWAYS TAKE PICTURES OF THE FOOD AT MY PARTIES!!! This recipe I have made before but of course it was PB (Pre-Blog). Of course I never took pictures of the food because for the most part, why would I? Well now I will. Even if it’s with my cell phone. But until I make this again I do not have an actual picture of it. Use your imagination.

This week also marks my venture back into the workforce outside my house. I worked at home for 6 years and going back into an office is going to be a bit shocking to my system. So I am trying to get the week’s blogs done earlier so that if I am too tired I will still have the blog. If anything earth-shattering happens that I need to post I will add it to the next day’s blog. And since I may not be near a computer during the day as I am now, I will approve comments when I get home. Please bear with me. I normally don’t like to have to approve all comments but there has been a ton of spam lately and I don’t want anything slipping by. Thanks! So without further ado here is today’s post.

This salsa is a great side dish for the upcoming Super Bowl weekend. It’s easy, fast and very healthy for you! I know, healthy and Super Bowl usually don’t go together but why not? Who says it can’t? It can be served with tortilla chips so it won’t be a shock to the Super Bowl system. I would also suggest using endive leaves as a “chip” to eat this. Very tasty and still crunchy. It’s a very colorful salsa and will be a huge hit.

Photo is for illustrative purposes only. This is not the exact photo for recipe but it's close.

INGREDIENTS:

½ pound peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

1½  cups salsa (your choice)

4 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¼ cup minced cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon dried oregano

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until flavors are blended, at least an hour.

Serve with tortilla chips, endive, or whatever you choose.

Spiced Carrot Strips

As promised here is the recipe I make with the Honey-Glazed Chicken. Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables and this is another very easy recipe to make. It only takes about 8-10 minutes to cook so it’s fast as well. Great way to get kids to eat veggies too. I remember as a kid having plain frozen sliced carrots. Maybe with a little butter. Boring!!! This recipe is much more exciting. Well as exciting as carrots can get anyway! No strange ingredients either. Give it a try, even if you don’t like carrots. You may change your mind!

INGREDIENTS:

5 large carrots, julienned or cut into thin sticks

2 tablespoons butter/butter substitute, melted

1 tablespoon sugar/sugar substitute

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with water.

2. Cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain.

3. Combine the butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon and pour over the carrots. Toss to coat.

Serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings

Quick & Easy Creamed Spinach

My husband loves creamed spinach. So I’ve been trying to find good recipes for making it a little on the healthier side. I’ve found several recipes that I’ve made but this one seems to be the easiest and fastest! No fuss no muss! Using frozen spinach and Laughing Cow Cheese! It goes great with any meal. I like it with steak. It goes great with pork, chicken, meatloaf, anything you wish!


INGREDIENTS:

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach

3 wedges light Laughing Cow cheese wedges (I like the blue cheese or garlic & herb one)

¼ cup grated locatelli romano cheese (or your favorite grated cheese)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook spinach according to package directions in a microwave safe bowl. Drain.

2. Add the Laughing Cow cheese and stir well until almost completely blended in.

3. Add the grated cheese, stir. Microwave on High for another 2 minutes until all cheeses are melted.

4 . Serve hot!

See, simple and easy and not a hassle. I also usually add some garlic powder or roasted garlic cloves to the mix as well. It’s up to you!

Veggies Au Gratin

Welcome back and welcome to 2011! A new year to begin new resolutions and start fresh. I already started my exercise resolution today. I didn’t go to the gym but I did walk for an hour which was about 3 miles. Don’t want my body to freak out all at once. Must ease into it…

Well today’s recipe is something I threw together last week. I was looking for something different as a side dish. I think we were having a pork tenderloin or something. I actually don’t remember. Anyway, I came up with this recipe and there was enough leftover to “reinvent” it again for another night. I think it was even better the second time around! The flavors melded together much better. It is actually lower in fat and calories if you can believe it! I used fat-free half-and-half, Light Laughing Cow cheese and low-fat mozzarella. Also the flour I used to thicken it was soy flour but you can also use whole wheat or regular. The butter I used was a butter substitute also. Saving calories all over the place!!! When I “reinvented” it the second time I added cooked orzo and some leftover green beans I found in the fridge. Added a little more half-and-half and just heated it all up! Voila! Two nights! (and actually there was still a little leftover for a 3rd night for us to have a little more!)

When I made this I didn’t measure so I am guessing on the measurements here. If you need to adjust it for yourself, please do! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli and cauliflower

1 cup fat-free half-and-half

½ stick (4 tbsp) butter substitute

1½ cup soy flour

2 wedges Light Laughing Cow cheese (any flavor you like)

1 cup grated parmesan/pecorino cheese

½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

garlic powder

DAY 2 INGREDIENTS:

½ cup uncooked orzo (cook according to package directions)

any leftover veggies in fridge

fat-free half-and-half as needed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the frozen broccoli/cauliflower in microwave on High for about 7 minutes. Drain and put into a small casserole dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder, mix and set aside.

2. Meanwhile in a medium sauce pot add butter and half-and-half and stir until butter is melted. Add the flour and continue cooking on medium-heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and there are no lumps in the flour, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the Laughing Cow cheese and stir until melted completely. If it’s chopped into small pieces it will melt faster. Add the grated cheese and mozzarella cheese and stir until melted.

4. Add cheese mixture to the vegetables in the casserole dish and mix well until all vegetables are covered.

5. Place in preheated 350º oven and bake until cheese is bubbly and browned. This should be about 30 minutes or so. Check after 30 minutes to be sure.

DAY 2:

1. Cook the orzo according to package, drain and add to leftover Au Gratin mix. Add a little more half-and-half and cheese as needed to make it a little more creamy. Heat in medium saucepan stirring occasionally. Make sure it doesn’t stick to pan.

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