Hibachi Vegetables

 We love to eat these veggies with our potstickers and fried rice!  Thanks FaithFunFood for the great recipe!

• 1 large white onion sliced
• 1 large zucchini cut into strips
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
• 1/2 tsp sesame seed oil 
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used coconut aminos)
• salt & pepper

• Heat vegetable oil and sesame seed oil on medium-high heat.
• Add onion, zucchini, butter, soy sauce, salt and pepper (to your liking) to the skillet.
• Sauté vegetables for 6-8 minutes or until tender.
• Move vegetables to a covered dish to keep warm and drain any excess liquid from the pan. 

Easy Fried Rice

 I always make this with my potstickers.  Very easy and yummy!  It does work better if you make the rice ahead of time so it isn't hot.  I also like to sauté some diced sweet onions in butter before adding the eggs.  I also use Coconut Aminos instead of soy sauce.  I found the recipe at https://seonkyounglongest.com/easy-egg-fried-rice/

• Ingredients:
• 3 tbsp cooking oil (I use butter)
• 4 eggs, beaten with pinch of salt
• 4 cups cold jasmine rice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (I use coconut Aminos)
• pinch of salt
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Directions:
• Heat a wok or a skillet over high heat; add 1 tbsp cooking oil and swirl to coat. Pour beaten eggs into the wok and scramble. 
• When the eggs are cooked 3/4 way, add remaining 2 tbsp cooking oil and cold jasmine rice. Break down the rice and mix it with eggs. 
• Add soy sauce around the edge of the wok, so it will burn slightly for the smoky umami flavor. Add salt to your taste and mix everything well. Reduce heat to low if you need to.
• Turn off the heat, stir in green onions. 

The BEST eggs salad without mayonnaise

 I absolutely love egg salad but don't like all the soybean oil in mayonnaise.  I added a bit more cream cheese and skipped the mayonnaise and really enjoyed this recipe!  Find the original recipe HERE.

2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature

2 Tablespoons celery, minced

1 Tablespoon Mayo (or more if desired)

1 teaspoon onion, grated

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

6 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped or squished with a fork.

Croissants or Bread

Paprika (optional)

Dill Pickle Relish (optional)

Bacon (optional)

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Stir in celery, mayo, onion, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well blended.

Add eggs and mix well.

Serve on bread or croissants

Sprinkle with paprika or add dill pickle relish or bacon if desired.

BBQ Chicken dip

 I know this sounds like a really weird combination for a dip, but I promise it is so good!  My friend Jen brought it to a covered dish get-together and it was the thing that I had to keep going back to for more :). Now that my husband is allergic to chicken, I just leave it out and add more beans or corn and it is still really good! Thanks Spicy Southern Kitchen for such a fun dip!

Ingredients:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped chicken
• 1/3 cup corn
• 1/3 cup black beans
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• chopped red onion and cilantro
• additional BBQ Sauce for drizzling on top

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish or small cast iron pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, BBQ Sauce, and garlic powder until smooth.
• Stir in chicken, corn, black beans, green onions, and half of cheese.
• Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Place in oven for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake 10 to 15 more minutes.
• Sprinkle with red onion and cilantro and drizzle with BBQ Sauce

ZUCCHINI WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES, BACON, AND CRISPY ONIONS

 This was a super flavorful dish that my husband and I both enjoyed.  A great way to use up all of the summer zucchini! Thanks Yellow Bliss Road for the great recipe!

• 3 medium sized zucchini sliced into 1/2 inch pieces and then quartered
• 4 slices of bacon sliced into pieces
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
• 1/2 cup crispy fried onions
• 1/2 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat a saute pan to medium high heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. 
• Reduce heat to medium and then add zucchini to the bacon drippings ( if you have more than a tbsp. or two, then drain first) and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the sun dried tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes or until zucchini is tender. 
• Add half the parmesan and the bacon and then stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to add these seasonings after adding the bacon and cheese as they are both salty foods. Once seasoned, add the rest of the cheese to the top and the crispy onions.

Easy Addicting Corn

My family loved this recipe! Thanks Budget Savvy Diva!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Bag of Frozen Corn - 16 oz
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter
• ⅓ Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
• ½ Teaspoon of Pepper
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Over Medium Heat Melt Butter In A Medium Size Skillet.
2. Add frozen corn ( do NOT add extra water)
3. Cook for about 5 -7 minutes - stir every 2 minutes. Add seasoning keep stirring till all corn is well coated.
4. Add cheese - stir for about 10 seconds
5. and you are DONE! Enjoy!

The Best Mashed Potatoes!

The Pioneer Woman once again serves a favorite recipe!  I seriously love all her recipes :)

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 3/4 cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through. 

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Twice Baked Butternut Squash

My baby and I are the only ones in my family who love butternut squash. I found THIS recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it out and see if the rest of the family would eat it. But I didn't have sour cream and I wanted my butternut squash to have pumpkin pie spice rather than chives and paprika. So I switched out the ingredients and we thought it was delicious! The measurements depend on how much squash you use -- the original recipe calls for 6 squash and I only made 1/2 a squash for us (the other half of it was just cooked with sea salt and butter for the baby :). So I didn't measure a thing and am just guessing... I just wanted to blog it so I wouldn't forget the idea.

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash (1/2 small squash)

butter (2 Tbs)

sea salt (to taste)

cream cheese (3 Tbs)

pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Panko bread crumbs (for topping)

Directions

1. Heat oven (I used toaster oven since it was a small squash) to 450 degrees with the rack in center. Halve squash lengthwise, and remove seeds and fibers. Sprinkle squash halves with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fill a pan with 1/4 inch water. Place squash in pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake until squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer squash to a cool surface, and let cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.
2. Use a spoon to scoop baked flesh out of each half into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch border around six of the halves so they will keep their shape. To the bowl, add cream cheese, butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Season with salt. Fill squash halves with mixture. Sprinkle tops with panko. Bake until golden brown and warm throughout, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.

Recipe Review: Zucchini Chips

If you join a CSA for the summer, you will undoubtedly get boatloads of zucchini and run out of ways to use it up. I usually shred and freeze a bunch for yummy zucchini bread, but I often run out of other ideas. I saw this recipe on 100 Days of Real Food blog (you should definitely check out the blog because it has great recipes and free meal plans for using only affordable real food!) a while back and kew I'd want to try it when I was swimming in zucchini. And it is definitely one I will make again! Mark enjoyed it as well, so I am excited about another yummy way to eat zucchini! We used coconut oil instead of olive oil because of its better smoke point.

Zucchini Chips

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized zucchinis
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups whole-wheat breadcrumbs (I found 100% whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs with a short list of ingredients at Earth Fare or you could make them yourself)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Thinly slice zucchini into 1/8” round pieces.
2. Beat eggs in a shallow bowl.
3. Using a small food processor (or a mortar and pestle) process the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and a couple dashes of salt & pepper together until fine. Put the breadcrumb mixture in a shallow bowl.
4. Pour a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a medium to large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium. Let it heat up while you start preparing the zucchini.
5. Make an assembly line in the following order: raw zucchini slices, beaten egg, breadcrumb mixture, and empty plate.
6. With one hand (which will be your “wet” hand) coat a few of the zucchini slices with the egg and shake off the excess. Drop those pieces on top of the breadcrumb mixture and using your other “dry” hand coat them with breadcrumbs. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs and transfer the coated zucchini slices to the clean plate.
7. As soon as you have enough zucchini slices breaded to make a single layer across the bottom of the pan, slide them in the oil to start cooking.
8. Meanwhile, start coating the next batch of zucchini, but check the stove after 2 or 3 minutes to see if the bottom of the zucchini is turning golden brown. Once they are brown flip them over and add more olive oil if necessary to keep the bottom of the breaded zucchini “wet.” Once both sides are golden brown transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm.
9. Repeat process until all the zucchini are cooked. Arrange them on a serving platter, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

Yield: 4 – 6 side servings

Butternut Squash Fries

I've seen recipes for butternut squash fries, but stayed away from them because I thought they would be a pain to make. But Kimi gives a great tutorial on the easiest way to cut and peel the squash HERE. I highly recommend checking it out. These were the best tasting fries yet. I'm still working on getting the perfect size of fry and amount of oil so they are really crispy, but the whole family loved these, even the softer ones!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1 butternut squash
4 tablespoons oil (I have used coconut oil or a mixture of coconut oil and olive oil)
Sea salt and pepper

I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, cloves and sucanut :)

Directions: Check out Kimi's post on how to cut your squash! Place the cut squash in a bowl, and, if needed, melt coconut oil gently. Toss the oil with the squash and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

The other secret to getting not overly soft squash fries is to very widely space them on your sheet pan. The ones below really were a little too close. It works best to have them far apart from each other. I would use two sheet pans for one squash, if possible.

Place in your hot oven for about 45 minutes, switching the sheet pans, half way through. This will depend on your oven and how small you cut them, so check early, and leave a time cushion if they take a little longer then you expect.

You want them to get not only well cooked, but slightly browned as well.

Cara's quinoa and black beans

I've never actually made a recipe using quinoa before; I always just use it in place of rice or with maple syrup for breakfast. But Cara sent me this recipe to go with her awesome Chicken Taquitos and I am so glad we tried it! We all enjoyed it, but Karlie in particular ate a ridiculous amount :) I followed the recipe pretty well but I skipped on the cayenne pepper, though :) I also soaked my quinoa overnight in 2 Tbs. of yogurt and 1 cup of warm water to make it healthier before rinsing and adding to the recipe.

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
* 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
* 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

This recipe is part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes!

Spaghetti Squash-Spinach side (A healthy chip dip?)

Since my husband was such a surprising fan of spaghetti squash, I bought some more last week. I was planning to look up another fabulous recipe online, but both of our computers were down. So I had to improvise. I finally decided to just add to my basic creamed spinach and see how it turned out. The girls thought it was fun the first time I served it to them, but didn't really want it the next day. But my husband surprised me. He loved it and said it was kind of like a spinach chip dip. The next thing I knew, he was getting his tortilla chips out of the pantry and dipping them in my spaghetti squash! The man never ceases to amaze me :) I didn't really see the connection with the chips, but I did enjoy my side dish. So here it is:

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 box frozen spinach, thawed, or fresh baby spinach leaves
1 stick of butter
one small sweet onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
4 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk
cheese as desired (I use any combination of swiss, cream cheese, parmesan, etc.)

Directions: In a large stock pot, put about 2-3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Wash outside of squash, cut squash in half and place in the stock pot of boiling water, flesh side down. Cover and boil for 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender. Drain squash. Holding halves with a potholder, use a fork to scoop out the stringy "spaghetti". Set aside. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Saute garlic and onions in butter til soft, then add spinach and squash. (The spinach and squash will soak up most of the butter. ) Sprinkle on flour and mix thoroughly. Slowly add milk, and stir til the sauce thickens. (It is kind of like making a basic white sauce.) Add in cheese and stir til melted. Serve and enjoy!

Sweeter Mashed Potatoes

Ever since our success with yummy parsnip chips, I've been interested in recipes using parsnips. I was skimming through an old recipe book last night (because I was getting ready to donate it to our share shop and wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a fabulous recipe :) and noticed a recipe that used parsnips in mashed potatoes. I couldn't find it again if I tried, but it came to mind tonight when I was fixing dinner. So I tried my own version and really liked it! My husband, who always tells me EXACTLY what he thinks of my concoctions (whether I want to hear it or not :) said, "I really like these; what did you do to them?" He was quite a fan. Even my picky toddler ate a whole bowlful of them! The parsnips definitely add a subtle sweetness that we all really liked. So here is what I did:

Ingredients:
4 small baking potatoes
3 parsnips
1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter
enough milk to make them creamy (Sorry for the lack of measurement -- I just pour a little, mix a little, pour a little, mix a little, etc. til I get the consistency we like :)
salt to taste.

Directions: Wash potatoes and parsnips. I peel my parsnips because they remind me of carrots, but I really have no idea if most people peel them or not :) We don't peel our potatoes, but you can if you want to. Chop potatoes and parsnips into big chunks. Boil potatoes and parsnips together in a pot of water until soft. Drain. Mix together in a bowl with butter, allowing it to melt before adding the cold milk. Salt to taste.

The way we do spinach...

As a kid, I thought that spinach was a gross health food. I stayed away from it as much as possible until I met something amazing called spinach dip. There are many varieties of spinach dip, and I've never met one that I didn't like :) But this post isn't about spinach dip. I decided that I wanted to find a way to eat spinach that wasn't as expensive to make as dip and healthy enough to be served as a side dish at our table. When I discovered the surprisingly delicious Sweet-Potato-Spinach Bake, I realized that it really isn't hard to make spinach delicious, even without the sweet potatoes. So here is the way my entire family enjoys spinach:

Ingredients:
1 box frozen spinach, thawed, or fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 to 1/2 of a small sweet onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic
4 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk
cheese as desired (I use about 1/4 cup of swiss and some Parmesan sprinkled on top)
dash of nutmeg

Directions: Melt butter in pan. Saute minced garlic and onions in butter til soft, then add spinach. )The spinach will soak up most of the butter. ) Sprinkle flour and nutmeg on spinach, mix thoroughly. Slowly add milk, and stir til the sauce thickens. (It is kind of like making a basic white sauce.) Add in cheese and stir til melted. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe note: Be generous with the olive/coconut oil here. You want your fries well coated in order for them to get nice and crunchy on the outside. Using parchment paper to line the pan helps to avoid the sweet potatoes from sticking to the pan. It isn’t entirely necessary, though.

2 large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into thin french fry shapes
olive or coconut oil to coat
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the sweet potato fries with the cooking oil of your choice. Place the fries in one layer on a sheet pan. You do not want them to be too close together otherwise they will steam, not “fry”. Bake for 20-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the fries. You want them to get a bit dark around the edges - that means they’re sweeter. Once out of the oven sprinkle with sea salt. http://simplenaturalnourishing.wordpress.com/2008/12/27/sweet-potato-fries-w-spicy-garlic-mayo/

Beth's Sweet Potato Dollars

These are a yummy, healthy, and easy way to make sweet potatoes that everyone will love!
Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes
3 Tbs. melted butter
3 Tbs. olive oil
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbs maple syrup

Directions: Peel sweet potatoes; slice into 1/4 inch dollars. Mix butter, olive oil, sea salt, and maple syrup together. Brush pan with mixture. Put dollars on pan; brush dollars with mixture. Bake at 350 for close to an hour

This post is a part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes!

Easy Twice Baked Potatoes

I used to make these for my brother and his friends in college and they were always a hit. Now, my husband is always requesting them!

Ingredients:

6 – 8 baking potatoes

I jar or mix or Alfredo sauce

2 tsp. Garlic powder

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

cooked crisp bacon to sprinkle on top :)

Directions: Bake potatoes til soft, either in microwave or in oven. Allow potatoes to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, garlic powder, and mozzarella cheese. Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a thin shell. Mash the pulp and add to sauce mixture; mix well. Spoon mixture into potato shells. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Microwave on high or place in oven to bake until cheese is melted.

This post is a part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes

Gigi's Corn Pudding

No holiday meal would be complete without my grandmother's corn pudding. This is sweet enough to be a dessert, but we eat it as a side :)

Ingredients:
2 cans creamed corn
5 slightly beaten eggs
5 Tbs. flour
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups milk

Directions: Mix corn, flour, salt, and sugar together. Add eggs, milk, butter. P:our into a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour til inserted knife comes out clean.

Mom's Acorn Squash with Sweet Cranberry Sauce

This is a family tradition and happens to be the only way that I like acorn squash :)

Ingredients:

Several small acorn squash

1 cup cranberry sauce

¼ cup pineapple juice

½ cup brown sugar

3 Tbs. butter

2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions: Cut squash in half, place face down in dish with a little bit of water. Microwave on high for about 15 minutes or bake ½ hour at 375. Put rest of ingredients in small pot on stove and cook 20-30 min over low heat. Pour sauce over squash halves before serving.

Gigi's Stuffed Zucchini

Another favorite from my grandmother and I daresay that even if you don't like zucchini normally, you will like this recipe :)

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. Zucchini (med. Size)

½ cup soft bread crumbs

2 oz. grated American or cheddar cheese

¼ cup minced onion

2 T. minced parsley

1 ¼ t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

2 eggs, beaten

2 T. butter

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Clean zucchini, cut off ends, don’t pare. Cook until tender in 1 inch of boiling water with 1 tsp. salt in covered kettle (5-7 min.) Remove insides with a spoon. Mash and combine with bread crumbs and next 6 ingredients. Spoon mixture lightly into zucchini shell. Dot with butter and top with shredded cheese. Put shells in pan and bake at 350 for about 30 min.

This post is a part of Kelly's SUYL side dishes!