This quick recipe for Chinese Watermelon Rind Pickles is perfect as a summer side dish. Pull it out when it’s too hot to cook. A few years ago, a woman from Shanghai named Wendy lived with our family to help take care of my aging in-laws. Chinese people never throw food away, and eat every part…
Side Dishes
Healthy Light Side Dishes featuring whole ingredients
Juicy Summer Heirloom Tomato Stone Fruit Salad Recipe
This Summer Tomato Stone Fruit Salad is full of juicy heirloom tomatoes, nectarines and mango. A drizzle of sherry vinegar, a little honey goat cheese and chopped fresh mint are all that are needed to make this fresh summer salad tantalizingly delicious. With the sweltering heat that has hit our area the past few weeks,…
Light Mexican Corn Salad Recipe (Esquites)
This Mexican Corn Salad or Esquites recipe is a lightened version of a common street food. Spiked with lime juice, chili powder, and pillowey cilantro leaves, it’s a party in your mouth. I always look forward to summer corn and although our local corn harvest has yet to ripen, I’ve been picking up some fresh…
Quick and Easy Chinese Stir-Fry Green Beans Recipe {Video}
These Stir-Fry Green Beans are perfect for everyday meals and take just five minutes to cook. A little sweet, a little salty, these green beans are very kid friendly. I try to mix things up on a daily basis by serving different vegetables each night. This approach has not only expanded the number of vegetables…
Roasted Cauliflower, Carrots and Chickpeas with Grilled Halloumi Cheese Recipe
I love roasting vegetables for their simplicity and versatility. Almost any vegetable can be roasted, although cauliflower is probably my favorite because roasting turns this otherwise strong smelling vegetable sweet and almost addictive. In fact, this simple method of preparing cauliflower transformed my oldest son into a cauliflower lover. As a cruciferous vegetable (in the…
Easy Oven Roasted Tomatoes and Spring Asparagus Recipe
One of the things I look forward to most at the farmer’s market are fresh tomatoes. With 30 degree weather still in the air (and a few snow flakes here and there), it’s hard to believe it’s actually Spring, and although there is already an abundance of asparagus in the stores, I’ll have to wait…
Warm Kale, Farro and Winter Fruit Salad Recipe
What do you do when it’s snowing out? I know what I do…cook. At least that’s what I did on a recent snowy day when the kids were off from school. I dug through my cabinets and refrigerator to see what needed to be used up, and found a bunch of goodies, including a wedge…
Grilled Smashed Baby Potatoes with Green Harissa Sauce Recipe {Comfort Food}
Over the holidays, I received lots of goodies that I haven’t been able to share with you yet. Today, I’m sharing a potato dish that will dress up your winter dinners without a lot of extra effort – Grilled Baby Potatoes with Green Harissa. Frieda’s sent me some beautiful tri-colored potatoes before I left town…
Inspiration and Ghanaian Black Eye Pea Curry Recipe
This Ghanaian Black Eye Pea Curry is sweet and spicy, perfect served over a bowl of rice. After the flurry of our Christmas Eve Open House, celebrating the holiday season with family and friends, and some much needed downtime in warmer weather, I am trying to get back into some sort of routine. I’ve been…
Easy Stir-Fry Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper Recipe
Stir-Fry Broccoli and Red Bell Pepper is an quick, easy and healthy side dish that goes with almost any meal. This dish is kid-friendly with its colorful mixture of broccoli and red bell pepper. I try to make broccoli at least once if not twice a week for my family. Whenever I find a vegetable…
Bar Americain Chopped Apple Salad
Sponsored by Mohegan Sun. The weekend right before Hurricane Sandy hit, my husband and I took a trip up to Mohegan Sun with two other couples to celebrate a few big birthdays (ahem, me included), and a big anniversary (my hubby and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary!). Meatloaf was playing (now I’m really showing…
Favorite Sweet Spiced Winter Squash Casserole Recipe (Dairy-Free)
Today, I have a “twofer” for you – that’s right! Today is World Diabetes Day and it is Food Network’s Thanksgiving Communal Table feast! When my friend Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food asked if I would help raise awareness bout diabetes, I immediately said “yes!” You see, diabetes is one of the top…
Kale Kimchi Recipe
I got lots of kale in my CSA Box throughout the summer and am still getting kale as we go into fall. Throughout the summer, I made plenty of pesto and salads with kale (including massaged kale salad), but as I got more and more kale each week, I started to think of other ways…
Easy Red Radish Kimchi Recipe (CSA Box Recipe)
The last few weeks, I’ve been getting radishes in my CSA Box. I have to say I’m not a huge fan of radishes, and don’t usually do anything with them other than eat them in salads or as a snack. However, I spotted some radish kimchi at one of the stands at our local farmer’s…
Easy Crockpot Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato Recipe
When life gets busy, my crockpot comes out of the closet a lot more. In fact, it stays out on my kitchen counter for weeks at a time during the school year. Not only is it perfect for slow cooking soups, chilies and stews, but it is also great for baking potatoes. I’ve been baking…
Asian Grilled Eggplant with Soy Sesame Sauce Recipe
This week on Food Network’s Summer Fest, a group of talented bloggers are featuring farm fresh recipes using Eggplant that’s in season. Each week, recipes using farm fresh produce will be featured on the Food Network website along with recipes by a group of fabulous food bloggers. I love eggplant, especially the Asian varieties that are smaller. One of my favorite…
Marinated Portobello Mushroom Salad Recipe
Marinated Portobello Mushroom Salad can be made in advance and is a healthy side dish. Mushrooms are one of those foods that sometimes don’t get enough credit. At least, I know I didn’t until I discovered fresh shitake mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, and dried porcini mushrooms as an adult. Growing up, my dad used to make…
Roasted Brussels Sprout Chips Recipe
Roasted Brussels Sprout Chips are a delicious way to enjoy brussels sprouts, especially the crispy bits. If you like roasted kale or kale chips, I’m pretty sure you’ll like these roasted brussels sprout chips. I haven’t always been a brussels sprouts fan. My memory of brussels sprouts growing up were overcooked and mushy vegetables that…
Sesame Summer Squash Stir-Fry Recipe
This Sesame Summer Squash Stir-Fry is quick and easy to make, and goes well with grilled proteins. Lately, I’ve been getting lots of Summer Squash in my CSA Box. I’ve been grilling them the last few weeks, but decided to stir-fry them instead for a change. This easy recipe can be made in less time…
Warm Braised Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Yogurt Dressing Recipe
Warm Braised Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Yogurt Dressing is a wonderful example of using the entire plant from top to bottom. Ever since I tasted the Warm Beet Salad with Mushrooms and Yogurt Sauce at Dressing Room restaurant in Westport, CT, a few weeks ago during a photo shoot, I haven’t been able to…
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
A few weeks ago, a few of my friends and I co-hosted a Spring Ladies’ Luncheon for our church. We used to serve sandwiches and salad for these luncheons, but found that all the salad would be gone in a flash, leaving a platter full of sandwiches nearly untouched. So, over the years, we have…