Category: Sides

Roasted Brussels Sprouts for #SundaySupper

My hubby and I ate very differently when we started dating. With me being raised in New England and my hubby from the deep South, we grew up on different foods. My family ate a lot of comfort foods (meatloaf Mondays anyone?) and from my Italian and Polish roots. My hubby grew up on casseroles, catfish, and whatever game came home from hunting trips.

So when we started dating, it was easy to impress him with what I considered old-standbys, like pasta with meat sauce and chicken parmesan. He was not quite as open-minded about trying new vegetables, however. To this day, I still remember making him these Roasted Brussels Sprouts and hearing the doubt in his tone when I served them. It’s a Brussels sprout, and you know those have a bad reputation. He was convinced that they were going to be terrible.

Hubby didn’t expect to love roasted Brussels sprouts as much as he did. Today, he not only requests this side dish, but he peeks into the oven to see how much longer until they’re done.

Brussels sprouts really do get a bad rap. But when you roast them perfectly, they’re amazing. Crispy on the outside, just under al dente on the inside. The recipe below is my favorite way to make them – very simply, seasoned only with a healthy sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper. If you want to get fancy, you can throw a few slices (probably 6-8 for the recipe below) of diced, raw bacon in there when cooking. My hubby loves it when he finds a bacon surprise in one of his favorite vegetable dishes. 🙂

These Roasted Brussels Sprouts are just one of the healthy, green recipes the #SundaySupper tastemakers have put together for you, for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for more inspiration on healthy options for your St. Patty’s Day.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

By Books n’ Cooks

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs. Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, halved, with outer leaves discarded
  • 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. kosher salt
  • 1/2 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat an oven to 450F.

In a large Pyrex or baking dish, toss Brussels sprouts with oil until mostly coated. Sprinkle with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Toss.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Brussels sprouts should be cooked throughout but not be soft, and leaves will be beginning to get crispy.

Serve immediately.

Check out more fabulous healthy, green recipes for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations below, from the #SundaySupper tastemakers.

Best Breakfasts

Must Make Main Dishes

Scrumptious Salads

Stunning Sides

Dreamy Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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Avocado Corn Salad

Fresh, ripe summer veggies – avocado, corn, and tomatoes – are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that’s simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve this Avocado Corn Salad ? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Avocado Corn Salad - Fresh, ripe summer veggies - avocado, corn, and tomatoes - are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that's simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve it? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Can you believe it’s football season already? I can’t. Football and baseball seem like the longest seasons in the world to me. To say I’m not a football fan would be an understatement – I’ll do just about everything I can to get out of watching a game, live or on tv. On the other hand, my hubby is a HUGE football fan, particularly college football. So I’m kinda stuck with having the sport on tv a good bit of the time as well as playing the occasional hostess when my hubby’s college team is playing.

Avocado Corn Salad - Fresh, ripe summer veggies - avocado, corn, and tomatoes - are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that's simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve it? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Football entertaining in my house is all about super easy dinners or heavy munchies. Chili and buffalo chicken dip are two of our favorites, but really, if I put out some homemade chips and guac, my hubby is happy. This avocado corn salad is equally as easy but a nice change from those old standbys. We like to serve it as a chunky dip with tortilla chips (perfect for game day!), although it can also stand on its own as a side for burgers or tacos. I first tried this salad when my sister-in-law made it, and my hubby and I were instantly big fans. The fresh, ripe veggies shine. Below is our favorite way to make the salad, but adjust the quantities ingredients according to your tastes.

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Avocado Corn Salad

Avocado Corn Salad

Fresh, ripe summer veggies - avocado, corn, and tomatoes - are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that's simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve it? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Author Liz

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe avocados large dice
  • 2 plum tomatoes small dice
  • 1/4 red onion small dice
  • 1 c. corn kernels from 1 ear of grilled corn, or use canned corn, drained
  • 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 Tbs. honey
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Place diced avocados, tomatoes, onion, corn, cilantro, and jalapeno. Gently toss to combine.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and again, gently toss to coat. Taste and season with additional jalapeno, lime juice, salt or pepper as needed.

  3. Best served within one hour of preparing, although leftovers may be refrigerated for a day or two.

This recipe was inspired by Live Dine Party

More Game Day Inspiration:

Check out what my #SundaySupper friends are serving for game day. And big thanks to Coleen at The Redhead Baker for hosting!

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Appetizers

Main Dishes

Desserts

Warm Pasta Salad with Grilled Tomatoes & Zucchini

Warm Pasta with Grilled Zucchini and Tomato

When my family comes to visit, sometimes I feel like meal planning is a real struggle. I always try to accommodate everyone’s food preferences – there is no Mexican food and limited Asian-inspired options; the meal has to be substantial enough for two big guys (salad, sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. aren’t the best options for dinner); and there are few seafood options that the majority will eat. But the hardest person to cater to is my little brother. He’s is the only vegetarian in our immediate family, and having a husband that prefers meat at almost every dinner (this Pasta with Walnuts and Parmesan is the only vegetarian dish I’ve made to date that really leaves him happy and satisfied), I don’t have much of a repertoire of vegetarian meals in my arsenal.

While my brother would happily fend for himself, he visits enough (and is so good to my daughter!) that I’ve been trying to make an extra effort to prepare new dishes (eggplant parmesan gets tiring after a while!) that he would enjoy. Last time he was in town, we tried out this warm pasta salad with grilled tomatoes and zucchini – definitely substantial enough on it’s own but paired with grilled chicken for the carnivores. I could have eaten the whole thing myself. The pasta and grilled vegetables are lightly dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which lets the sweetness of the warm tomatoes and the saltiness of the freshly grated Pecorino Romano shine through. (Don’t skimp and buy buy the pre-shredded/shaved/grated stuff – the freshly shaved cheese really makes this dish).

Warm Pasta with Grilled Zucchini and Tomato 2

Recipe Note: The original recipe calls for chopped thyme and chives, which is reflected below. I’ve also omitted these and made the salad with a sprinkle of Herbes de Province sea salt and chopped fresh basil (pictured here). The basil was a stronger flavor, but the pasta salad was equally amazing.

Serving Note: While the pasta salad is meant to be served warm, the cold leftovers were also good.

Warm Pasta Salad with Grilled Tomatoes & Zucchini

Adapted from Fine Cooking, Issue #86

Serves 4-5 as a meal; 8+ as a side

Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 lb. ripe plum tomatoes (about 8), cored and halved lengthwise
  • 1-1/4 lb. small zucchini, trimmed and halved lengthwise
  • 5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (see recipe note above)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 oz. Pecorino Romano, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 2 cups)
  • 1 lb. dried penne
  • 1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh chives (see recipe note above)
  • 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, more to taste
Prep & Grill the Veggies: Preheat grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, toss veggies in a bowl with 2 Tbs. oil, 2 tsp. thyme, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set bowl aside – do not empty or clean bowl.
Grill veggies, cut side down for about 5 minutes before flipping and cooking for another 5-8 minutes, until desired doneness (I like my zucchini still slightly crunchy). Remove from grill and return them to the same bowl.
Allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package. Drain and set pasta aside.
Assemble the Salad: Coarsely chop the warm veggies and toss with half of the cheese, 3 Tbs. chives, remaining olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining chives, thyme, and cheese.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread

What's_Baking_BadgeThis month’s theme for What’s Baking? – baking bread – was chosen by Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks. I definitely debated about whether to use this as an excuse to make a warm, crusty baguette. I contemplated a dinner of fresh bread and cheese, maybe a little fresh fruit and olives… but I bet my hubby would tell me that’s not an acceptable dinner. After all, he scoffed at a box of Girl Scout cookies for lunch. Apparently 6+ months pregnant isn’t an excuse to indulge. Anyway, in the end, I decided that with the cold weather we’ve been having, I’d make a hearty dinner of our favorite chili and made-from-scratch traditional cornbread.

This recipe is super easy – it took only a few minutes to put together and surprisingly little time to bake. My oven runs a tad hot, so I ended up with a slightly crispy edge that I couldn’t help but eat first. 🙂

Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread

Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread

Adapted from Fine Cooking No. 107 (p. 37)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 c. stone-ground yellow cornmeal
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs. sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. table salt
  • 1 c. buttermilk
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into a couple of pieces

Ensure that a rack is placed in the center of the oven. Place a 9-10 inch cast-iron skillet in an oven and heat to 425°F. Allow skillet to sit in the oven until the oven is completely preheated, if not longer.

In a large bowl, whisk together remaining cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a small pot, bring 1/2 c. water to a boil. Whisk in 1/2 c. of the cornmeal until a thick mush has formed. Whisk in buttermilk, sour cream, and eggs until smooth.

When oven has been properly preheated, about 20 minutes, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir together with a wooden spoon until smooth and no clumps remain. Switch to a whisk if a few stubborn clumps remain.

Remove hot skillet from oven and add butter pieces, swirling pan to spread the butter and coat the bottom. Immediately pour cornmeal mixture into pan. Return to oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, until top is golden and bread begins to pull away from the sides.

Remove from oven and turn out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve hot.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks trying to get used to being back at work full-time. It’s been an adjustment all around. How do I manage to balance work with not just home life – cooking, cleaning, being a wife – but also being a mom? It has been a challenge for sure, but my husband and I are beginning to find our routine, even if that means me going to sleep right after the baby to compensate for her new wake-3-times-a-night habit.

This new schedule has meant that I’m focusing on simpler meals in the kitchen. We’ve been doing a lot of grilling and pairing whatever we grill with fresh and easy sides. This southwest quinoa salad is one of our new favorites. The slight kick from the jalapeno is balanced with sweetness from the mango and red bell pepper. Feel free to toss in a little more mango and veggie than the quantities listed below, I know I do.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Adapted from The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer via Skinny Taste

Yields 6 1-cup servings

Ingredients: 

  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
  • 15 oz. can low-sodium black beans, rinsed & drained
  • 1 c. cooked quinoa
  • 1 c. fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 c. fresh mango, chopped
  • 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and tumeric in a small bowl. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad, stirring to combine.

Serve immediately (at room temperature) or refrigerate until serving.

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