Meatless Monday: Yummy Side Dishes

This super-yummy potato side dish recipe from Little Mommy, Big Appetite was recently shared here a couple of weeks ago, and I just had to try it. She has so many delicious recipes to choose from, but this one is already a new favorite in my home now. I changed it up just a bit according to the ingredients I already had at hand, but I'm sure any way you make something with the words roasted, cheese, and potato in the name, it will turn out good!

I also came up with a new way to enjoy Brussel sprouts (well, there are other similar recipes out there, but this is my version) that I really liked and will be sure to try again. I normally just roast them with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, but this time I steamed and sauteed them. My Meatless Monday last week really felt like a gourmet meal, and I was joined by one of my besties who ate every bite up with Lily and I.

Cheese and Onion Roasted Potato Stacks
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

2-3 medium-size potatos, Russet or Idaho are good
1 small onion, grated or finely diced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp parsley flake
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cream cheese
Grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix olive oil, onion, and seasonings in small bowl. Clean and peel potatoes, if desired, then slice width-wise as thinly as possible. Brush bottoms of muffin tin with a little olive oil (or you can use cooking spray). Place one slice of potato in 1 muffin tin cup, then drizzle a little of the onion-olive oil concoction on top. Next, place a dollop of cream cheese on top, just about 1 tsp in size. Repeat process until 4-5 potato slices are stacked up in each muffin tin cup, topping it off with a little of the olive oil mixture and no cream cheese.

Place on center rack in oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove tray from oven, and sprinkle grated cheese on top of each potato stack, plus a little extra parsley. Put back in oven, and broil for 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted to your taste. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Almonds and Lemon
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients

1 lb Brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 tbsp butter or oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut Brussel sprouts into quarters, like in the picture below. Fill a large frying pan's bottom with water, just enough so that the bottom is covered and is only about 1 cm deep. Place sprouts in pan, cover, and cook on medium-low for about 5-7 minutes, or until tender.  Meanwhile, you can toast the almond slices on the "Medium" setting in your toaster oven, or on a baking tray in your oven at 350 degrees until lightly browned (about 5-7 minutes).

Drain sprouts, then melt butter in pan. Put sprouts back in and saute for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and almonds, plus salt and pepper to taste, and stir until well-covered. Serve right away and enjoy the delicate flavor combination. 

Mommy's and Lily's plates

Potato stack cut open

If these sides don't entice you, then I don't know what will! We ate it all up and nobody complained. The cream cheese was such a nice touch to the potato stacks, I can't wait to make these again. I had three servings of the Brussel sprouts! We also had some rice pilaf from a package of Near East brand sides. I normally avoid pre-packaged foods like that, but Near East is pretty all natural to my knowledge and doesn't contain anything artificial. 

Hopefully picky eaters in your household won't have any problem with these tasty sides. Even babies over 6 months can enjoy some of the potatoes mashed-up and some extra-mushy brussel sprouts. I hope your family likes these as much as we did :)

We all know brussel sprouts are super-good for us, but they are also one of those classic ick foods we all remember mom and dad forcing upon us as kids. I have actually always enjoyed them, probably because my mom would steam and butter them until they were like buttery mush in my mouth. Yet, most kids don't like them, but that shouldn't be. They are so yummy and versatile- you can steam them, roast them, bake them, add the to soups and stews, mash them up, chop them up...really, there is just so much you can do!

They are chock full of vitamins and nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, and folate. They support a healthy immune system, fight cancer-causing free radicals, and also support a healthy heart and digestive system. They are in season now, so remember to have them with Thanksgiving this year!

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! Share your turkey-alternatives or other yummy Thanksgiving favorites. No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 
          

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Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and be safe wherever you are! Thanks for linking-up and supporting my blog, I greatly appreciate it ALWAYS. Btw, if you missed it Friday and are still looking for an alternative to a full-sized turkey for your main course this year, here is an easy and tasty turkey loaf recipe. I'll be away for the holidays, so I may not post again today after this, but I'll do my best if I can find the time. :)

 
  

Meatless Monday: Asparagus Baked Eggs with Golden Yukons

Asparagus may not be in season here in NJ, but after viewing this lovely recipe on Miki's Scrapbook (adorable blog, check her out!), I just had to try it! I paired this simply delicious and easy baked dish with some equally simple to make sauteed Yukon potatoes, and dinner was served! It was a big hit with the whole family, and I think yours would enjoy it as well :) Lily and Paul are not usually the biggest asparagus fans, but they both ate this up, and especially enjoyed the potatoes covered in crunchy, flavorful garlic.

Asparagus Baked Eggs with Golden Yukons
(serves 2-4)

For the asparagus:

12-20 asparagus spears, trimmed and rinsed
2 large eggs
1-2 tbsp bread crumbs (depending on how crusty you want it to be)
1-2 tbsp grated Parmessan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to broil. Spread some of the olive oil onto bottom of ramekin or baking pan, then the rest onto the spears. Lay spears onto the ramekin or pan, then carefully crack eggs over top, keeping yolks in tact. Next, sprinkle the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper on top of that, then place in oven on center rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until eggs are set and topping is lightly browned. Serve right away, cracking the yolks if desired.

For the Yukons:

4 medium Yukon potatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the Yukons into quarters, and then slice into thin slices. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add two-thirds of the garlic and onion to the pan and heat until fragrant. Raise heat to medium-low, the add the potato slices, layering them on top of garlic and onion. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top, and add the rest of the garlic and onion. Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes, then cover. Cook for about 10 minutes until potatoes are tender, then uncover and cook, frying until slices are lightly browned. Serve alongside the asparagus baked eggs.

Clearly, I had way too much fun taking pictures of this beautiful dish

Although eggs are used, this is still a meat-free dish, albeit not animal product-free. Use cage-free, organic eggs to keep it in line with eating a diet bettering the environment for Meatless Monday. Also use organic Parmessan if you can find it! (organic everything for that matter).


Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 

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Meatless Monday: Grilled Carrots and Yukons

Summer is coming to an end, but with the weather still warm, last week Paul and I decided to get some grilling done before it's completely gone. I tried something new and grilled organic carrots and Yukon Gold potatoes with some unique marinades. Take a look...

To prepare vegetables:

Cut ends off of each carrot (I used 8) and shave. Thoroughly wash potatoes (I used 2 large ones) and cut into quarters. Peel if desired. 

Rosemary-Balsamic Marinade

2 tbsp olive oil oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp rosemary (fresh or dried)

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Brush over vegetables with basting brush. Add extra rosemary if desired.

Curried-Maple Marinade

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp maple syrup

Melt butter (or you could use coconut oil instead) over low heat in small pan. Stir in curry to make it curry butter. Remove from heat and mix together with maple syrup in small bowl. Brush onto vegetables with basting brush. 

To grill:

Allow vegetables to marinate for at least one hour before grilling. Heat grill to 350 degrees, then place vegetables directly onto grill, or wrapped in tin foil if preferred. Heat carrots for 10 minutes on each side or until cooked through; heat potatoes 15-20 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Pierce with fork to test done-ness. Marinate once more halfway through cooking. Allow to cool before serving.

They were simply delicious! I loved how both of the marinades turned out, but if I had to choose, I'd have to say the carrots were best with the Rosemary-Balsamic and the potatoes were best with the Curried-Maple. Just delish! Paul, Lily, and I ate them all up! The carrots went the fastest, though...

This is an ideal way to serve veggies for the whole family. Each marinade is sweet and slightly spicy without going overboard, and with low calories and only natural, healthy sugars. I hope you enjoy! Serve babies over 6 months fresh veggies grilled without marinade and mashed with a fork. My niece loves them that way!

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 

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Meatless Monday on Tuesday: Layered Veggie Casserole

I was all set to make this amazing and cozy-sounding dish yesterday after the Bookcase Foodie linked it up over the weekend. But, then I started getting some weird stomach cramps and figured I should stay away from all the dairy...for now, anyway. I will DEFINITELY be making those Yukons in the near future, I already have a bag ready to go!

So then I remembered this other yummy recipe from My Sweet and Savory and realized I had most of the ingredients already in my kitchen. And my dear neighbors were kind enough to share some fresh, homegrown string beans, grape tomatoes, and zucchini from their garden that I was vying to use. My mind was made up.

A great gift from my neighbors :)

All the veggies I used to make this, except for the string beans which I may use tonight

What I came up with is not exactly the same as Sweet and Savory's but it's pretty close and uses the same seasonings. I used Yukon potatoes, onions, garlic, tomato, cauliflower, and zucchini and it was AMAZING! Read on!

Drooling yet?

Layered Veggie Casserole

Ingredients:
(serves 4-6)

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
6 grape tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium Vidalia onion, quartered and sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped and thinly sliced
1/2 cup garlic rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled feta for topping

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8x8" square pan or dish with part of the olive oil. Layer the bottom of the pan with the potatoes, then top with some of the garlic, onion, vinegar, salt and pepper. Next, layer the sliced tomatoes, then the zucchini plus more of the onion, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Next, the cauliflower and anymore onion and garlic you might have left, plus the rest of the olive oil and more salt, pepper, and vinegar if desired. Follow the picture below.

Place dish into oven uncovered for 20 minutes. Next, put the dish in the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until roasted to desired blackness. Lastly, top this casserole with as much crumbled feta as you'd like and place back in the turned off oven for 3 minutes until feta is slightly melted. Serve immediately. This would be a great side dish with just about anything or as a main course for a small family or couple. We had it with some steamed broccoli that was about to turn, and it would've been really good with some warm, crusty bread. 

The final product...

The flavors of this dish are so delicious! The tangy vinegar with the hearty garlic, and all those fresh veggies...this is a new favorite recipe of mine, for sure! The saltiness of the feta was an incredible addition, too. You could replace it with mozzarella or goat cheese if you'd like, I think either of those would work well too, but definitely use feta if you got it! I can't wait to serve this at a dinner party!

I am sorry to say my husband was not too into it due to his "delicate" palate (meaning he is not a big fan of onion, zucchini, or tomato, how unfortunate!), but Lily asked for seconds! If you are trying to get your young toddler or child to get into a variety of veggies, this is the way to go. You could also add to or replace the ingredients with any of the following:

• yellow squash
• bell peppers
• other type of potato
• other type of tomato
• eggplant
• carrot
• mild greens

I'm sure just about anything that is not too bitter tasting would be great in this. I was even thinking about adding some sliced string beans, but opted not to. Perhaps next time...

Lily-approved!

To be honest, I am not a big squash eater. I think I may have mentioned that before, and zucchini is one in particular that I never really got into. But this one fresh from the garden with only a few seeds was so good! Nice and green and crisp-tasting like a cucumber.

Zucchini contains lots of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins C and K, all the B vitamins, potassium and manganese.  Zucchini also contains large doses of fiber and healthy omegas, and can assist in lowering cholesterol. It is a great diet food!

I hope you give this one a try, you won't regret it! What did you have for Meatless Monday yesterday?

Don't forget I am still looking for the perfect BBQ recipes for my upcoming family cook-out, share yours in the comments! Also, please stop by tomorrow for this month's Up-and-Coming Blog of the Month, which is also a goodbye to a great blog I recently got introduced to. Unfortunately, the writer is not able to keep up with it after this week, but I felt I should honor her blog anyway since it will still be up, just no longer active. 

Enjoy the rest of your day!

 

Meatless Monday: Vinegret Beet Salad

Today's extra yummy Meatless Monday recipe comes from a good friend of mine who brought this delightful salad to my Memorial BBQ. It contains my favorite vegetable as the main ingredient- beets! This is a salad the entire family will love- I swear! Even kids who get turned off by vegetables should like this one. It turns a bright magenta color once it's all mixed together which may help entice them further. Lily gobbled it all up and so did everyone at the party. Luckily my friend made more than enough, so there were leftovers all for me to enjoy for the rest of the week!  

Vinegret (vee-neh-GRET)

(serves a party! cut amounts in half to serve a family)

Ingredients

1 lb beets, peeled
1 lb carrots
1 lb potatoes, peeled
1/2 lb sauerkraut
1/2 lb dill pickles
1/3 lb onion
1/2 lb sweet peas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Apprx. 1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Boil or steam beets, carrots and potatoes until soft, then allow them to cool down. Next, chop them into small pieces (very small cubes). Chop pickles and onion into small pieces too, then add to vegetables in a large serving dish or bowl. Next, add the sauerkraut and salt. Pour the oil on top then mix it all together. It should become a bright, magenta color. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Delicious on lettuce or as is. 

Note: it may not look this pink right away, this image was shot a couple of says after the salad was originally made

Some pickier children may think this looks "weird", but get them to try it and I will be surprised if they don't like it. The sweet and salty combination is a real crowd-pleaser, and it's so easy to make and relatively inexpensive. This is a recipe I will be using very often in the future. 

Sauerkraut is something I don't eat often enough, especially after finding out just how healthy it is. First of all, it is probiotic which is a big plus for many people who understand the benefits of having good-for-you bacteria in your body. The fermentation process causes this and this helps to strongly aide in gastrointestinal health. Here is a direct quote from Natural News' awesome website touting the magnificent cabbage:

"Cabbage offers a host of health benefits. It is high in vitamins A and C. Studies have shown the cruciferous vegetables can help lower cholesterol levels. Cabbage also provides a rich source of phytonutrient antioxidants. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties, and some studies indicate it may help combat some cancers. However, this already helpful vegetable becomes a superfood when it is pickled."

Read more about the amazing benefits and history of sauerkraut and other fermented and pickled vegetables here, at NaturalNews.com. If you are not familiar with that website, I suggest you become so. It offers a wide variety of verified information on health, food, psychology,  environmental concerns, social concerns, and much more. 

Any of these vegetables can easily be steamed and mashed for baby to enjoy along with you and the fam (or any of the other vegetables in this salad!). Beets are very good for babies, and they can eat them as early as 8 months. If you are pregnant, eating sauerkraut right now will help improve your iron and folate intake, and also aide in digestion. 

Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday recipe! Please link up any meat-free dish you'd like below. Link as many as you want! Grab a button and spread the word! Thanks for stopping by :)

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Family Favorite Friday: Sausage, Spinach and Potato Skillet

Today's Family Favorite is a new favorite I recently whipped up. It was such a huge hit I decided to go ahead and give it "fam fave" status since it's still fresh in my mind. The brand of sausage is a great one because not only is it tasty, but also organic at a fair price. The addition of feta to the combo of flavorful chicken sausage, green spinach, and the mildly sweet Yukon Golds (which were also featured on this week's Meatless Monday) makes this a unique dish that you can mix-up with other veggies, such as bell peppers, black olives and fresh tomato, if desired. 


Sausage, Spinach and Potato Skillet
(serves 4-6)

Ingredients


3 links of chicken sausage 
3 cubed Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes
1 cup baby spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil + extra
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
About 1/2 cup crumbled feta for topping


Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a medium-large skillet over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and paprika to the garlic and onion and fry, stirring, for a few more minutes or until fragrant. You can add extra paprika if you want, but I felt it would be too overpowering. Add the potatoes and mix up with the rest of the skillet's contents and then cover, cooking over medium-low heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, slice the sausages into sections. Once the potatoes are ready, add the sausage and spinach to the pan and stir. Add more olive oil if it looks dry. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve with a sprinkling of feta cheese. We had ours with some sliced avocado drizzled with lemon juice and a smattering of salt and pepper.

brand I used, but you can use any sausage you like, although I recommend using a garlic or other mild blend

It's not the prettiest looking dish, but it sure is tasty! This sausage in particular is very good. Like I said before, I especially like it because it's organic and not too pricey! I found Bilinski's at Shop Rite.


Babies 3-6 months can enjoy some nummy mashed potato mixed with steamed spinach and a little olive oil, and babies over 9 months can have some of the sausage and avocado as well. Avocado and olive oil are good for baby's skin and contain many nutrients to support their growth, such as omega-3s and healthy fats. And we all know iron-packed spinach is good for everyone!


You may not know that potatoes are surprisingly nutritious, and not just the starchy, carb-packed vegetable that they've been labeled as by some. They actually contain a high amount of vitamin c, vitamin b6, potassium, and magnesium.
Potatoes- especially those with darker colors, such as Yukon Gold and Blue -contain high amounts of carotenoids and flavonoids, and they even contain more phytonutrients than broccoli, components that guard against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers! That is something I just learned!


So don't ditch the potato...maybe just lay off the chips and fries!


Have a great weekend!

Meatless Monday: Diablo Potato Salad

Today's Meatless Monday features a potato salad recipe with a twist from one of the Honorable Mentions from therecipe contest I just held. The combination of the mildly sweet Yukon Gold potatoes with a mix of spices give your otherwise classic potato salad a kick. Thanks to Ashley of Healthy Mom for Junk Food Kids!

Diablo Potato Salad

Ingredients

(serves a cook-out!)

3 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved

1 tablespoon Salt

1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika

1/2 tablespoon White pepper

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced chives (or more- I used 3 tablespoons)

Boil the potato halves for about 20 minutes or until tender. When I made this, I couldn't find any baby Yukon Golds at the local supermarket, so I just used regular Yukons cut into halves, then quarters, then halved again. While potatoes are cooking, whisk together all other ingredients. Drain potatoes once they're ready then mix together in a large bowl with the sauce. Serve at room temperature with extra chives if desired.

about to be boiled

whisking...

Final outcome with added chives

This was quite delish! I am a big potato salad fan and this one immediately caught my eye while perusing Ashley's blog one day. I'm glad she submitted it for the contest and that I got to try it! I still have a lot left to eat with lunch for the rest of the week! Lily and Paul liked it too, and I will be book-marking this for future BBQs.

Paprika is such a fun spice I think. It’s sweet and slightly hot and really works well with mayo. I especially like to top egg salad off with a sprinkling of it. You may not know it, but paprika does more than add a spike of flavor to your food. It’s high in vitamin C and has anti-inflammatory, blood-regulating, antibiotic, and digestion-aiding properties. Paprika is also great on poultry and in rice dishes, such as this one that’s a favorite in my family.

For baby:

Mash-up a half or two of the boiled potato and mix it with a little olive oil. The olive oil is very good for developing babies :)

Kids should like this potato salad too; despite it’s name, it is not as firey as you might think, and actually just has a nice bite to it that’s more on the mild side for kids who don’t like spicy foods. My Lily never did seem to mind spiciness as long as it wasn’t mouth-burning hot!

So, this is me trying to get back on track with my blogging. Hopefully I will get back to my 3+ posts a week and then have a new up-and-coming blog of the month next month, as well as my weekly blog hops. If you have someone to nominate for blog-of-the-month, do it now! Preferably a blog with 200 followers or less that’s related to parenting, cooking, arts and crafts, health and/or well-being. Have a good week!