Category: side dishes

Green Stuff

I know, it looks disgusting. But this is one of my very favorite holiday side dishes. I don’t know what the official name of it is, but we’ve always called it “Green Stuff” in our house.

The best part of this dish, is how easy it is. Two ingredients, mix, heat.  Done. It’s mushy and yummy and warm and comforting.  And now I want to make some!

 

Print
Green Stuff

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes frozen Stouffers spinach souffle (in red box)
  • 2 boxes frozen Green Giant Broccoli in Cheese Sauce.

Instructions

  1. Defrost both boxes (to be safe, do this in the refrigerator overnight) and then mix both of them together. Transfer to a medium casserole dish.
  2. Bake at 350 degrees until it starts to look smooth on top, about 45 min.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/11/green-stuff/

 

Herbed Green Beans (CSA Friday)

Great CSA haul this week!  The apples are enormous and the squash makes a perfect table centerpiece (until I cook ‘em, of course).  We got what’s probably the last of the green beans, and I looked up a recipe on the McCormick website since I’d just spent time at their facility and was really impressed with their use of herbs and spices to kick up the flavor of veggies.  I’m a plain veggie gal, I’ll be honest.  Sometimes I’ll add butter and/or salt, but that’s it.

So when I tried this recipe for Herbed Green Beans, I wasn’t sure how I’d like it but figured I’d give it a shot.  Let me just tell you that I threw my ideas for dinner out the window, and ate a large bowl of green beans.  THAT’S how good it was.  For reals.

I stayed fairly true to the recipe as it’s written, but I took the lazy way and microwaved the green beans instead, and then just sort of eyeballed the additions, since I didn’t feel like pulling out the scale to see how much I had.

Print
Herbed Green Beans from McCormick

Ingredients

  • **Recipe from McCormick**
  • 1 lb green beans, trimmed
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp Thyme Leaves
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1/8 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring beans and water to cover to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; simmer 4 to 6 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain. Return beans to saucepan.
  2. Toss with vinegar, oil, rosemary, thyme, sea salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/09/herbed-green-beans-csa-friday/

Roasted Delicata Squash (CSA Friday)

CSA

I’m loving all these apples and pears these days.  Maybe I’ll make a small pot of butternut squash and apple soup this week.  Have any good recipes?  As for last week’s delicata squash, I roasted them with some salt, pepper and brown sugar.  The recipe I saw had you slather them in butter first but I forgot, which is just as well since I’m trying to lose some weight.  They were still yummy, though.  But before I get to the recipe, here’s our loot this week.

You should see the stash of potatoes I have right now.  Good thing they keep for months!

Print
Roasted Delicata Squash

Ingredients

  • 3 delicata squash
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Wash your squash and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and strings from the middle of the squash
  3. Cut each half lengthwise again to make "boats."
  4. Salt and pepper each boat generously, and then sprinkle brown sugar evenly over all the slices.
  5. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lay the squash out, leaving a little space in between each one so they can breathe.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender (Use a fork to poke it. The fork shouldn't meet any resistance.).
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/09/roasted-delicata-squash-csa-friday/

The Best Potato Salad

I know, it doesn’t look like much.  But this potato salad is my very favorite.  My husband’s family makes an amazing potato salad that I attempted to recreate without actually having the recipe, and I did a pretty decent job, if I do say so myself.

It’s tangy, and creamy, and a little bit sweet from the relish.  A perfect side dish for some barbeque chicken or hot dogs.

potato salad

Print
The Best Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 5 large red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
  • 3 Tbsp sweet relish
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cooked bacon, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Boil potatoes until soft. Let cool completely by running under cold water.
  2. Combine all ingredients. If you like a mushier potato salad, try using a potato masher to give it a little smoosh.
  3. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  4. Garnish with bacon, if desired, right before serving.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/08/the-best-potato-salad/

Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad {Secret Recipe Club}

I'm writing this post on the train back from NY.  I'm starting to decompress from 3 days of absolute loveliness, and I'm really excited to post again and share this Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad recipe with you. It was surreal to be surrounded by all things "blog" yet not post at all during that time.  I barely even checked my email!

Anyway, my assigned blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club was The Daily Dish Recipes.  Nicole is a mom of 5 kids (they're practically the Brady Bunch over there!) and she's constantly cooking and exposing her kids to new and different foods, helping them learn to eat a varied diet free of boxed and canned "convenience foods."  I can appreciate that approach, because that's what I'm trying to do with my son.  I was discussing this very topic over the weekend and was telling that person that one of my proudest moments was when my son said he didn't like the bread at school because it wasn't "healthy bread" (they use white bread and we only have whole wheat in our house).  The molding of a young child's mind about making smart decisions with regards to what they eat is so important, and it's always nice to see someone else following a similar philosophy.

I feel like I've been making a lot of desserts and sweets lately so I wanted something savory from Nicole's blog.  She recently posted this pasta salad recipe and we happened to have all the ingredients already in the house.  I made a few changes from the original (swapped the pasta for whole wheat shells, omitted the olives, used turkey bacon, and replaced 1/2 the mayo with greek yogurt) and it turned out absolutely delicious.  My husband stuck his finger in the dressing and said it was "Awesome!"  

bacon pasta salad

Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb. dried whole wheat pasta shells
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. dry dill
  • 1 lemon (juiced) (reserve a few tablespoons to coat the avocado)
  • 1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocados, pitted and cut into 1″ pieces
  • 5 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and cut into 1″ pieces
Instructions
  1. Boil the pasta as directed on the package. Drain and then rinse with cold water to cool the pasta.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, garlic salt, the dill and the juice from the lemon. Remember to save a few tablespoons of the lemon juice for the avocado. (keeps it from browning).
  3. In a small bowl, toss the avocado in a few tablespoons of lemon juice. (TIP:  Squeeze ALL the lemon juice into the avocado bowl, toss well and then the remainder gets poured into the mayo mixture).
  4. Pour the drained and cool pasta into a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, sliced bacon, and the avocado. Gently stir in the mayo mixture.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.