Broccoli Slaw

This recipe was a big hit.  I love how you use the stalks of the broccoli, too.

Serves 12 (1/2-cup servings)

1/3 cup currants or dried cranberries
2 pounds broccoli, about 1 large head
1/4 pound red onion (1/2 small onion), finely chopped
3/4 cup almonds, slivered or roughly chopped, or sunflower seeds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Optional- for plump currants/cranberries: Heat 1/2 cup water to boiling and pour over the currants in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes, then drain.

Shred the broccoli in a food processor, using the grater disk (the attachment with the holes, not the blade). In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, currants, red onion, and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a generous quantity of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Allow to sit for 30 minutes (or an hour in the fridge) so the flavors can mingle.

Mango black bean salsa

This was great with fish and with tortilla chips.

1 large mango, peeled, pitted, finely diced
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, finely diced
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 or 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Stir all ingredients gently, combine and refrigerate at least 10 minutes before serving.

Wild rice and goat cheese stuffed acorn squash

From Publix Family Style magazine...

to serve 4:

2 fresh acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped (or walnuts or almonds)
1/3 cup chopped pitted dates (or raisins or dried cranberries)
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place squash halves on the baking sheet, cut side up.  Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Roast 25-30 minutes or until tender.  Remove from oven.

In a bowl, combine rice, cheese, pecans, dates, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place mixture in the center of each cooked squash.  Turn oven to broil and .  Broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is slightly melted.

Pamela's beet salad

This is a good bright side.

BEET SALAD

3 raw beets, peeled & grated
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled & grated
Vinaigrette made of lemon juice + canola oil + 1 garlic clove, crushed + chopped shallot

(Serves 6)

Quick Kale

This was a quick and easy way to prepare kale for a side.  For seasoning, I added some lemon juice, or you could add red pepper flakes, a vinaigrette, or just a little salt.

1 bunch kale
1/4 cup water

Wash kale, then coarsely chop, removing tough ribs.  Place in large pot with 1/4 cup water on medium heat.  Cover and cook the greens 3-5 minutes, lifting the lid occasionally to stir, until greens are wilted and  tender.  Serve immediately

Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas

Recipe from Publix.

8 oz orzo or other pasta

1/2 pesto

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 medium tomato

leftover baked salmon

shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta. Combine cooked pasta and pesto. Stir in peas, tomoato, and salmon. Top with cheese.

Peach Salsa

Yesterday we passed a produce stand where I bought 23 fresh peaches for $4! This was the first recipe we made:

4 medium peaches, peeled, pitted

2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges and seeded

1/2 sweet onion, cut in wedges

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chiles

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Serve with tortilla chips or over fish, pork, chicken, etc.

Lemon Snap Peas

This was a good, easy side.

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 lab sugar snap peas, trimmed

1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add peas; sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and cook an additional minute or until peas are crisp-tender.

Easy roasted corn on the cob

This could NOT be easier!

Preheat oven to 350. Take fresh ears of corn and place them directly on the oven rack in their husks*. Roast for 30 minutes, then peel back husks and eat!

*if corn is several days old, soak for a few minutes in water before placing in water so that it won't dry out

Sweet and tangy slaw

We made this tonight- liked the taste, but it made too much dressing. Next time I will cut the dressing in half, as below.

1 cabbage, finely shredded

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

dressing:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup canola oil

Combine cabbage and onion in large bowl. In small saucepan, combine dressing ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour dressing over cabbage/onions and toss to combine. Refrigerate.

Best Sweet Potatoes

Our friend Rachel made these last year in France for our American-Canadian Thanksgiving feast. They were a huge hit, so I made them for my family at Christmas last year and then again this year at Thanksgiving, and again for a Christmas party this weekend... pretty much they are going to be our go-to holiday dish!

3 cups sweet potatoes
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter -- melted
2 eggs

dash cinnamon

dash cloves, nutmeg- optional

Cut the potatoes in thirds and boil them until soft then the skins come off really well. Cut them up and mash them and measure to 3 cups. Add all the ingredients to the potatoes and mix. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

For the topping it's 1 cup of nuts (pecans or walnuts) ground
1 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup melted butter
mix and add on top of potatoes then bake for 5 more minutes.

Potato Salad with Bacon and Parsley

We have made this Real Simple recipe several times.

Potato Salad with Bacon and Parsley

1 1/2 lb new potatoes (we find this to not be enough... we tend to add closer to 2 lbs)

4 slices bacon

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Cut into quarters.

Cook the bacon, transfer to paper towels, crumble when cool.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, remaining salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss with the potatoes, bacon, and parsley

If preparing salad in advance, wait to add bacon so it will remain crispy.

Lemony Smashed Potatoes

This is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe (serves 4)...

Lemony Smashed Potatoes

-1 1/2 lbs small red new potatoes

-1/8 cup olive oil

-1 teaspoon lemon zest

coarse salt, ground pepper

Steam potatoes until easily pierced, about 45 minutes. Lightly smash potatoes, toss with oil, zest, and season with salt, and pepper.

Tomato Cantaloupe Salad

This Real Simple recipe was surprisingly tasty.

Tomato Cantaloupe Salad

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cantaloupe, cut into 1" pieces

1/4 cup fresh mint

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl, combine ingredients. Serve room temperature or cold.

Summer vegetable salad

This Bon Appétit recipe was a good alternative to plain lettuce salad.

2 small zucchini, cut in 1/4" rounds

2 small yellow summer squash, cut in 1/4" rounds

8 oz mushrooms, quartered

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Steam zucchini and squash until just tender. Drain well. Transfer to medium bowl. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Whisk together mustard and vinegar. Add oil, oregano, and cumin. Add dressing to vegetables, toss to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.

Marinated Tomato Salad

From Martha Stewart...

Marinated Tomato Salad
(serves 3-4)

1 1/2 lb assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut into halves, wedges, or slices
1/8 cup packed small fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon flaked sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on a platter and scatter with basil. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and season with pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to marinate.

Watermelon and Raspberry Salad

Watermelon and Raspberry Salad

This Martha Stewart recipe is perfect for a summer dessert.

4 ½ pound piece of watermelon, peeled and cut into 1” cubes (about 4 cups)

1 pint fresh raspberries (or other summer berries)

juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup sugar

Vanilla ice cream for serving.

Place watermelon in a large bowl and add raspberries, lemon juice and sugar. Toss to combine. Let stand for at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Tomato, basil, and white bean salad

Tomato, basil, and white bean salad

This Martha Stewart recipe is a great summer side.

Serves 4

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ pound small roma tomatoes, cut into 1” pieces

½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into ½ inch pieces

1 teaspoon coarse salt

fresh ground pepper

¼ olive oil

2 small garlic cloves, minced

Combine beans, tomatoes, basil, and salt in a bowl. Season with pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cook, stirring until fragrant but not browned, about 1 ½ minute. Pour over beans and gently toss. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Can be covered and kept at room temperature for 4 hours.

Grilled Potato Slices with Vinegar and Salt

Grilled Potato Slices with Vinegar and Salt

This Martha Stewart recipe was a great summer alternative to roast potatoes.

1 lb fingerling potatoes cut lengthwise in ¼ inch slices

2 cups white vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for sprinkling

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Bring sliced potatoes and vinegar to a boil in a medium saucepan (vinegar should cover potatoes). Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer potatoes until just fork tender, about 5 minutes. Let potatoes cool in vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well, and gently toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill potatoes in a single layer until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.

Grilled Zucchini Salad

Grilled Zucchini Salad

This Real Simple recipe turned out really well.

Serves 6

2 pounds medium zucchini (about 6), halved lengthwise

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

6 scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt

Heat grill to medium-high. Brush zucchini with 1 teaspoon olive oil and grill until tender, 5-7 minutes each side.

Cut the zucchini into 1 inch pieces and toss in a large bowl with scallions, lemon juice, red pepper, the remaining tablespoon of oil, and salt. Serve at room temperature.

Can also be served with pasta.