Rich, creamy mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish for any holiday meal. They are so quick and easy , you’ll want to enjoy them throughout the year. Sweet potatoes are as nutritious as they are delicious. They contain fewer calories and are higher in fiber, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C than their white counterparts. See the infographic from Cleveland Clinic below for a quick comparison. You can peel and cut the sweet potatoes in small, uniform cubes before adding to water for boiling. Cook until sweet potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remove from heat and drain. OR you can put whole, and thoroughly washed, sweet potatoes in a medium to large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until sweet potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remove from ... [Read More]
vegetable
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower
Pin for future reference!! Spicy Roasted Cauliflower is a perfect side dish for a quick and easy weeknight meal. It takes just five minutes to cut and toss it all together. Pop it in the oven for a flavorful, low carb side that pairs well with everything from poultry to beef and pork roasts. You can make the recipe as is. Or, like me, cut the red pepper flake quantity in half ( or omit it all together.) And use about half the garlic. Because I am a spice wimp! At which point you will have Quick and Easy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower! At the store, choose a head of cauliflower that is uniform in coloring and free from browning. The cauliflower should be firm, heavy for its size with dense florets. The leaves should be fresh and green, a sign that the cauliflower was recently ... [Read More]
Easy Three Bean Salad
Easy Three Bean Salad is the new bean salad at our house. Everybody loves bean salad at Chez Charlene – all kinds. This is the new favorite version. The red wine vinegar makes a light dressing with no strong overpowering flavors so it goes with almost any main dish. It’s especially refreshing on a hot summer day. Ten servings makes this recipe ideal for a crowd – your contribution to a potluck or a salad for your own gathering. It also means more servings if you are cooking for just two or three, as I frequently do. The salad keeps well in the refrigerator – in fact, flavors mature and it becomes even better. How long can you keep it? Several days, but it never goes beyond one or two in our house because it disappears so quickly. It even gets eaten as a midafternoon ... [Read More]
Dilly Green Bean Salad
Dilly Green Bean Salad is a refreshing alternative to the usual three bean salad that’s a favorite at our house. The deep green color of the cooked frozen bean contrasted with bits of white onion and red pepper are festive, appealing to the eye and the tastebuds! I first had Dilly Bean Salad when a friend brought it to a summer outdoor brunch served on our deck. The red and green also make it perfect for a Christmas meal. However, it’s delicious and colorful any time of year! When my friend Sue K gave me the recipe,she told me to use “extra green canned beans” and said they were located in a small section with the other beans. I did not find them while we were preparing to move because shopping time was limited. After the move, I didn’t find them in our new stores because ... [Read More]
Creamy Pasta and Veggie Salad
Creamy Pasta and Veggie Salad makes a great dinner salad for cool summer eating. It’s also perfect for potlucks and family. However or whenever, this salad makes an appearance it is a well balanced blend of carbs, veggies and proteins. It’s healthy and makes a big salad so it will serve a large number of people – or be a made ahead dinner salad a couple of times for three or four eaters. It’s also a nice change from mayo dressed salads and always disappears quickly. I like for my ingredients to “even out” so there aren’t little bits of leftover ingredients setting around. Three cups of dry pasta is generally about a 16 ounce package. That’s what I use if the dry pasta measures out between 2 ¾ cups and 3 ¼ cups. Any less and the salad won’t have the pasta base needed to carry the other ... [Read More]
Thin Crust Fresh Veggie Pizza
Appetizers like this Fresh Veggie Pizza are often associated with football. In our neighborhood, you can always tell when the state college team is playing. If it’s a home game, the neighborhood is forlorn because everybody is downtown in the stands. If it’s televised, the suburban quiet is punctuated by roars from living rooms and garages painted in team colors. Today fans are celebrating a national championship. (Guess what colors those garage walls are painted! Buckeye, of course!) Whenever football is played, tables are laden with food. All kinds of food. To sustain the spectators who are putting so much of themselves into coaching, replaying and predicting the game. To soothe the wounds when the coach (one who actually gets paid), the player on the field, or the insert ... [Read More]
