Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic is an easy way to eat your veggies and super addictive. The secret is a hot oven to make roasting quicker and prevent the brussels sprouts from becoming mushy or dry.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts makes eating your veggies a thing to look forward too! 

I remember when Colt and I first started living together the list of veggies he would eat was pretty short and very limited. Brussels Sprouts and Asparagus were a hard no. 

I had somehow convinced him to try Asparagus covered with Hollandaise Sauce one time and hooked him on the idea of trying new veggies. 

He realized that vegetables didn't have to be painful to eat and were actually delicious! We eventually moved on to Pan Roasted Asparagus, Oven Roasted Broccoli, and this recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic. He now chooses any of these as his side dish of choice.

Halved cloves of garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice right before serving leaves these perfectly seasoned Roasted Brussels Sprouts easy to devour. 

Even if you haven't enjoyed Brussels Sprouts in the past I highly recommend giving these a try.

Here's how to make Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

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Asian Cucumber Salad

Looking to change up your side dish at your next summer barbecue? Asian Cucumber Salad is always a hit!  Spicy slightly sweet in a toasted sesame seed oil dressing with just a hint of honey to balance out the vinaigrette.

It's a year around favorite, but the best when cucumber are farm fresh at the peek of summer. It's a summertime must make and is one of those salads that is best made a few hours ahead.

Asian Cucumber Salad is one of those staple salads we make a lot. It's great as a side dish with grilled steak or chicken.

It's always a must when we make Marinated Korean BBQ Beef Bulgogi, Galbi Korean BBQ Short Ribs, Slow Cooked Korean Pulled Beef Sliders, and with Teriyaki Chicken. 

With the weather starting to heat up outside the simpler the side dishes the better. Asian Cucumber Salad is a staple in our house for just that reason it's simple and delicious! 

You can adjust the red pepper flakes to make it less or more spicy to your liking.

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Sautéed Beet Greens

I picked up a few bunches of beets to make Pickled Beets the other week, and was left with all these glorious Beet Greens.

For the most part the kids hate beets unless they are pickled, but they love Sautéed Beet Greens, and just about any other type of Green. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the creamy butter, and then tangy vinegar I put over the top. They are absolutely scrumptious! Plus that color! How could you not want to devour a big old side of Beet Greens? 

If your looking for an easy side for dinner I strongly recommend trying Sautéed Beet Greens even if you aren't fond of beets, this just might change your mind.

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My kids could live off of Broccoli Cheddar Soup and be totally content for probably the rest of their lives. It's in the top 5 most requested recipes in our house. It's hearty, creamy, and according to the kids even better then Panera! It's perfect cold weather food!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a traditional dinner the night we decorate our Christmas tree, so this year like the previous 10 years I made a big pot of this family favorite. It's a tradition I always look forward to this time of year.

It also happens to be simple enough to make during the week as an easy dinner, or weekend lunch, with sourdough bread. Broccoli Cheddar Soup reheats well if your lucky enough to have leftovers, which usually doesn't happen around our house.

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Tomato Cucumber Olive Salad

Tomato Cucumber Olive Salad is a classic simple tomato salad recipe that is such a refreshing side dish at the end of a hot day when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their peak. This simple Tomato Cucumber Salad is made with juicy tomatoes, sliced fresh cucumbers, olives, fresh dill, fresh rosemary, and a simple red wine vinaigrette. 

Serve Tomato Cucumber Olive Salad next to fish, seafood, meats or sandwiches, such as Greek Chicken, Lemon Garlic Shrimp, Balsamic Steak Shish Kabobs, and Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches. 

Tomato Cucumber Olive Salad has been making a weekly appearance at our dinner table the last few weeks since it's so easy to make! It's one of those recipes that can be made in the morning and only gets better after a few hours marinating in the fridge, making it perfect for all those summer barbecues and picnics. 

I created a red wine vinaigrette and left out feta for this recipe making it only slightly different then this Tomato Cucumber Herb Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and used a little different ingredients then our beloved Greek Salad. 

At first I wasn't even going to share this recipe but sometimes different variations of favorite recipes may help accommodate a choosy eater who dislikes cheese or someone who has food sensitivities. It can also give tried and true recipe the family likes to enjoy on a regular basis just enough change that no one tires of it.

It's a simple salad worthy of only the freshest summertime tomatoes and cucumbers that is a staple in our house.

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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I don't think it's possible to make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce without making enough to feed an army. 

When I was growing up Granny would always make a large batch of the BEST Spaghetti Sauce and stock the freezer with the leftovers. She made the best homemade Spaghetti Sauce I ever had, aside from when I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade, and wanted the plain sauce without all the stuff, like my friends ate. That phase of life didn't last long and I quickly realized plain tomato sauce wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

This one time in 6th Grade I spent the night at my friends house, the next day while their parents were gone we became hungry so we made Spaghetti Sauce, and not like you open a can of Ragu Spaghetti Sauce, we made a giant stock pot full of Spaghetti Sauce! I can't remember the outcome of making a giant pot of Spaghetti Sauce but hopefully their family enjoyed it as much as we did! I also can't remember if we cleaned the kitchen, but I sure hope we did.

I can only imagine the look on their Mom's face when there was enough Spaghetti Sauce to feed an army, and the kitchen looked like a bomb went off.. It's moments like those I look back on, laugh, and pray their Mom wasn't frazzled.

My Spaghetti Sauce making ways haven't changed after all these years, I still make a ton, and try to keep a few jars in the freezer for an easy dinner.

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Pan Roasted Asparagus

Are you still needing last minute idea's for Thanksgiving? 

If so I bring you perfect pan roasted asparagus, such an easy way to fix one of my favorite veggies.

When I first met Colt he was totally anti-asparagus. 

It took me almost a year to even convince him to take a small bite, he associated the bright green deliciousness with the stuff out of the can that's slimy and stringy or fresh that's been cooked well past the point of tender. 

I'll never forget the following few years I had to make asparagus quickly cooked and smothered with a little hollandaise sauce, it was usually the first thing gone on his plate.

Eventually I made a quick pan roasted asparagus and he was totally sold.

If your idea of asparagus is an over cooked, slimy, stringy mess I'm here to tell you today, it doesn't need to be that way.

It can be crisp and fresh tasting in a little buttery lemon sauce and easy to make.

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Mashed Yams Skinny

Mashed Yams or better known as Orange Flesh Sweet Potatoes are an incredibly easy and versatile side dish recipe that pairs well with beef, chicken, pork, and of course turkey. This is probably the simplest Mashed Yam Recipe with only 6 pantry staple ingredients and water. Cinnamon gives the Yams  just a little warmth that makes these totally irresistible. 

Mashed Yams are one of my favorite side dishes during the fall and winter along with Baked Yams. 

Skinny mashed yams are so good. I received 2 yams the other day in our veggie box that is delivered and I thought hmmm what should I make with these? Then I realized I haven't shared a favorite staple in our house when we have yams.

These are amazing, it's really the only way I like yams.. I always thought I hated yams until I realized there was just way too much sugar added to them every time I tried them. I still persisted in hopes that one day I would enjoy yams.  While that day has come and the secret I found was yams are sweet enough without a bunch of extra sugar if cooked the right way... I didn't even add milk or cream..Total deliciousness...

Sometimes at the holiday's I will add a little crunch topping or marshmallows just to make them feel traditional but truth be told we prefer them naked!  

Here's How To Make Mashed Yams:

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How To Make Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes

Did you know 1 cup of Cauliflower only has 27 calories compared to 116 calories in 1 cup Diced Potatoes. Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes are a great substitute if you're looking to reduce carbs.

This Mashed Cauliflower recipe is so tasty, and a great substitute for mashed potatoes. L.J. and I tried these out on Wednesday night while the other kids where at friends houses and he couldn't even tell the difference. 

There is a slight texture difference, and the cauliflower has a slightly sweeter taste then potatoes but by the time it was fully loaded it served the prefect accompaniment to my fried pork chops and Sautéed Beet Greens.

 Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes are easy to make and an easy way to sneak in more veggies and cut carbs. 

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