Spaghetti Squash

October 12, 2011 by
 
This is one of my favorite side dishes in the fall.  I’ve made it many, many times and it never fails to please.
I usually serve it with a sauce, mostly my easy alfredo. (Or one of it’s variations).
But it goes great with a red sauce as well, we pretty much just treat it as a pasta substitute.
 
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop our seeds and pulp.
Rub inside squash with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place cut side down on baking sheet or a glass 9 by 13 inch pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until you can easily scoop out squash from the shell.
Fluff squash with a fork and serve hot.

Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Ranch Potato Salad

September 9, 2011 by
We’re still in our hot weather streak here and I still feel like making simple summer meals.
Especially since the craziness of school time has begun too.
This was an “emergency dinner” one night when I literally didn’t realize how close it was to dinner time until it was too late to prepare much. 
I had a bunch of potatoes in the pantry and some homemade ranch dressing in the fridge, so it kind of put itself together. My hubby doesn’t like potato salad usually, but even he liked this one. 
This would be exceptionally easy to adjust amount on, just remember one egg and slice of bacon per pound of potatoes, and 1 rib celery and 1 green onion for every 2 pounds.
Hope you’re enjoying the last of your summer too!
RANCH POTATO SALAD
4 lbs Russet potatoes
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 slices pepper bacon, cooked and chopped
1 T sugar
Ranch dressing to coat
Peel, chop, and boil potatoes until cooked but not mushy.
Cool, then toss with remaining ingredients.
Chill or serve immediately.
Filed Under: Salad / Dressings, Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Zucchini Fritters

August 24, 2011 by
 
My mom made corn fritters all the time for our family when I was a kid, and when I was a poor newlywed with an overabundance of zucchini (we grew some in front our little duplex and it went nuts!) I made a variation of the idea for zucchini.
I still make them, especially this time of year when zucchini is trying to take over the earth. : )
These do have a lot of zucchini in them, you could definitely cut the amount in half even if you wanted, but I figure if I’m going to make zucchini fritters I should be using up a bunch of zucchini!
And the great thing about these is that kids have no idea they are eating vegetables!  Serve them plain or with a little butter.
 
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 T olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
olive oil, for cooking
 
Sprinkle 1 tsp of the salt over the zucchini and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix remaining ingredients together, then squeeze excess moisture from the zucchini and stir in.
Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium high heat and spoon 1/4 cupfuls into pan, being careful not to crowd the pan.  Repeat with remaining batter
Cook until golden brown, a few minutes, then flip and cook until cooked through.
 
 
 
 
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Roasted green beans

August 11, 2011 by
I like to roast.  A lot.
It is my favorite cooking technique.  How else can you quickly and easily turn fresh vegetables into delicious dishes without adding hardly anything?
I love that the flavor of the green beans is really what is highlighted.
Make sure you start with really fresh green beans, as their flavor will only be as good as what you start with.  I hope these make it on your list of go-to side dishes- we love them!
ROASTED GREEN BEANS
Fresh green beans, ends trimmed
Drizzle of olive oil
Sprinkle each of salt and pepper
Toss all together and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Toss halfway through.
Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes

Butternut Squash Fries

August 1, 2011 by
 
These are good.
No, really, they’re good.  I heart them.
They are one of my favorite side dishes to make, and truth be told… sometimes I’ll eat just them with the veggie being served that night.  Normal, right?  
Just try them, and report back if anyone else is crazy addicted to them. : )

BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRIES
 
Butternut Squash
Olive oil (just enough to drizzle with)
Kosher salt and pepper
 
Trim skin off of your squash and scoop out the seeds.
Cut into about 4 to 5 inch sections and cut into 1/4 to 1/2″ matchsticks using a knife or crinkle cutter.
Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet in single layer.
Toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: , ,

Coleslaw

July 6, 2011 by
 
We are really enjoying the summertime this year, especially since we’ve had alot of craziness the last couple weeks.  It’s always nice after a crazy week to throw something on the grill and whip up a salad or two.  I’ve been playing around with coleslaw and finally made one that my hubby liked.  (Me too. : )  If you don’t have pickles in your fridge then what’s wrong with you?!  just substitute some apple cider vinegar.  Happy summertime!
 
COLESLAW
 
1/2 head cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 T juice from pickle jar
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
 
Whisk together mayo, pickle juice, and sugar in a small bowl.
Toss cabbage, carrot, and red onion together in a large bowl, pour dressing over and toss together.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

BBQ Baked Beans

May 27, 2011 by
 
Are you ready for the long weekend?  Any plans?  I’m hoping for some sunshine so we can play in the yard and dirt. : )  Last weekend we had a fun cowgirl birthday party for our four year old.  I was so grateful for sweet amazing friends who helped celebrate with us and make it an extra fun day.  I made a little BBQ spread fit for cowgirls and boys alike and I just had to include beans on the menu.  My mom always made her baked beans for bbq’s, and while I don’t mind them, they were made from canned pork and beans and I really wanted to make some from dried beans.  So I tried to make my own recipe up and boy were they good!
I think they’d be a great addition to any bbqs you have this weekend, and the great thing is you can make them rain or shine!  If you don’t have oven space, these would work fine in a crock pot as well.
 
BBQ BAKED BEANS
 
1 lb pinto beans
8 slices smoked bacon, chopped
8 oz ham, chopped
2 onions, finely chopped (I use smoked onions )*
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup bbq sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
 
Rinse and sort beans, put in a bowl or pot and cover with water by a few inches.
Let soak overnight.  Drain and rinse again.
In a large pot cook the bacon until crisp.  Drain off most the fat.
Add the garlic, onions, and ham.  Saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add rinsed beans, and 6 cups water.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until beans are soft.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for another hour.
Pour into a casserole or 9 by 13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours.
 
We smoke about 6 onions at a time and I put them in a gallon Ziploc in the freezer. That way, whenever I need one, I have some on hand.  If you don’t have smoked onions, you could add 1/4 tsp liquid smoke at the end of cook time.
 
 
 
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Corn Fritters

May 17, 2011 by
 
I feel a little bad about not posting as much lately.  Then again, not really : )
I’ve been busy with life, enjoying our new kitchen and the occasional sunshine we’ve been having.
I drove up north with my Mom on Saturday to spend the day with my Grandmother.  It may seem a bit depressing to say I helped her with her funeral planning, but it was really a sweet day and I was so glad to help her with something important to her.  Have you ever heard the saying “Tough old bird”?  They’re talking about my Gran when they say that.  (I say that with affection, I might add).
At 96 I’m totally amazed at her spunk.  We had so much fun talking about cooking and old memories.  Like my Great Uncle Ernie and how he loved to pull my pigtails at the holiday table. : )
And making homemade maple bars with warm butterscotch frosting with Grandma. 
 
So I suppose that’s why I’m feeling so nostalgic today, and wanted to share a recipe that both my mom and grandma made, and now I love to make as well.  These are super easy, and kids love to help mix the batter.  Just throw it all in a bowl and hand em a wooden spoon.  Usually fritters are deep-fried but we always make them this way since it’s healthier and we just always ate them that way too.  Think of them like savory little pancakes, in which you can hide all kinds of veggies. : )
 
CORN FRITTERS
 
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (you can add a little more milk if batter is too thick)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 can corn, drained
 
Put all ingredients except corn in a bowl, mix until combined.  Stir in corn.
Drizzle a small amount of oil on a griddle or in a skillet over medium high heat and drop batter by large spoon fulls.  Flip over when browned on one side. (This is a lot like making pancakes).
Done when second side is cooked.  Serve warm with a little butter and salt and pepper.
 
Recipe source: My Grandma
 
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Fried Rice

January 10, 2011 by
I made this recipe a looong time ago.  When I was just beginning to experiment more in the kitchen.  Before I was sleep deprived… before I was loosing all my hair… (and sanity) : )  Actually, it was before I even graduated high school!   It’s fairly unusual for me to make the same recipe for that length of time without changing it at all, but I just like it so much for a quick dinner or side dish just the way it is.  For a main dish, I add meat, see variation at end of recipe, but I like it without meat as well.  And if I have any fresh snow peas on hand they are always great to throw in too.
FRIED RICE
Recipe by My Stained Apron
2 T oil
4 cups cooked and cooled rice*
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup frozen peas (You could also use frozen carrot / pea mix)
3 eggs, beaten
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 tsp soy sauce
1 T spice mix (or desired amount) recipe at bottom
Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium high heat.
Add rice, carrots, and peas.  Stir occasionally, letting the rice brown.
Add soy sauce and spice mix, stir in until well combined.
Push rice to one side of pan and pour beaten eggs in empty space in pan.
As eggs start to set, stir to scramble. When cooked through, stir into rice.
Add green onions and stir.
SPICE MIX: Mix everything together, can also make a larger batch to keep on hand.
 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
*I like to freeze leftover rice for this dish.  You can use the rice straight from the freezer, it usually doesn’t even clump up in the freezer.
To make into a main dish you can add chopped BBQ Pork, diced chicken breast, shrimp, or a combination of a couple.  Just cook meat at the beginning before you add the rice.
Filed Under: Asian, Meatless Main Dishes, Side Dishes

Garlic Green Beans

November 15, 2010 by
Simple.  Delicious.  I love green beans.  And the way I love them most is when they are prepared very simply.  I have many memories of standing barefoot in the garden with my Dad when I was a young girl, eating vegetables raw, straight off the plants.  I swear I can still feel the warm dirt inbetween my toes and the sun on my back if I close my eyes.  So I suppose maybe that’s why I still love vegetables best either raw or without alot of “dressing up” done to them. I make these for every holiday, and on many days inbetween.
GARLIC GREEN BEANS
Recipe by My Stained Apron
1 pound green beans
2 T unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Blanch the beans. Wash, then trim ends. Either leave whole or cut in 2 inch lengths.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add green beans.
Boil no more than 5 minutes. ( I like them pretty firm, so about 3 minutes is all I do)
Imediately drain beans and put in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.
Melt butter in a pan over medium high heat, and add garlic. (careful, garlic burns easy and fast, so don’t add it until just before the beans!)
Add green beans (drained first) and toss.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
*Holiday make ahead tips: You can blanch the beans a day ahead of time and store in the fridge. 



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Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes