Category Archives: Vegetable Side Dishes

Favorite Hummus

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I’m sharing with you today my absolute favorite hummus recipe – homemade, simple, uncomplicated and tahini-free!

I don’t like buying things that I don’t use often. I will occasionally buy a special ingredient for a special recipe, but for everyday food, I use what’s already in my pantry + some fresh fruits and veggies. That has always been my hummus dilemma. I don’t want to buy tahini, but I read everywhere that the key to creamy, yummy hummus is tahini. So I bought it once and it took up room in my fridge and the only thing I used it for was hummus and I’m just not happy with things like that. If you are like me, and want a seriously uncomplicated, tahini-free hummus, this is the recipe for you!

With six total ingredients (all things that I always have on hand) and just a tiny bit of time, you can have delicious, filling, simplified hummus!

I make this all the time and don’t vary it. When it comes to hummus, I truly do just enjoy it simple, not complicated and not fancy. Just some chickpeas, lemon, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. That’s it. To me, that’s all it needs. This version is creamy, lemony and wonderful served with crackers, toasted bread or fresh veggies. This hummus is great to whip up for a snack, to take to a party or to enjoy it as we did just last night, as a spread on sandwiches.

If you try it and you love, let me know. Leave a comment on this post, on Facebook or Twitter!

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Favorite Hummus
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Ingredients
  1. 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
  2. Juice from 1/2 of a lemon (or about 2 tablespoons)
  3. 2 medium garlic cloves
  4. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  6. 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
  1. Drain but don't rinse the chickpeas (see notes below).
  2. Add the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic cloves, pepper and salt to a food processor. Process for about one minute, or until mixture has turned into a smooth paste.
  3. Turn off the food processor, scrape down the sides and turn it back on, drizzling in the olive oil a little at a time, until hummus has reached your desired smoothness and consistency.
  4. Taste and add more lemon juice, garlic, pepper and/or salt to your taste.
Notes
  1. I drain, but don't rinse my chickpeas. The brand I use has no salt added so I don't feel the need to rinse them. If your canned chickpeas have salt added, rinse them if you are worried about excess salt, or don't rinse them and don't add any extra salt to the hummus.
  2. If you are sensitive to lemon or garlic tastes, start with less of each and add more as you choose.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Apple, Zucchini + Walnut Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

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Today we’re keeping things light and tasty with this simple spring salad.

I tossed mixed greens with chopped apple, zucchini, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta and an easy-to-make lemon Dijon vinaigrette.

First let’s talk salad. I don’t really know what produce to use right now. Someone fill me in. I feel like we’re in an in-between time. So, I’m cheating and bringing you apples (a little late) and zucchini (a little early). I’m breaking the rules. We can’t be perfect all the time, so break the seasonal rules with me and make this salad.

This is as simple as it gets. Chop a little, toss a little and you’re set. I keep it tossed and undressed in the fridge for several days to make packing lunches super easy and quick.

Now let’s talk dressing. If you’re already on the homemade dressing bandwagon, isn’t it great? If you aren’t but wanting to try, start with this one. It’s so easy to make and will have you wanting to leave store-bought dressings behind. This particular lemon Dijon vinaigrette is very versatile – I can’t really think of a salad I wouldn’t eat it on. The salad I made you today contains sweet ingredients like cranberry and apple and the tart, savory dressing so nicely compliments those sweet flavors.

The amounts I provide for the dressing in the recipe below are a base. Maybe you’ll want it a little sweeter, so add more honey, or maybe you’ll want it more mustard-y, so add more Dijon. Taste as you go and make it something you love.

Crisp, crunchy, sweet, tart and savory, fresh and light yet filling. That’s how I’d describe this salad. The varying flavors and textures are what make this so unique. I hope you make it and I hope you love it!

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Apple, Zucchini + Walnut Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
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For the salad
  1. Mixed greens
  2. 1 medium apple, chopped
  3. 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  4. 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  5. 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  6. Large handful of dried cranberries
For the dressing
  1. 1/2 cup olive oil
  2. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  3. 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  4. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  5. 1 garlic clove, minced
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  8. 1/2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
  1. For the salad, place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss.
  2. For the dressing, place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake very well, to combine. It will become sort of creamy. Try the dressing, and adjust to your taste.
  3. Serve salad onto plates and serve with dressing.
  4. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. The undressed, tossed salad will keep fresh in the fridge for several days. The salad makes a great quick lunch.
  2. The amounts I provide in the recipe will make 3/4 cup of dressing and 2 large or 4 small servings of salad.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Favorite Brussels Sprouts

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Less than a week from now, we’ll be sitting around a table for one of my favorite meals of the year!

And these Brussels sprouts will be in front of me.

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Greg and I have been cooking together for just about three years now. Over those three years, a few dishes have emerged as a specialty of his, and these sprouts are one of them. 

Greg loves this vegetable and cooks it like a boss. Today, I’m sharing his recipe!

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And really, his recipe is not even a recipe. He does it by taste and by smell and sound. He knows what we like and he makes them awesome. But for today, for you, I put these sprouts into a recipe. Because they are too good to not share. 

This dish is simple. It requires few ingredients. It requires some chopping, some slicing and a little, but not much, attention for cooking. Here’s what you need:

Brussels sprouts
Shallots
Garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

That’s it!

It is one of our favorite side dishes for the two of us, but we also love making it for groups. We have made it the last couple of Thanksgivings for my family, and this year will be no different.

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We often talk about how Brussels are one of the most underrated veggies out there, and that is most likely due to many people having a bad Brussels experience. They were served Brussels that weren’t fresh, or that were simply boiled with no seasoning. If you are one of those people, a Brussels sprouts hater, this recipe could change your mind, I promise! 

Part of the magic of cooking is how so few, simple ingredients can come together to taste so darn good. But this, this is a perfect example of that.

When simple Brussels sprouts and shallots come together and get caramelized together in a pan, it is nothing but pure magic. When you sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on those sprouts and shallots, it’s even better. The taste is sweet and smoky. You want to just keep eating more and more and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

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 The recipe I give you today is somewhat loose. The amount of sprouts you need is dependent on a couple of things – 1) how many people are eating and 2) how hungry those people are.

When making this for just Greg and I for a side dish for a normal dinner, I usually buy 10 Brussels sprouts for each of us.

For every two servings of Brussels sprouts (so in our case, for every 20 sprouts) I use 10 shallots. Yes, 10. It sounds like a lot and it will look like a lot, but the shallots are what make this dish. They get caramelized and sweet and flavorful and as I always say, the more shallots, the better! When you slice them up, you will feel like you have just as many shallots as sprouts, and that’s okay!

Now, Greg and I are big eaters (especially Brussels sprouts eaters!) so this may sound like too many for you. Or not enough! Use your best judgement on how many sprouts each person could eat when making this. 

If you are making this for a large Thanksgiving-like meal where there are tons of other side dishes, then you can probably plan for less Brussels per serving, maybe 5-7 sprouts per person. You can also plan to use less shallots. It would be unreasonable to use 80-100 shallots to serve a large group of people, in my opinion (but go for it if you want!).  

Have questions about making these for a large group? Leave a question in the comments section!

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If you’re still searching for a simple, no-fuss veggie for your Thanksgiving meal, give these a try! They are always a crowd pleaser. Or maybe, you’re just looking for a simple and delicious way to eat Brussels sprouts any night of the week. These are for you, too! Enjoy!

Favorite Brussels Sprouts
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Ingredients
  1. Brussels sprouts (I usually do 7-10 per person, depending on the size)
  2. Shallots (For every 15-20 Brussels sprouts, I do 10 shallots)
  3. Fresh garlic, minced (2 large cloves for every 15-20 Brussels sprouts)
  4. Olive oil
  5. Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Cut Brussels sprouts in half and rinse. Thinly slice the shallots.
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot or pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and stir.
  3. Add the sliced shallots and a pinch of salt to the pan and stir. Cook shallots over medium heat, stirring every so often, for about five minutes, or until slightly softened and browned.
  4. Add Brussels sprouts to the pan and stir. Cook sprouts over medium heat, covered but stirring frequently so that they don't burn, for 15-20 minutes. Add oil to the pan as needed. I usually add more oil 1-3 times during cooking, so that the sprouts don't burn and stick. Brussels should get browned, caramelized and soft.
  5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
  1. The amounts I provided will serve 2 big servings or 3-4 small servings. See the entire post for info about making these for a large group.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Kale, Cranberry + Walnut Stuffing (stuffed in a pumpkin!)

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I’ve got something to tell you.

I am OBSESSED with stuffing.

Oh my goodness do I love it.

When I tell people that I don’t eat turkey on Thanksgiving, I often get the response, “If you don’t eat turkey, then what do you eat?”

I eat stuffing. Lots and lots of stuffing. 

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I’m not sure when exactly this obsession started, but I’m glad it did. Stuffing makes me so happy. I even “liked” stuffing on Facebook. I’m not sure why you can do that (or how I discovered that you could), but I did. And every year around Thanksgiving, “Stuffing” begins to post on Facebook. And I secretly love it!

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I think my mom makes the best stuffing. It’s very simple and very classic, but so delicious. It has the perfect flavor. And it is so moist. It doesn’t need gravy, although I put gravy on it anyway because I also love gravy. 

And while I love and wouldn’t want to go without my mom’s amazing, classic stuffing, it is fun to experiment with it a bit, too. As far as I’m concerned, the more stuffing, the better. 🙂

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The story behind this kale, cranberry + walnut stuffing:

When I came home from Florida last week, a beautiful pumpkin was sitting on the table waiting just for me (and flowers, too!). Greg picked out the pumpkin for me at the farmers market when I was away. He said he talked to a woman about stuffing the pumpkin, and thought that I would love the idea. He knows me too well – there is nothing I would rather do this time of the year than stuff a pumpkin with stuffing! 

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I bought some multigrain bread (my favorite) and then searched my fridge and pantry for the perfect add-ins for the stuffing. I love the classic flavor combo of fresh garlic, shallots, carrots and celery so I thought that would be my base. I added baby kale because I am obsessed with adding it to everything lately. To the bread, I added dried cranberries and walnuts, just because I thought it would work. I spiced it up with plenty of dried thyme, sage, nutmeg, salt, pepper and some fresh rosemary. I used fresh rosemary because I love the flavor of fresh over dried and I know that I will use the entire package when I buy it. The only binding ingredient in this stuffing is chicken broth (use veggie broth to make it completely vegetarian!). I didn’t want to add egg, so I tried just the broth and it worked perfectly as a binder.

And just a note: stuffing doesn’t have to be wildly unhealthy to be delicious! This stuffing has only 2 tablespoons of butter in the entire thing. I used multigrain bread, nuts, dried fruit and a ton of veggies. I’m not saying it’s a health food, but you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in this!

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My origianl plan was to cut the pumpkin top off, jack-o-lantern style. Just as if I were carving the pumpkin. But, this pumpkins skin was very thick and hard to cut through. I tried but decided I just couldn’t do it. I decided to cut the pumpkin in half, take the seeds out and stuff some stuffing into each side. It worked very well, and I think that anyway you can cut your pumpkin would work, too. 

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The flavor of this stuffing is amazing. It is everything I hoped for. The cranberries and walnuts add great texture. It is perfectly moist. Greg and I agreed that gravy is not necessary for it. 

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And the pumpkin presentation is fun and cool. I think that it would be a fun dish to take to a family or friend Thanksgiving get-together. And as far the the pumpkin flesh, it can be scraped out and eaten with the stuffing, or scraped out and used for another recipe. Don’t let that pumpkin go to waste!

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So, what do you think? Will you stuff some stuffing into a pumpkin this season? Even if you have a traditional stuffing recipe, I encourage you to give this one a try too. It’s fun, delicious and like I said above, there can never be too much stuffing. 🙂 Enjoy!

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Kale, Cranberry + Walnut Stuffing
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Ingredients
  1. 5 cups multigrain bread, cut into cubes
  2. 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  3. 1/2 cup walnuts
  4. 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  5. 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
  6. 1/2 tablespoon dried sage
  7. Pinch of nutmeg
  8. Salt and pepper
  9. 1 tablespoon butter
  10. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  11. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  12. 8 small shallots, sliced
  13. 2 medium carrots, diced
  14. 3 celery stalks, diced
  15. 2 ounces baby kale
  16. 2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian!)
  17. 1 large baking pumpkin
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400*.
  2. Prep your pumpkin. Do what seems to work best. You could cut it as if you were carving a pumpkin, or like me, cut the pumpkin in half. Clean out the pumpkin seeds.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cubed bread, dried cranberries, walnuts, rosemary, thyme, sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and shallots. Cook several minutes, until shallots soften.
  5. Add the carrots and celery and cook several more minutes, until veggies begin to become tender. Once tender, add the baby kale and cook, stirring until kale is wilted.
  6. Add the cooked veggies to the bread combo. Add the chicken broth and stir, until well combined and all bread is wet.
  7. Stuff the stuffing into the hollow, cleaned out pumpkin. Place the pumpkin in a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 1-1.5 hours, or until stuffing is cooked through and the pumpkin flesh is fork tender.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Simple Bruschetta

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I remember the first time my mom and I made bruschetta.

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It was many summers ago.

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It was a time when we scoured the internet for recipes when we wanted to make something more often than we tried to come up with recipes on our own.

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I remember finding the recipe, getting the ingredients and starting. It was a process. The recipe we used had us slicing an ‘x’ at the bottom of each tomato, plunging each tomato in a pot of boiling water, transferring them to a bowl of cold water, peeling the skin off, slicing each tomato in half, squeezing out the tomato seeds and then finally, chopping the tomatoes. Whew. It was quite the job.

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I will say, I remember that bruschetta being so good. We made it that way several times, and it was always an impressive dish when served to others.

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But, we started looking at it as a lot of work. If we wanted to whip up a quick meal, that bruschetta could never be a part of it. It was so delicious, but just too time consuming.

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Over time, we looked for ways to streamline the process, and basically, this is what we came up with. It’s simple and easy, and something that many people, I’m sure, probably already do. It’s so easy that it’s silly to even call this a recipe. But, if anyone reading this is in our shoes and looking for a simpler bruschetta, this is it.

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I do have to say, I don’t have anything wrong witht the process I talked about above. The way we made it before was great. It was delicious. There was nothing wrong with the taste. I wouldn’t even say I won’t make bruschetta like that again someday. This is just a way to make it any night of the week. If you’re in a hurry, or just really hungry, this is the best.

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This version does have tomato seeds and tomato skin, while the other doesn’t. That was what the process was for — to remove the skin and seeds. For me, the skin and seeds aren’t a problem. It’s all about the flavor. Chopped tomatoes, basil and onion, good olive oil, a touch a salt and pepper, crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmesan. It’s simple deliciousness at its finest.

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This dish is best with fresh, summer tomatoes. I got mine from Three Springs and they couldn’t be better! Enjoy this summertime dish!

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Ingredients
1 baguette (I used a mini one!)
4 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons fresh basil
1 small red onion
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Dice the tomatoes. Chop the basil. Dice the red onion. Place all three into a bowl and stir. Add a drizzle of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons, and salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well.

Slice the baguette. Brush each slice with some olive oil and place under the broiler for about a minute, or until the bread begins to get crispy. Spoon the tomato mixture onto each slice of bread. Sprinkle cheese on top of the tomato mixture. Place the bruschetta back under the broiler for several minutes, until the cheese is melted and bread is at desired crispiness.

Notes:
-The amounts I provided are a guide. If you like more or less basil/onion, adjust accordingly.
-Use any cheese that you like.
-The tomato/basil/onion mixture will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
-These are a bit messy to eat, but so worth it!

Enjoy!