Category Archives: Vegetable Side Dishes

Fresh Veggie + Cabbage Slaw

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I’ve made you some slaw!

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And I’ve got a couple of things to say about it.

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1. This would be a great side dish (or topping!) for these veggie burgers. Great combo + so delicious!

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2. I’ve done quite a few strange things since I’ve started this blog, but I’ve got to say that photographing a large pile of raw chopped cabbage at 9 a.m. has got to be the strangest. 🙂

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3. I’m calling this slaw (and any other slaw I may someday make) just slaw instead of coleslaw. What does coleslaw even mean? The only thing I think of when I think of coleslaw is what I was served in my elementary school cafeteria. Trying not to compare the two.

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4. This recipe is brought to you by Cabo Fish Taco. Cabo Fish Taco is an amazing restaurant that Greg and I discovered a couple of summers ago in Charlotte, NC after seeing it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (love that show!). We went once and luckily have made it back a couple of times since and each time was just as good as the last. We always get the BBQ mahi fish tacos that taste like a plate full of fresh. The tacos come topped with this amazing slaw and the recipe is available on food network! The recipe is for the entire taco, and for this post, I just made the slaw. The only changes I made were adding more veggies and less mayo.

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5. As I mentioned above, I never really liked slaw (coleslaw). But this is different.  This tastes so fresh and light! And so flavorful. If you haven’t had a great past with coleslaw, you should definitely try this!

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6. Mayo. Another thing I’ve had a rough past with. I’ve never liked it. And if it is in something I’m eating, I try to forget about it. Like this dip. The dip is soo good, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. So, if I can forget there is mayo in it, it’s all okay. Does anyone else do this? But now, I’ve discovered something that I can come close to saying I sort of like! This. Has anyone else tried this and/or had this experience?

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7. This slaw is so good. It’s a summer recipe. Light, fresh, bright, delicious. It has a lovely kick with the chili powder and cayenne but is balanced with the cilantro and all of the cool, refreshing fresh veggies. It also isn’t overly creamy like traditional coleslaw, especially if you leave out some of the mayo. I hope you get to try it and love it too!

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Find the recipe here. Enjoy!

Roasted Mushroom, Potato and Carrot Salad + Homemade Garlic Croutons

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I think you are going to love this!

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A healthy salad! That is delicious!

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I’m telling you, I am in love with this salad.

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I mentioned the other day that I am ready for light summer food and this is just that.

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Roasted mushrooms are unbelievable. If you have never roasted mushrooms, you need to. And if you have, I hope this is a friendly reminder of how to-die-for they are.

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I feel like I am kind of at a weird in-between stage with fruits and veggies. I’m sort of done with winter produce and ready for summer foods but it’s just not time yet. But, I feel like it is always a good time for potatoes. And carrots. And I’ve discovered that cubed fingerling potatoes roast up so nicely. And carrots too! Why is everything better roasted?

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And, these croutons. I definitely have a love-hate relationship with croutons. They are yummy and a nice crunchy addition to salad, but have you ever looked at the ingredient list on store-bought croutons? If you haven’t and you have any desire to eat minimally processed foods, don’t look and don’t buy. Make these instead.

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I’ve had problems with homemade croutons in the past. They seemed confusing and have turned out either too soft or hard as rocks. These turned out perfectly. The garlic flavor is subtle but delicious. These were slightly soft but had a nice crunch. And so super simple. They take no time at all. I feel like I will start to make a big batch of these to keep on hand.

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The whole thing together is amazing. Everything works together so perfectly. The veggies, greens and croutons. There is nothing I love better than a plate full of veggies that tastes delicious and is satisfying!

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And, come back tomorrow to see what I dressed my salad with. It. is. amazing!

This is what I used to make probably four servings
Ingredients
8 oz. mushrooms (I used baby portobello)
3 large carrots
10 oz. fingerling potatoes
Fresh ground black pepper
Greens, I used spring mix lettuce, probably about 6 cups
4 pieces of grainy/seedy bread
Olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Method

Preheat oven to 375*.

Cube the carrots and the potatoes and cut the mushrooms in half. I left the stems on. All veggies should be about the same size. Add veggies to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, about 1-2 tablespoons, just enough to coat the veggies. Toss to coat well and season with pepper. Transfer veggies to a baking sheet and roast until soft and nicely browned. I roasted for 25 minutes.

While veggies are roasting, cube the bread slices. Add them to a bowl. Add about 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Pour the oil and garlic over the bread cubes and toss to combine well. You can add the bread cubes to the same pan as the veggies or get a new one, but they will need about 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just crispy.

Assemble the salad by placing the greens in individual bowls or one big bowl. Top with the roasted veggies and garlic croutons. Drizzle on dressing and toss to combine everything well.

Tomorrow I’ll share my dressing recipe!

Enjoy!

Mango Salsa

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I’ve got a little topping for your burgers!

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Some mango salsa.

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Tomatoes + mangoes + jalapenos + red onions + cilantro + lime. Yum.

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This salsa is fresh, juicy and bright.

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It would be good with chips. Or on a veggie burger. Or for meat-lovers, how about on some chicken? This would also go great with fresh fish. On a bed of salad greens. The possibilities are endless. I kept a container of this in my refrigerator last week and it went on everything.

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This is getting me ready for summer. For the fresh + sweet + light food of summertime.

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Summer food, I am ready for you.

Ingredients:
1 mango (I used a champagne mango)
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 jalapeno (or less, depending on how spicy you want it to be)
1/2 of a red onion
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 lime

Dice mango, tomatoes, jalapeno and onion. Roughly chop the cilantro. Add to a bowl. Squeeze the juice from one lime over the ingredients and then stir to combine everything well.

Enjoy!

Mini Mushroom Pot Pies

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Remember when I showed you my walk through Rittenhouse Square?

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Well, the same day I took that walk, I ate something so very delicious.

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I ate at the Metropolitan Cafe, right next to Rittenhouse Square. I stopped in and ordered a mini mushroom pot pie and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. It was so good. I knew from my first bite that I wanted to make my own.

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After several attempts, I have this to share with you. This may be my new (for now) favorite meal.

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The flavor of the mushroom part is unbelievable. It sort of reminds me of Thanksgiving.

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And I’m loving puff pastry right now. The IMperfectionist in me is loving how messy but beautiful it looks. And it’s just the perfect puffy little topping for the mushrooms.

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For any non-mushroom lovers out there, you still have to try this! Leave out the shrooms and swap in something else. How about zucchini or butternut squash! Or meat if that is what you please.

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This dish is healthy, fulfilling, creamy (with no butter or cream!) and flavorful. I hope that you get to enjoy this meal!

Method:

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 large carrots
1/2 of a red pepper
16 oz. mushrooms
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
1.5 c. vegetable broth
6 puff pastry squares, with a hole poked in top
1 egg white

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400*. Prepare six 7-ounce ramekins, or any dish that you choose to use.

Dice the shallots, carrots, red peppers and mushrooms all to about the same size.

Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for about two minutes, to flavor the oil. Add the diced shallot and a pinch of salt. Stir, then cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add diced carrots and red peppers, stir and cook an additional five minutes. Add the thyme, nutmeg, pepper and additional salt if desired. Add the spinach and stir everything together. Cover the pot and cook about 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Add the flour to the pot and gently stir to incorporate. Next add the broth, adding a little bit at a time and stirring well to be sure you’re getting all the chunks of flour out. Cover and let simmer for about 3 minutes.

Ladle the mushroom mixture into ramekins and top with puff pastry squares. Brush the puff pastry with egg white.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pastry has puffed and is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Green Salad with Roasted Beets and Fruit

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This is refreshing.

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A clean, healthy meal.

A fresh start after a weekend of milkshakes, french fries, cupcakes and pizza.

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While that was very fun, I’m in need of this. This salad is fresh, bright, sweet, crunchy and fulfilling.

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Even though it’s light, the varying flavors and and textures make you feel satisfied.

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Eating this salad makes me feel like I’m getting both my mind and body back on track.

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This week, I’m going to need a lot of these salads.

Method:
for one salad

A large handful of mixed greens
1 beet
A handful of blueberries
3 large strawberries, sliced
A small handful of chopped pecans
Goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400*. Wash and dry the beet. Pierce with a fork and roast until soft, about an hour. Once roasted, let cool and peel off the skin. Slice the beet.
Place greens, blueberries, strawberries, beets, pecans and goat cheese in a bowl. Use as much goat cheese as you please.

*Note: I roast a lot of beets at once so that when I want some, they are ready and sliced.

Enjoy!