Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews

This is my favorite way to eat broccoli. I know it's not the healthiest, but tastes so good!

1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

1. Steam broccoli for about 7 minutes. Drain, arrange on serving platter.

2. While broccoli is cooking, melt butter in a small pan. Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in cashews and pour sauce over broccoli. Serve immediately.

Serves 6. Ready in 20 minutes.

Harvard Beets

I never had beets before trying this recipe but now I can say that I love Harvard Beets!

2 or 3 beets
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Rinse beets and remove green stems. Wrap each beet in foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until a knife can cut through the largest beet. After the beets have cooled slightly, run under cold water and rub off the skins. Cube beets into bite sized pieces.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and water. Bring into a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beets to the liquid and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Stir in butter, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Can be served warm or chilled.


Serves 6.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Craisins

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Craisins

1. Thinly slice brussels sprouts using a food processor or knife.

2. Toast pecans in a saute pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until pecans darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma.

3. Add the butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the brussels sprouts, salt, pepper, and cook, until the color brightens and the sprouts are tender. About 6 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from heat, add the cranberries. Toss and serve.

Serves 6-8. Ready in 20 minutes.

*recipe credit: Alton Brown

Baked Potato Wedges

I made this once a few weeks ago and have been craving it ever since so I made them again last night. They were just as good as I remember.

potatoes cut into wedges (I usually do 2 or 3 for the 2 of us)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

2. Toss all ingredients in a ziploc bag until the potatoes are covered. Place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes flipping half way through.

Country Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a saucepan combine all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender.

(I would use ham lunch meat and we love these beans. I'm sure if you used real ham they would be even better.)

Honey Roasted Red Potatoes

The original recipe said these potatoes only took 35 minutes to cook, but they actually took more like an hour (which made me late for mutual) so I'm changing the cooking time. If you have the time to cook these they are definitely worth the wait!

1 pound red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons diced onion

2 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat in 11x13 in baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper.  Place potatoes and onion in a large bowl; drizzle sauce over potatoes. Mix around until all potatoes have been covered in sauce. Put potatoes in a single layer in the prepared dish.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes. Stir potatoes around every 15-20 minutes so they don't get dry. You can also broil the potatoes for the last 2 minutes to get a crunchier outside.

Serves 4. Ready in 1 hour.

zucchini & Pecan Saute

"The pecans add a nice sweet, crunchy flare to the zucchini."

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 pound fresh zucchini, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add pecans; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove pecans from skillet.

2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, and melt. Add zucchini, salt, and pepper and saute until soft. Toss with pecans and cheese. 

Serves 4. Ready in 15 minutes.

Apple Salad

8 oz fat free sour cream

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup sugar

6-7 medium red apples, chopped

Optional: nuts, raisins

1. Mix sour cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Pour over apples, stir. 

Serves 6-8.

Roasted Asparagus

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Place asparagus on an ungreased baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; turn to coat. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Ready in 15 minutes. Serves 4.

Baked French Fries

3-5 whole potatoes

Italian seasoning or other desired spices

salt

1. Wash potatoes, then cut into thin strips or wedges.

2. Put potatoes on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with spices and salt.

 3. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. 

Ready in 35 minutes.

Three Cheese Garlic Bread

“This recipe is for half of the bread loaf, so double it if you need the whole loaf.” 

1 loaf unsliced French or Italian bread

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash paprika and pepper

1. Cut bread in half widthwise; cut one portion in half lengthwise. Save remaining bread for another use. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spread evenly over cut sides of bread.

2. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice and serve warm.

Ready in 15 minutes. Serves 4.

BBQ Baked Beans

1 (15 3/4 oz) can pork and beans

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.

Ready in 15 minutes. Serves 4. 

Broccoli Salad

“The longer this sits the better it tastes.”

2 bunch broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, salted

1 red onion, chopped

1/3 cup raisins

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vinegar

1. Mix top ingredients in a medium bowl.

2. Mix dressing together in a small bowl; then add to broccoli. Stir and refrigerate for about 2 hours. 

Mashed Maple Sweet Potatoes

“Not a very healthy vegetable dish, but oh so good. It’s worth making once in a while.”

4 large sweet potatoes

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cup chopped pecans

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Place sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet, and bake until soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before peeling and placing into a large bowl.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.

4. Mash the warm potatoes along with butter, cream, vanilla, brown sugar, salt, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 cup  chopped pecans, and eggs. Spread mashed sweet potatoes into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1/4 cup pecans.

5. Bake sweet potatoes in oven until hot, 30 to 35 minutes.

Ready in 2 hours 15 minutes. Serves 12.

Parmesan Fettuccine

8 ounces uncooked multi-grain fettuccine

1/3 cup butter, cubed

1/3 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add fettuccine and stir until coated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pepper. Toss to coat.

Ready in 20 minutes. Serves 4.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup reduced fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup fat-free milk

2 to 3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2. In a large bowl, mash potatoes with sour cream, cottage cheese and milk; stir in onions. Transfer to an 8-in square baking dish (or similar size) coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

3. Bake at 375˚ for 5-10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Ready in 30 minutes. Serves 5. 

Fresh Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 4-7 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drain beans; stir in onion mixture and heat through. 

Read in 20 minutes. Serves 4.