Zucchini Onion Pie

I always seem to get in a rut every time I try to think of side dishes for dinner. The usual potato or rice is always an option, but trying to come up with a vegetable side that's different and not just a frozen or sauteed version of some vegetable is nearly impossible for me. I knew when I saw this recipe in a recent Taste of Home magazine that I had to cut it out and try it. And to be honest, it actually exceeded my expectations! It bakes up similar to a frittata due to the eggs and baking mix, but has a wonderful savory, cheesy and herbacious flavor that complements the zucchini and onions perfectly. After I made it, I had tons of little variations run through my head of different vegetables you could add to make a new variety of savory pie! Squash, carrots, corn, or a mixture of two or three to get all of those veggies in for the day. And an added bonus, this dish literally takes about 5 minutes to throw together, aside from the baking time. That's a HUGE plus in my book when I'm trying to prepare the main dish and don't want to waste time preparing the sides. :) (Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home).

 

Ingredients:

•  3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 3 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup biscuit/baking mix

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 7 ingredients. Stir in the zucchini, onion and baking mix. Pour into a greased 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until lightly browned. (Serves 6-8)

Mushroom and Brown Rice Casserole

I usually don't have too hard of a time coming up with ideas and recipes for the main dish each day, but the sides? Whew.. Now that's a whole different story. My mind draws a huge blank each time I try to think about sides and I usually go back to the same boring salad, corn on the cob, mixed veggies, salad, fresh fruit... salad.. You get the picture. It was so nice and refreshing to actually find a different side recipe other than salad! And if you haven't already picked up from my blog that I love mushrooms, then you need to come visit more! I absolutely loved everything about this casserole. The rice was moist and flavorful and the mushrooms and onions added a nice texture and flavor to the brown rice. It's a very simple dish, very creamy and comforting that reminds me of home. And the best part of all is I now have a new side dish to add to my salad and veggies! Perfect in my book. (Recipe and picture courtesy of Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. brown mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cooked brown rice, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• Minced fresh herbs (optional) such as chives, parsley, etc.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2-qt. baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat saute the mushrooms in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add in the rice and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream and salt until smooth. Add in the rice mixture and stir gently until blended. Spoon mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle most of the Parmesan cheese over the top, reserve a bit for finishing. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned. Top with remaining Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Yes, I realize that it is the middle of the summer and the average temperature around here has been 98 degrees, but I still made this soup on Sunday afternoon. Neal and I had eaten a pretty big lunch after church and wanted something light and simple for dinner, so we had sandwiches and caulifower soup. It was so easy and delicious. This is a very creamy soup and works best as a side dish rather than a main course. It also has a very mild flavor and doesn't even taste like vegetables. And did you know that one cup of cauliflower has most of your daily Vitamin C allowance? Pretty awesome! (Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Cookbook)

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 4 cups chicken broth


• 3 cups cauliflower, chopped (fresh or frozen)


• 1/2 cup whipping cream


• 1 tsp. sugar


• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg


• 1 tsp. garlic powder

In a medium saucepan, mix together the chicken broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Pour everything into a blender and puree until all of the cauliflower chunks are smooth. Transfer back to the saucepan and stir in the whipping cream, sugar, nutmeg and garlic powder. Warm through on low heat if necessary. Serve immediately and top with fresh chives if desired.

Note: This recipe could also be made with carrots or broccoli in place of the cauliflower. Or mix together a variety of the three vegetables to make up 3 cups.

Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Although my husband and I have pretty similar tastes when it comes to food, we have always disagreed on one thing: mashed potatoes. I love homemade mashed potatoes while my husband, well... to put it nicely, he hates them. He far prefers the pour-and-mix-with-water variety of potatoes in a pouch. So needless to say I was a little skeptical about making homemade mashed potatoes for our Christmas Eve dinner with his family. But, to my amazement, he actually loved them! And that, my friends, is a big accomplishment. These potatoes were so easy and were absolutely delicious. Everyone at the table raved about them and had second and third helpings until the bowl was scraped clean. The potatoes absorbed the garlic flavor while they were boiling which provided a wonderful herb-flavor that otherwise wouldn't have been there. And the best part is they are extremely versatile! Just throw in the ingredients you have and voila: perfect mashed potatoes. (Picture courtesty of LaaLoosh)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 large russett potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters*
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (powdered version works great too!)
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1-2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover potatoes and bring to a boil. Add in potatoes and garlic and reduce heat to medium-high. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash with potato masher (or fork) until there are only small chunks left. Add in sour cream, parmesan cheese, milk, salt and pepper and mix with a hand mixer on low speed until smooth and combined. Add in more milk as needed to smooth out potatoes.

*If you prefer chunky potatoes, leave unpeeled and mix all ingredients with potato masher and spoon rather than hand mixer.