Easy Sides: Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic

When it comes to getting dinner on the table without losing your sanity, quick side dishes are key. They allow you to focus on the star of the show (the entrée) while complimenting it beautifully with practically zero effort. Some favorites of mine are quick-cook brown rice, quinoa, or some sautéed veggies. This broccolini is probably the easiest recipe I’ve posted to date. Perfectly crunchy yet full of its natural flavor, the garlic adds a little zing! There’s so much to love! Lights, camera, action.

Servings: 4

What You’ll Need:

• 1 package broccolini (also known as “baby broccoli” – but if you don’t have broccolini, regular broccoli works great too! Just try chopping it into bite-size pieces)
• 4 garlic cloves
• Cooking spray/small frying pan
• Salt/Pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

The Step-by-Step:

1. Cut the garlic cloves long-ways into really thin slices.
2. Spray pan with cooking spray and let heat on the stove for about 30 seconds before adding half the garlic. Stir it lightly, and after about 30 more seconds, stir in the broccolini.
3. Do not touch for about 2 minutes! This is important to get that nice sear!
4. Add the rest of the garlic. Ligthly toss, then turn off the heat. Leave the pan on the stove so it keeps “cooking.”
5. When ready to serve, drizzle with the olive oil.

enjoy!!!

xoxo n

Simply Roasted Broccoli w/ Sea Salt

The perfect year-round side dish that never fails.

You're actually going to be surprised how easy it is.

No, but like, really surprised.

So surprised, I'm not even going to give you the recipe in the normal layout.

Get ready to get centered.

Take broccoli.

Wash gently in cold water.

Cut off florets (part that look like mini-trees)

Put on oven pan with cooking spray.

Sprinkle with a dash of salt.

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

You're done.

Deliciousness.

Be surprised, broccoli rockstar.

xoxo n.

Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Sadly, the only time I get to come back to my hometown in Texas is during the holidays. With that being said, for the past few years, this dish has become synonymous with family dinners at home. I'd highly recommend it for any gathering of friends or family -- and with only 15 minutes of hands-on time, it's a comfort food that speaks for itself.

Servings: enough for 8 people

What You'll Need:

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (two tablespoons of honey will work too)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Cooking spray (or olive oil)
• Couple handfuls of mini-marshmallows
• Oven

The Step-by-Step:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Rinse the potatoes in running water, and use your hands to make sure all the dirt is off. Using a good knife, slice potatoes into circles, then the circles in 4 pieces each to make chunks.
3. Spray a good sized oven pan  with cooking spray. (I used one of my mom's circular pans, but if I was at home, I'd use a standard-sized brownie pan)
4. Place the potato chunks in the pan, and in a small bowl, mix the syrup and the sugar together.
5. Pour the syrup mixture onto the potatoes and toss with your (washed) hands.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, and use a fork to see if the potatoes are soft (if you have a hard time inserting the fork, it needs to bake more.) If soft, sprinkle the marshmallows over the potatoes and place back into the oven for 5 more minutes.
8. Remove from the oven. The marshmallows should be melted.
9. Eat up!

 

xoxo n

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For the record

Brown sugar and maple syrup may not be super nutritious, but sweet potatoes are commonly called the most nutritious vegetable there is (not to mention one of the cheapest ever.) As far as nutrients, it's probably the best bang for your buck you can get.Many recipes you will find on the internet for a marshmallow/sweet potato caserole dish will have way more sugar and fat than this one. I would know -- I used to make it by mashing the potatoes and adding about a cup of sweetened coffee creamer (on top of everything listed above)! YIKES! So I decided to lighten it up, and to this day, everyone still eats it up, even those who aren't as healthy as I try to be. If you keep the portions on this dish in check, this dish is a perfectly good way to celebrate, whether at a dinner party, or just on a Tuesday.

 

Bok Choy with Red Pepper & Ginger

Imagine a veggie that is stalky like celery, but white -- and has leaves so green, but doesn't taste like lettuce? Enter into the realm of Bok Choy -- a vegetable used for hundreds of years in China with a slightly sweet, yet light and crisp taste. (best part? low in calories -- holla!) 

A fresh head of bok choy came in my From the Farmer produce delivery this week, and I honestly had couldn't delay using it. This vegetable is actually a favorite of my father's -- but instead of boiling it (i'm not a fan of the texture) -- I sautéed it with some fresh ginger and red peppers for a fresh and colorful twist. Absolutely scrumptious. I packed it up for my lunch all this week -- after making myself stop reaching into the pot.

Servings: 4 (about 1 cup each)

What You'll Need:

• 1 head of fresh bok choy
• 1 small onion (or 2 tbsp onion powder)
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger (or ginger powder)
• Cooking Spray
• Salt/Pepper

The Step-by-Step:

1. Chop up the onion and red peppers into small pieces.
2. Heat a large pan on the stove over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
3. Add peppers and onion, and let cook for 5 minutes. Every minute or so, give it a good stir.
4. While the peppers and onion are cooking, break a stalk off the bok choy head and cut it into slices (starting with the green side and working your way to the white.)
5. Add in the bok choy slices as you go.
6. Keep stirring :)
7. Take your ginger and grate it directly into the pan until you see the equivalent of about 2 big spoonfuls. (If you don't have a grater, cut the ginger into very small pieces then add.)
8. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir.
9. Serve immediately.

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Good on its own, or as a side dish -- and including the chopping and slicing, this bok choy only takes 20 minutes to prepare. Perfect for a fall day when you're rushing to get things done. Not to mention, its chock full of Vitamins A and C, as well as calcium. I think my dad would be proud. Sounds fantastic to me.

xoxo n