Sauteed Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Onions
Posted: November 15, 2011 Filed under: Dinner, Healthy, Side Dish, Vegetarian | Tags: dinner, food, Garlic, onion, side dish, tomato, vegetables, zucchini 9 Comments »
I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard for me to label food as truly delectable if it isn’t smothered in cheese, slathered with a rich and creamy sauce, or encased in breading and submersed in piping hot oil. Indulgent foods have a leg up on everything else; that’s just the way it is. Few people prefer raw broccoli to golden, crispy french fries (and if you do, God bless you).
But is the idea that food can only be good if it is made rich and fattening simply a product of our fast food-eating, cookie-stuffed cupcake-baking nation? Perhaps we’ve become so brainwashed by the influx of indulgent eats in America that we’ve forgotten how delicious a simpler dish can be. Maybe it’s not true that richer is always better; maybe that’s just something we’ve been conditioned to believe.
Like this:
Thanksgiving Sides: Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Appetizer, Dinner, Healthy, Holiday, Side Dish, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: asparagus, Garlic, oven-roasted, side dish, Thanksgiving, vegetables 8 Comments »
Thanksgiving means many things depending on who you are. To a foodie, it means the best day of the year. To a man, it means football. To a child, it means putting on a polite facade when Aunt so-and-so insists on squeezing your cheeks and telling you how much you’ve grown. To the head cook in the house, it often means hell.
No matter how much you love cooking, preparing for Thanksgiving can be a traumatizing event. Every year, a couple days before The Big Day, my mom starts grumbling about how much she hates holidays. She doesn’t actually hate holidays. What she hates is spending the whole day cooking, and I don’t blame her. Planning and executing a successful Turkey Day feast is no simple task. It becomes even more challenging when you’re working with what she accurately refers to as “The Barbie Oven.” Yeah, it’s really that small (check out my What’s Cookin’ slideshow if you don’t believe me). We wind up cramming various side dishes into every square inch of that oven and cooking things in the toaster. The bird gets deep-fried, which is good because we wouldn’t have a place for it in the oven anyway.
I know my mom is not alone when it comes to Turkey Day terror. It’s so much food, a whole day’s worth of cooking (sometimes two if you’re the make-ahead type). And the pressure! Everyone’s counting on you to put the feast of a lifetime down on the table. It’s got to be perfect. Who wouldn’t be stressed?
Luckily, my mom’s had my help in the kitchen the past couple of years. We’ve learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t (mostly what doesn’t). For one, not every dish has to be complicated. If you’re making fancy fresh rolls or an impressive roasted turkey, there’s no reason why everything else has to be complex.
This Oven-Roasted Asparagus is absolutely delicious, and it’s SO EASY to make. It’s exactly the kind of side you want to serve up on your Thanksgiving table. It’s got a beautifully impressive presentation, delicious oven-roasted flavor, and no one will know how little effort it took.
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Sweet & Simple: Roasted Garlic Broccoli & Shallots
Posted: November 1, 2011 Filed under: Dinner, Healthy, Sweet & Simple, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: broccoli, dinner, Garlic, healthy, light, Olive oil, shallots, side dish, vegetables, vegetarian 6 Comments »
Let’s play a trick on everyone.
You can fool your family.
You can deceive your dinner guests.
You can pull one over on your significant other.
How are we going to do this?
We’re going to make them think we spent a ton of time on a complex and impressive dish. It will be delicious and bursting with flavor, boasting a beautiful and colorful presentation as well.
But we are only going to spend 30 minutes tops making it. And they will never know…
Like this:
Shredded & Sauteed Brussel Sprouts w/ Walnuts
Posted: October 18, 2011 Filed under: Dinner, Healthy, Side Dish, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: brussel sprouts, dinner, food, nuts, Olive oil, side dish, vegetables, vegetarian 7 Comments »
Haters of brussel sprouts everywhere, this post is for you. Brussel sprouts are not the enemy. As a child, you grew up with anti-brussel sprout propaganda. You learned it was wrong for kids to enjoy them, as well as other various green vegetables. But you were led astray, my little cookies.
You see, I was one of the lucky few to avoid being swept up in that childhood need to hate all things green. I loved broccoli, green beans, and, yes, even brussel sprouts. I know, I was a strange kid. However, I didn’t like a lot of other foods, like most meats & anything with cream cheese, so maybe that balanced out my enjoyment of vegetables. The point is: I see the good in these cute little sprouts. It’s time you did too.
Harvest Gnocchi w/ Squash & Kale
Posted: October 13, 2011 Filed under: Casseroles, Dinner, Healthy, Pasta, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: cheese, dinner, Fall, food, gnocchi, healthy, kale, nuts, parmesan cheese, Pasta, squash, vegetables, vegetarian 17 Comments »
Some recipes you know are going to be amazing before the fork ever reaches your mouth. You spot it online or in a cookbook or, in my case, the latest issue of The Food Network Magazine, and you think, “That’s going to be so good!” Well,I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t feel that way when I first saw this this Gnocchi w/ Butternut Squash & Kale. It looked good, don’t get me wrong, but I didn’t figure it’d be anything special. I still went ahead and bookmarked it because it was surprisingly healthy and sang of Fall. Did I think it would “wow” me? Not really. Well, allow me to put my foot in my mouth because this dish wowed me six ways to Sunday.
This Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale sang a beautiful harmony of deliciousness. The note I really heard was “flavor.” So much flavor! I never would’ve expected it. The butternut squash’s slightly sweet taste spreads itself out onto the kale and the gnocchi while all three elements act as sponges for the beautiful butter and the dynamic vegetable broth. Right there, we’re talking flavor power. But it doesn’t stop. With every bite, fresh garlic sauteed in the butter says, “Hello, I’m garlic. I’m here and I’m awesome.” Illusive red pepper flakes hang out in the background, only to give you a kick in the butt at the end of every mouthful. Last but never least, salty parmesan lends a hand to bind all of the flavors together and add that cheesy bite you’ve got to have. It’s just the right amount of cheese, not overboard, but definitely present. With all of these delicious flavors working together, I went from “I’m sitting down to a nice, warm Fall dinner,” to “Hello, I’m awake and so are all of my tastebuds.”
This is a simple dish, but it’s incredible. It’s buttery, hearty, garlicky, cheesy, and it’s got flavors coming at you in all directions. You get a wonderful textural circus too with the kale that’s still got a bit of bite left in it, the gooey parmesan cheese, the tender butternut squash, the soft little gnocchis, and the crunch of walnuts. Your mouth will be so delightfully entertained by this dish. It’s a wake-up call to your tastebuds.
