Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

 

There are a great number of ways to make fries in the air fryer.  We found a great recipe (from Yumna Jawad's Feel Good Foodie) to serve as a base and started mixing in different spices until we found a great taste.  These are a quick and easy way to add a great side to your meal (if you have an air fryer).  Since sweet potatoes are a super food - it is a nice way to get them into your diet more.  The trick here is to be patient and not overload the sweet potatoes in the air fryer.  Working in batches might be in order if you are cooking for a crowd.  They need a bit of room to cook!

Ingredients (2 servings)

2 medium or 1 large Sweet potato
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
Pinch of Black Pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. 
2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice each potato into 1/3 inch thick sticks.  
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder paprika and black pepper.
4. Cook without overcrowding the pan.  This will be between 13-14 minutes.  Half way through, shake the basket to get all sides cooking.  

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Cuban-Style Black Beans

I really miss the Caribbean. I have been thinking that I needed to cook some dishes with Cuban black beans - so I thought I would start with a basic recipe that I have wanted to try for some time. This recipe was adapted from EatingWell's Slow-Cooker Cuban-Style Black Beans.  I thought I would try this and loved the way that it turned out.  I served with with grilled chicken.  Soon, I will mix it with rice (brown or white) and think it should be wonderful.  This was easy to make and it tastes fantastic.  It might not be 100% authentic Cuban cooking - but it will work for me!  It will be a regular dish as I try to mix up dishes that give me a sense of the Caribbean!

Ingredients (makes 10-12 servings)

1 lbs Dried black beans (about 2 1/3 cups)

3 1/2 cups Chicken or vegetable stock (low-sodium or unsalted)

2 cups Water

1 White onion (large), peeled and quartered through root

1 Green bell pepper, diced coarsely (1/2" pieces")

2 Bay leaves

2 tsp Oregano, dried

1 tsp, Black pepper

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 Red bell pepper, finely chopped

4 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)

1 tbsp Cumin, ground

2 tbsp Tomato paste

½ cup Cilantro, chopped (around one bunch)

Directions

1. Sort and wash the beans. 

2. Stir together the beans, chicken stock, water, onion, green bell pepper, bay leaves, oregano and black pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until the beans are tender, 9 to 11 hours. Discard the onion and bay leaves.

3. When the beans are mostly done, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the red bell pepper and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring often for around 8-10 minutes.  

4. Add the cumin to the skillet and stir until well blended (just under a minute).  Add the tomato paste to the skillet and stir until well blended (1-2 minutes).

5. Add contents from the skillet and the cilantro to the black beans.  Blend until full mixed.

Enjoy!

Shrimp and Vegetable Fried Rice

 

Every so often you need a dish like this.  It has it all, protein, grains, vegetables, and it is a bit better that you are going to get in a restaurant.  I love brown rice and this is a great way to work that into the diet.  This was adapted from Simply Scratch's recipe for Easy Vegetable Fried Brown Rice with Egg and came out very good.  It also reheated very nicely, so you can enjoy this down the road as leftovers.  I have been thinking that I wanted to make this soon, so I dug through my notes and wanted to get this posted.  I could have used a better picture.  Oh well - at least it tasted good!

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

2 tbsp Canola oil, divided (or light vegetable oil)
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 lbs Shrimp (any size - peeled and deveined)

2 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)

1/2 cup Onion, chopped

8 oz can Water chestnuts, sliced

3 cups Peas and carrots (frozen) - adjust to taste

2 large Eggs

3 cups Rice, cooked (any type will work here)

4 tbsp Soy sauce (low sodium works well here)

Directions

1. Heat 1 tbsp canola oil and sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic.  Saute for 3-5 minutes, stirring continually.  Remove when cooked (pink through), remove to a bowl (with any liquids that accumulated).

2. Add remaining 1 tbsp canola oil to the wok.  Add onions and water chestnuts.  Saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add peas and carrots.  Saute for 3-4 minutes.

4. Push the contents of the wok to the side.  Add two eggs and scramble them into the vegetable mixture.  Saute for 2 minutes.

5. Add rice and soy sauce to the wok.  Mix thoroughly and saute for 1-2 minutes.

6. Add shrimp and any collected liquid.  Saute for 1-2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

I thought I had shared this recipe - but it seems that I had not.  Here is the backstory.  So we are always looking for ways to use slow cookers when we have big family meals.  The idea of having a slow cooker taking a job away from the stove for a big event like Thanksgiving is a good one.  This is doubly valuable when you have a smaller kitchen.  We had made this once before - but I could not find the recipe I used.  Fast forward to 2020 - and we are in a smaller kitchen.  We just moved (yep - great time to do that) and we now have a smaller freezer.  So that extra turkey we bought on sale needed to be cooked!  And we need mashed potatoes...right?

There are lots of recipes out there - but I found one that I wanted to try from the American Heart Association's recipe collection.  This is a great place to start for healthy dishes that you can make at home.  I found a recipe for their Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes (from the Idaho Potato Commission).  I tweaked this a bit and loved the way it came out.  It was pretty easy to make and much better for you than many of the recipes I found.

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

4-5 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" slices
2 tsp Sea (or Kosher) salt
1 tsp Black pepper
2 cups Broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 cups Water
1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter
1/2 cup Skim milk (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Place the peeled and cut potatoes in cold water to cover for around 1-2 hours.  Drain potatoes.
2. Add potatoes, sea salt, black pepper, broth and water (in that order) to the slow cooker.  Cover and set on high for 4 hours.
3. When potatoes are tender, drain most of the liquid (adjust to taste).  Then add the butter (sliced into tablespoon sized portions) and the skim milk.
4. Use a potato masher (or small electric mixer), slowly beat potatoes are mashed.  Add additional butter or milk to taste. 
5. Leave on low or warm until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Zhender's Cranberry Relish

If you live in Michigan, there is a good chance that you have been to Frankenmuth.  That is a lovely city about an hour and a half Northwest of Detroit where they have cultivated a beautiful German themed community and have the best fried chicken in the Midwest.  The places for chicken are two huge competing restaurants that are owned by members of the same family (if you go back far enough).  Zhender's and the Bavarian Inn both have similar, but not identical menus.  Both offer the family style chicken dinners (all you can eat) which are one of the best ways to get insanely full anywhere in the state of Michigan.

One of the fun sides that come with the meals is a cranberry relish - especially if you go to Zhender's.  I have seen a few recipes on the web, and I have tweaked it a bit to lower the sugar.  This is a member submission on epicurious.  Here is one shared from The Flavors of Frankenmuth (from John Zhender). Love the way this turns out.

Ingredients
1 lbs Cranberries, fresh
2 Granny smith apples
2 Naval oranges
1 3/4 cups Sugar

Directions

1. Freeze cranberries overnight.
2. Clean apples, then core into large sliced (leave skin on).
3. Add half the frozen cranberries and apples to a food processor.  Chop until they are around a 1/4" large pieces.  Move to a mixing bowl.
4. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.  Move those to the same mixing bowl.
5. Clean the oranges.  Remove the tops and bottoms of the oranges and cut into sliced.  With the rest of the peel, add to the food processor and lightly chop until the peel pieces are around 1/4" large.  Add to the mixing bowl with the cranberries and apples.
6. Add sugar to the mixing bowl and blend.
7. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I have had a long-standing desire to eat healthier and mix up more vegetarian meals into the mix.  One of the best options in this environment is quinoa, a great hi-protein grain that is part of a great vegetarian diet.  I have played with a few recipes including this one for what I called Summer Quinoa Salad a few years ago.  I wanted to play with it a bit to get rid of the tomatoes for the Mrs. and add in some other flavors.  I made this the first time and it came out great.  I loved adding in the roasted red peppers and kalamata olives. These are nice parts of the Mediterranean diet - so that is how this recipe got its name. Even the Mrs. loved it!  While it does have a good deal of protein per serving (sorry I did not figure that out), but as made, the salad has around 211 calories per cup.  That might seem lot a bit much. but quinoa adds protein and calories to the mix.  Serve it on a bed of spinach for a more filling lunch or side.

Ingredients (Serves 8-10):
1 cup Quinoa (white or tri-colored)
1/2 cup Pine nuts
1/3 cup Olive oil
4 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)
1 Cucumber, peeled and finely diced (if using a seedless cuke - leave the peel on)
2 Roasted red peppers, diced
14-16 Kalamata olives, chopped
1 small or 1/2 medium Red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Parsley (fresh), chopped

Directions
1. Rinse quinoa under running water to make sure it is clean.
2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for around 15-20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove pot from heat and let cool in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small saute pan over medium-low heat, toast the pine nuts (shaking the pan often so they do not burn) for around 3-5 minutes until lightly browned. Add pine nuts to the mixing bowl with the quinoa.
4. In a small bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a whisk.
5. In the large mixing bowl (with the quinoa and pine nuts), add diced cucumber, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, red onion, and parsley. Add olive oil mix and thoroughly blend the salad.

Enjoy as a side or as an entree with a bed of spinach or greens.

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

Long time coming to post this recipe.  Every so often, I find myself at a restaurant and I order a baked potato.  I love them, but the time involved in cooking them can be tricky when you start doing meal prep late in the day!  So I was poking around the web looking for a few alternatives to baking potatoes and I found a few references to how to cook them in the slow cooker.  Sounds like a plan.  I read a bit and came up with this recipe that is super easy to do and they come out tasting great.  You do not get that crunchy skin that you get when they are cooked in the oven, but everything else is fantastic.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 Russet Potatoes (large)
Olive oil spray
1 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
3/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Scrub the potatoes well and then pierce them 10-12 times with a sharp knife.
2. Cut off four sheets of aluminum foil, each around 1 foot long.
3. Place one potato on the foil and spray with olive oil until all sides have a light coating.  Add a pinch of Kosher salt and pepper and wrap the foil tightly around the potato.  Repeat for the other three potatoes.
4. Place in a slow cooker and set on low.  Cook for 8-10 hours.

Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

I never thought I would be a fan of brussels sprouts.  As a kid, these would be steamed, bland, healthy and well, very hard to eat!  But more and more over the past 20 years, chefs have done a great job of making these once feared veggies into a real treat.  The trick for most of these methods of cooking is adding bacon or deep frying.  I did not want to try this...I want to try to do this a bit on the healthy side...and I like how this came out.

I pieced this together from a number of recipes I found on the web.  I triangulated them and it make a great dish that was tasty and healthier (I am pretty sure) than many that I found on the web and in cookbooks.  This was a very simple dish to make (which is always nice).  Enjoy this as a side dish.

Ingredients (serves 4-5 as a side)

1 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
1 tbsp & 1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/3 cup Walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, add brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.  Add to a roasting pan or cookie sheet (with rim).  Spread out in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven.  Add walnuts and mix thoroughly.  Return to the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes more.

Enjoy!

Brown Rice and Quinoa

In an effort to eat better in the new year, I want to have better sides with my meals. One of the things that I wanted was to get more quinoa into my diet. I wanted to mix it with brown rice to make a side dish that Pam would like (she does not love quinoa on its own). I found a recipe for Basic Brown Rice and Quinoa from the Chicago Tribune and I tweaked it with some great suggestions that I received at a great cooking demonstration at my work (the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan). They showed some great tricks with quinoa that I wanted to try. The chef also encouraged us to use more cinnamon and nutmeg for their health benefits. So I pulled it all together and made this great side dish. This will definitely be a regular in our house.

Ingredients (Serves 5-6)

1 1/3 cups Brown rice

2/3 cup Quinoa (rinsed and drained)

1 1/2 cups Water
1 cup Broth (vegetable or chicken)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp Black pepper

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 cup Baby spinach, chopped (about one big handful)

Directions

1. Add rice, quinoa, water, broth, Kosher salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a pot. 2. Heat to boil. Cover pot and lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Replace the cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Gravy

I am not sure I ever tried to make gravy before.  Sounds like the start of a bad story, but it is where I was a little while ago.  Normally, I would buy jarred or canned gravy.  The other day, we were reheating some of our new Chicken Pot Pie, and it needed something extra.  So I looked a few recipes online - did not find anything I wanted, so I played a bit.  This is actually the second time I made it - but I forgot to write down the recipe.  So I had to build it out again.  It came out great and I am sure we will make it again when the need strikes.  You can even make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth.  It is a fast and easy sauce to add to dinner!

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

4 tbsp Flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Savory (dried)
1/2 tsp Parsley (dried)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
3 tbsp Butter
2 cups Chicken or vegetable broth

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix flour, Kosher salt, savory, parsley and black pepper.
2. In a small pan over medium-high heat, add butter and cook until melted.
3. Add flour mix to pan and mix until it becomes a well blended.
4. Slowly add the broth and stir regularly.  Cook for 9-10 minutes until thickened.

Enjoy

Roasted Asparagus

This is a really nice side dish that is great for family dinner.  We all love asparagus and having lots of it for family meals is really needed.  So I love this because we can make a lot at one time.  This was adapted from the Cooking Light recipe for Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter.  We made this for Easter a LONG time ago and I am only getting it posted now.  Oh well - it is a great side and one will make again when we are entertaining.

Ingredients (around 6-8 servings)
2  bunches Asparagus, cut to around 4" from the tip.
Cooking spray
1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
3 tbsp Butter
3 tsp Soy sauce (Lower-sodium if you have it)
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.  Arrange asparagus in a single layer on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until tender.
3. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Cook for 3 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Broccoli and Mushrooms with Rosemary

Another recipe that is long overdue for my blog!  This recipe was adapted from the Garlic-Spiked Broccoli and Mushrooms with Rosemary. This is a great side dish and is a perfect replacement for a starch.  We loved this and I will be making this again.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
4 tsp Olive oil, divided
3 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)
8 oz Mushrooms (White or Baby Bella), cut in half.
3 cups Broccoli florets
1 tsp Rosemary, dried
1/4 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)
Pinch of Pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions
1. In large skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and saute 1 minute.
3. Add mushrooms and saute 3 minutes
4. Add broccoli, rosemary and remaining 2 tsp of olive oil and cook 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Season with  Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Irish Roasted Veggies (Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus)

 

OK - before we get started - there is really nothing Irish about this meal.  But I wanted to tie into the colors of orange and green of the two main ingredients.  So that is how I got here.  In regards to the taste, it was fantastic.  I adapted my recipe for Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes to add asparagus.  You could use green beans if you want.  A version of this will be on our Easter dinner for sure.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)
2 Sweet potatoes 
2 tbsp Olive oil, divided (add more if desired)
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1 tsp Dried Thyme, divided
1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp Black pepper, divided
1 bunch Asparagus, cut to 4-5 inches

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Peel sweet potatoes; cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges, and then into 3" slices. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil, rosemary, mustard, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Toss well to coat.
3. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake potatoes at 425° for 17-19 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add asparagus to the large bowl and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Toss well to coat.  
5. At the end of the first roasting period (425° for 17-19 minutes), turn the wedges and add the asparagus (and additional oil if needed).  Cook for an additional 15-16 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pork and Mushroom Pot Stickers

This is a wonderful new recipe in my favorite magazine, Cooking Light.  The recipe was adapted for Pork and Shiitake Pot Stickers. in the March 2014 issue.  While I am sure that this is lighter than the pot-stickers that you get in Chinese restaurants, it is not quite health food.  I tweaked the recipe for more mushrooms and less pork - and loved the way that it turned out.  Not only was it great when I cooked them, but also when I brought them for lunch the following day.  They heated up very well.  These are definitely going to fall into the rotation of things I will be making.

Ingredients
2 tbsp Sesame oil
2 stalks, Green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Ginger, minced
8 oz Mushrooms (white or baby bella), thinly sliced
1 tbsp Lower-sodium soy sauce (plus some for dipping)
2 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp Black pepper
11 oz Ground pork
40 gyoza skins or round wonton wrappers
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan.  Add green onions, garlic, ginger and mushrooms; stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool slightly in a bowl. Combine mushroom mixture with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, black pepper and ground pork.  Mix thoroughly.
2. Working in batches of 6-10 goyza skins (depending on your space), arrange gyoza skins on a clean work surface; cover remaining skins with a damp towel to keep them from drying. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons pork mixture in the center of each skin. Moisten edges of skin with water. Fold in half; press edges together with fingertips to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and pork mixture.
3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Generously coat pan with cooking spray. Add 8-10 pot stickers to pan; cook around 1 minute (until browned on that side).  Turn pot stickers over & add 1/3 cup water to pan. Cover tightly and steam for 3-4 minutes. Repeat procedure in batches with remaining pot stickers and more water.

Enjoy with additional soy sauce!

Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I think I found a new favorite side dish.  Strike that - I definitely found a new favorite side dish.  I have liked the sweet potato fries I have made but they have been a bit fussy.  These were easy to make and tasted absolutely fantastic.  They were easy enough to replace frozen fries and will be a staple at our dinner table from here on out.  This was adapted from a Health.com recipe for Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges.  And all I can figure is that it is pretty guilt free - a win all around!

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)
3 small Sweet potatoes 
1 tbsp & 2 tsp Olive oil
1 tsp Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Peel sweet potatoes; cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat.
3. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake potatoes at 450° for 30 minutes or until soft and lightly browned, turning wedges after the first 15 minutes.

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Adapted from a recipe from Cooking Light. First stab at making this dish at home and this was super easy and delicious! It has a real nice orange taste (I love the blend of orange and cranberries).

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Orange juice
2 tbsp Orange rind, grated (from one large orange)
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
12 oz package Fresh Cranberries

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer 12 minutes (or when the cranberries pop).
3. Pour into a serving container and chill before serving (excellent to do the day before you need it).

Enjoy!

Red-Skinned & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Red-Skinned & Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Getting these recipes that were from last Thanksgiving finally on my blog.  This was a recipe that was adapted from a few.  The primary inspiration came from the recipe for Red Skin Potato Mash from Food & Wine magazine.  We don't normally make mashed potatoes from scratch, but these were not that hard and came out great.  A great addition to any big holiday meal.

Ingredients (serves 12)
1 Garlic head, top sliced off
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Kosher salt, divided
5 lbs Red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 2" chunks.
1 2/3 sticks Unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups Skim milk
1/4 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place the garlic head (with the top sliced off) in aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil and 1/2 tsp of kosher salt.  Close the foil over the garlic to create a pouch.  Place it in the oven for an hour and half.
3. After the garlic has been cooking for around an hour, add the potatoes and the remaining kosher salt in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat for around 25-30 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and return to the pot off the heat.
4. Remove the garlic from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.  Squeeze the roasted garlic into the potatoes and then add the butter, skim milk, and black pepper.
5. Mash the potato mixture until well blended.  Add butter and milk as needed.

Enjoy!

Corey's Green Bean Casserole

Corey's Green Bean Casserole

This is my variation of the holiday favorite.  We made this last year for Thanksgiving and I am only finally posting it now.  I adapted this from the "official" recipes on the Campbell's Kitchen site and French's (the people that make the great French Fried onions.  This is simple and a great addition to any holiday meal.

Ingredients (serves 6 - The above picture is a double portion)

1 10 3/4 oz can Condensed cream of mushroom Soup
1/2 cup Skim milk
1/4 tsp Black pepper
4 cups Green beans, frozen
1 1/2 cup French fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix the soup, milk, black pepper, beans and half the fried onions in a casserole.
3. Bake for 40 minutes and then stir the bean mixture.
4. Sprinkle the remaining onions atop the mixture and cook for 5-10 minutes more (until golden brown).

Enjoy!

Sauteed Carrots with Sage

Sauteed Carrots with Sage

   

 This is another side that I am going to make a staple in our Thanksgiving dinner. This is a very easy side, but very tasty. It works great for any big meal, like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. This was adapted from a recipe from Cooking Light.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 cups Carrot, sliced diagonally (or baby cut carrots cut in half longwise)
4 tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Sage, dried

Directions
1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Then add carrots and water. Partially cover pan and cook 10 minutes or until carrots are almost tender. 
3. Add kosher salt, black pepper and dried sage to the pan.  Increase the heat to medium-high and cook 4-6 additional minutes or until carrots are tender and lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Enjoy as a great side with meals.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries


So this recipe has been sitting on my flickr photostream without a recipe for...well a full year.  So I wanted to get this down and shared because it was fantastic and super easy.  We are going make this again for Thanksgiving.  I love the fact that it takes just a few minutes to get rolling and it will cook all day without using a burner.  What a great meal that is perfect for Thanksgiving - but really nice with any winter meal.  Definitely will be a family favorite.  This was adapted from the recipe for Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries With Toasted Pecans from Food.com.

Ingredients
4 Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" slices
3/4 cup Cranberries, fresh
1 Apple, peeled & cut into 1/4" slices
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2/3 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Apple cider

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker in the order that they are listed in recipe.
2. Cook on LOW setting for 7-9 hours (until the sweet potatoes are tender).

Enjoy!