Side Dish Recipes
Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties
Love sausage but trying to eat healthier? Ground pork, turkey, or chicken plus a short list of spices create a healthy alternative that tastes just like sausage and can be used in so many ways. We’ve all heard the claims that processed meat isn’t good for us. So what is included under this umbrella of…
Easy 2-Ingredient Fermented Sauerkraut
2-ingredient homemade sauerkraut is loaded with gut-healthy probiotics and incredibly easy to make thanks to these step-by-step instructions. If pork & sauerkraut is part of your New Year’s Day tradition, you’re in luck! I wear many hats in my role of food writer and recipe development. Writing, photography, editing, managing a website, the proverbial…
Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Balsamic Honey Glaze (or just carrots)
Need a healthy, prep-ahead side for your holiday table? This colorful dish has you covered! Don’t have parsnips? Use all carrots. Lately things have been looking rather orange around here. Tis the season, I suppose! Root veggies, winter squash, and Halloween-themed eats provide a golden glow that feels fittingly fall. (For those who are missing…
Stuffing Balls
Clever, portion-controlled, and a surefire hit on a holiday table or alongside poultry and pork dishes throughout the year. Stuffing balls are easy to make for any size crowd and offer prep-ahead convenience. The term “Friendsgiving” first entered my lexicon the November after I graduated from college, when my friend Megan organized a small army…
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and full of amazing flavor. Leftovers reheat well and can even be used for satisfying breakfast bowls. During a recent foray into my sons’ closets, I uncovered a bag of clothes that appeared as good as new. Though both of my sons had worn the assortment…
Roasted Delicata Squash & Pomegranate Salad
Radiant jewel tones make this versatile salad as stunning as it is healthy. It’s equally perfect on a holiday table or paired with a simple protein any night of the week. Feel free to substitute any winter squash (or even sweet potatoes) or use dried cranberries in place of pomegranate! The process…
Threaded Hot Dog or Sausage Spaghetti (aka “Spider Dogs”)
Move over meatballs! This squirmy pasta dish makes a fun project for kids and a crowd-pleasing Halloween-themed meal. For a more “mature” version, substitute your favorite cooked sausage for the hot dogs. I’m pretty sure a spoonful of laughter and silliness makes any dinner taste better –and when the preparation of that meal can…
Whole Foods’ Kale Waldorf Salad
This mayo-free variation of the classic Waldorf salad introduces kale to the mix and incorporates apples and nuts into the dressing for a creamy consistency with natural sweetness. The recipe card includes Whole Foods’ original version along with some adaptations I have come to enjoy. If you live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania as I do,…
How to Roast Any Vegetable
When prepared well, roasted vegetables can be serious comfort food – and they can be used well beyond the satisfying side dish that they naturally are. This convenient guide offers cooking times, temperatures, helpful hints and lots of delicious ideas to make the most of inexpensive, healthy, versatile veggies! (Scroll down to see the guide…
Lentil Salad for all Seasons
Light yet filling and endlessly adaptable, this protein-rich lentil salad will delight plant-based eaters and meat lovers alike! As summer fades and we trade flip-flops for fleece jackets, the items on our weekly grocery list begin to change too. During these waning days of summer, I try to resist the pull of hearty stews…
Avocado Tomato Salsa
Keep this super simple salsa recipe in your back pocket all year round to add flavor and flare to chicken, fish, beans, salads, eggs, and in place of guacamole in your favorite south-of-the-border fare. Perfect as a dip with tortilla chips, too! My family always enjoys something saucy on grilled meats, and the following…
Low Carb Mock Potato Salad
A delicious alternative to traditional potato salad, mock potato salad is a perfect accompaniment to burgers, grilled chicken, steak, and pulled pork and offers advance prep convenience. No amount of Mom’s savory brown butter sauce could save the day when steamed cauliflower appeared on my childhood dinner plate. But even though I once wrote it…
