All the recipes below use vegetables that are lower in carbs, so these side dishes can easily fit into a healthy eating plan. These vegetables are also in season in my area of the country.
I have tried several cauliflower mash recipes in the past, but did not like them very much. So, I have been experimenting and finally developed a recipe we like a lot. It is important to get as much liquid as possible out of the vegetables to make a good tasting mash.
A few simple additions to green beans makes for a delicious side. Leftovers from the Rutabaga saute make a great hash breakfast with eggs on top.
Hope you enjoy these recipes.
Green Beans With Onions and Mushrooms
Ingredients
1 pound green beans, stems trimmed
8 oz button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large garlic clove, chopped fine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the sliced onions to pan. Cook them for 5 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and garlic to the pan and continue to cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the greens beans and cook for another 5 minutes or until the green beans are tender. Add the Worcestershire sauce and butter. Cook another 2 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve.
Rutabaga Saute
Ingredients
1 large rutabaga, trimmed and peeled
1 large sweet onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (chili flakes)
Salt, to taste
Directions
Dice the rutabaga, onion and peppers, keeping them all about the same size.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Once the pan is hot, add the rutabaga, lower the heat and saute, turning often until the rutabaga is almost tender. This will take about 15 minutes.
Add the remaining oil and the onions, peppers and garlic. Season with salt to taste and add the oregano and red pepper.
Continue cooking until all the vegetables are cooked all the way through. About 10 minutes more.
Baked Cauliflower and Celery Root Casserole
Ingredients
1 celeriac (celery root)
1 head cauliflower, core removed, cut into florets
2 large whole garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon salt. divided
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter, diced into small cubes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Peel the celery root and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Core the cauliflower and cut into florets.
Combine the cauliflower and celery-root pieces in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, broth and ½ teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pan and cook about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an ovenproof casserole dish.
Drain the vegetables very well in a mesh colander and save the broth for another use.
Put the drained vegetables on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze any remaining liquid from the vegetables.
Put the mixture back in the saucepan and mash with a hand-held immersion blender. The mixture should have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Place the mashed vegetable mixture into the prepared baking dish. Add the sour cream, chives, diced butter, remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the mozzarella cheese and them the Parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and crusty on the top.
How do you decide what to have for dinner? Do you go by what you are in the mood for or what is the quickest meal you can come up with for tonight? If I don’t plan ahead for specific dinners, I usually find myself looking at what is in the refrigerator/freezer/pantry for ideas. That is how the meals below came together – no recipes – just what makes a good match. Chicken breasts and flank steak were in the freezer. The asparagus and salad ingredients were in the refrigerator. I also had a little cream and the mozzarella cheese in the refrigerator. Chicken broth, corn meal and the ingredients for the soup were in the pantry. So they became dinner for 3 nights in the true Italian frugal way. They all passed the test for delicious, according to my husband. If you are looking for something different to make, try the recipes below.
Dinner One
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
If you have leftover chicken, as I did, it makes a delicious chicken salad.
Ingredients
- 2 whole jarred roasted red peppers, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
- 2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs, divided
- Chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Directions
Heat oven to 375°F.
Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound until evenly thin.
Cut the roasted red peppers to fit the flattened chicken breasts. Place the peppers on the chicken and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese on top of each breast. Fold in the sides of each breast and roll the breasts up, jelly roll style.
Place the chicken rolls in a small baking dish (just large enough to fit the chicken rolls) and sprinkle with the Italian bread crumbs and parsley.
Pour the broth around the chicken rolls and bake for about 45 – 60 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken breasts) or until the chicken registers 165 degrees F on an instant meat thermometer. Slice the chicken rolls into half-inch slices to serve.
Oven Roasted Asparagus With Lemon Shallot Sauce
If you are making the asparagus without the chicken dish above, then preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake the asparagus until tender for 15 to 20 minutes. If making the asparagus with the chicken, then use the directions below.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 scant teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Toss the asparagus with oil and a sprinkling of salt in a large bowl. Spread on a baking sheet or a baking dish.
After the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes, put the asparagus in the oven with the chicken and roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Place the asparagus on a serving plate.
To make the sauce:
Combine the cornstarch and broth.
In a small saucepan, heat the broth, shallot, zest, turmeric and cream to boiling. Boil until thickened and slightly reduced, whisking the entire time.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice.
Season with salt to taste and keep warm. (Makes 1/2 cup.)
To serve:
Pour the sauce over the roasted asparagus on the serving plate.
Dinner Two
Grilled Flank Steak
For the flank steaks marinade:
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 flank steak, trimmed of excess fat
To marinate the flank steaks
Combine all the ingredients except the steak in a glass baking dish. Add the steak and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Grill the steaks
Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking.
Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire. Clean and oil the grill grates.
Remove the flank steak from the marinade and grill the steaks, covered, until grill marks form and the steaks have a nice brown sear, 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn the steaks and continue grilling until grill marks form on the other side and the steak is cooked to medium rare (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a steak should read 130-135°F), 3 to 4 minutes more.
Let the steak rest 10 minutes loosely covered with foil. Cut the flank steak across the grain and serve with the Greek Salad.
Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces, washed, and dried
- 1 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 medium English cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 oz peperoncini (Tuscan peppers), drained & sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Place the lettuce in a large bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and onion.
Place the oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste in a small, nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour over the salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the feta and serve with pita bread.
Dinner Three
Black Bean Soup
Makes about 9 cups
- 1 pound dried black beans (2 cups), rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped fine (about 3 cups)
- 2 large carrots, chopped fine
- 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- One 10 oz can Rotel chunky diced tomatoes with mild chilies
- Water
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Directions
Early in the morning, place the beans with water to cover in a large bowl and let soak for a couple of hours. Drain and rinse the bean.s
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking; add onions, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic and spices; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth.
Add enough water to keep the liquid just covering the beans. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.
Stir in the salt. Continue to cook until the soup thickens and the beans are cooked but not mushy, about 30 to 60 minutes more.
Corn Muffins
12 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1⁄4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Butter a regular muffin pan.
In large bowl thoroughly combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg with the milk and melted butter.
Combine with the dry ingredients until just evenly moistened. Do not overmix.
Stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Immediately spoon the batter into the muffin pan.
Evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the muffins.
Bake 18 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
“Root vegetable” is a relatively generic description of vegetables, including starchy ones, that grow underground. To make matters more confusing, root vegetables aren’t always roots. Some are actually bulbs instead, like onions, garlic and shallots. Many people may differentiate onions and garlic as more of a spice than a vegetable, but they really should be grouped in the “root vegetable” category.
Potatoes are usually labeled as tubers and, again, most people think of them as more of a starch than a vegetable. Despite that, they are part of this category. Plenty of other vegetables fall into this group, as well, and include these well known vegetables: sweet potatoes, carrots, beets and leeks to name just a few.
However, here are a few that you may not know much about. These vegetables are in season in the fall.
Celeriac, also known as celery root, has a delicate celery taste. You can grate it, saute it, use it in soups or eat it raw in a salad. It is filled with fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin K.
Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) are neither an artichoke, nor are they from Jerusalem. They are the tubers of sunflowers and probably derive their name from the Italian for sunflower, girasol. They have a crisp, nutty flavor, especially when sautéed. They can be roasted, pickled and they are excellent in soups. They also make a great substitution for potatoes.
Parsnips resemble white carrots and are naturally sweet. They can be used in soups and stews and are particularly delicious roasted. Parsnips have more vitamins than their carrot cousin and they have lots of potassium.
The rutabaga was originally a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. You can roast them, mash them or add them to soups.They contain a good portion of your daily vitamin C requirement.
Turnips are part of the mustard family, as are horseradish, radishes and rutabagas. They can be roasted, mashed or used in stews and soups.
So what can you make with these vegetables?
Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary
Ingredients
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 pound sweet potatoes or baking potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 10 garlic cloves, peeled
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Directions
Position 1 rack in the bottom third of the oven and 1 rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
Spray 2 heavy large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Combine all remaining ingredients except garlic and parsley in very large bowl; toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Divide vegetable mixture between the prepared sheets. Place 1 sheet on each oven rack. Roast 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reverse positions of baking sheets. Add 5 garlic cloves to each baking sheet.
Continue to roast until all the vegetables are tender and brown in spots, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 45 minutes longer. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheets at room temperature. Rewarm in 450°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.)
Transfer roasted vegetables to large serving bowl and garnish with chopped parsley.
Sautéed Jerusalem Artichokes
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) scrubbed, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons coarsely torn fresh sage leaves, divided
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Jerusalem artichokes and half of the sage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown and just beginning to soften, turning frequently, about 10 minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer Jerusalem artichokes to a shallow serving bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sage to the skillet; cook until sage darkens and begins to crisp, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; simmer 1 minute. Pour lemon-sage butter over Jerusalem artichokes in the serving bowl, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
Rutabagas and Ginger Roasted Pears
8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar or pure maple syrup
- 4 firm Anjou pears (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- Coarse kosher salt, black pepper and nutmeg
Directions
Cook rutabagas in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Combine oil, lemon juice, ginger and sugar in large bowl. Add pears; toss to coat. Spread on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until tender, turning pears every 10 minutes, for about 30 minutes total.
Drain rutabagas; return to the same pot. Mash into a coarse puree. Stir over medium heat until excess moisture evaporates, 5 minutes. Add cream, butter and thyme. Mix in pears and any juices from the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and grate nutmeg over the top.
Honey Glazed Turnips
4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs small to medium (no more than 2-inches) turnips
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water or chicken broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Peel turnips, then halve horizontally and quarter halves. Arrange turnips in one layer in a 12-inch heavy skillet and add water or broth. Add butter, honey and salt and bring to a boil over moderately high heat, covered, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook stirring, until tender and liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes more.
Reduce heat and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add 3 tablespoons water or broth and stir to coat turnips with the glaze. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Celery Root Salad With Shrimp
6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 celery root (or celeriac), about 1 lb
- 1 (19-oz) can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
- 3 oz baby arugula leaves (3 cups packed)
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 1/2 lbs large peeled/deveined shrimp
Directions
Trim the rough skin from the celery root and peel. Cut the celery root into very thin slices; stack slices and cut into thin lengthwise strips 1/8-inch-wide (about 2 cups).
Combine the sliced celery root, beans, arugula, balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium serving bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat and add garlic and shrimp; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir 2-4 minutes or just until the shrimp begin to turn pink.
Add shrimp (and pan juices) to the salad; toss to blend and serve.
Related articles
- Celeriac, Kohlrabi, Carrot Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing (planithealthier.wordpress.com)
- How to Cook With Delicious Root Veggies – 10 Different Ways! (onegreenplanet.org)