Side Dishes
Hi there. Well for today I thought I would list just a few side dishes. After all, it’s the side dishes that make our meals memorable! Remember Thanksgiving? I love the side dishes more than the turkey. Back to the subject. Below are just a few that I thought you would love. Some you can freeze for your “cooking ahead” calendar and some are for now. I have hundreds but thought I would start with just a few. So, go ahead and give them a try. You may think that some of them have too many points!! But served with just a small portion of meat, chicken or fish they complete the meal and contribute to your total satisfaction of the meal. I don’t have pictures for all the dishes. But I had to show you the potatoes and green beans because they are part of my dinner menu!!! In fact I have many delicious green bean recipes that I will share later.
Sesame Broccoli
Makes 6 servings 2 Points per serving
2 pounds broccoli
½ cup reduced calorie margarine
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 (5 ounce) can water chestnuts, diced
2 tablespoons onion, minced
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Cut broccoli into serving pieces, including stems. Cook in small amount of water until tender; drain. In skillet or wok, melt butter, add salt, pepper, water, chestnuts and onion. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add soy sauce and lemon juice. Toss broccoli with sauce and heat thoroughly.
If you are freezing don’t cook the broccoli until tender. Undercook. Remember when you are ready to eat it, it will cook completely in the microwave oven.
REHEATING: Either thaw the day before and reheat in the microwave oven at 70% until cooked thru. OR you can go directly from the freezer and cook on high for 1 minute, then on medium for 2 minutes. If you want the broccoli more cooked just cook another 1 minute at 70% power until desired doneness.
ORANGE SPICED CARROTS
Serves 4 1 point per serving
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 ½ cups carrots, sliced
fresh parsley, chopped
In medium saucepan, combine orange juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, nutmeg; blend well. Stir in carrots. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with parsley.
REHEATING: Thaw and reheat in the microwave for 1 minute at 70% power. Or you can directly from freezer. Cook on high for 1 minute, then 1 minute or so at 70% power.
While this is a long recipe, give it a try anyway.
ONIONS FILLED WITH BROCCOLI
Serves 6
3 medium large Spanish (sweet) onions, peeled
1 pound fresh broccoli
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup lite mayo
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Cut the onions in half crosswise. Gently parboil them in salted water for 10-12 minutes. Drain. Remove their centers, leaving ¾ inch walls. Don’t worry if some of the onions come apart in cooking. They can be reassembled. Chop the center portions to equal 1 cup.
Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water until tender. Chop the tops (florets), reserve the stems for another use. Combine the chopped broccoli with the chopped onion, Parmesan cheese, mayo, and lemon juice.
Mound the broccoli mixture in the onion halves. Bake in buttered, 9 to 10 inch pie plate or shallow casserole, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
REHEATING: take directly from freezer and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes. A measly 2 points per onion!!!!!!
CABBAGE STIR FRY
If you love cabbage and bell peppers together then this dish is for you (whenever you want it because you will be freezing it)
This will make 4 servings. The entire recipe is 4 points or 1 point for each serving
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large sweet red or yellow peppers, thinly sliced
3 cups sliced green cabbage (I like to use head cabbage)
¼ cup sliced scallions
Put the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the stock and stir until smooth. Stir in brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes
Coat a 10” no stick skillet with no-stick spray and place over medium high heat until hot. Add the oil, peppers, and cabbage. Cook, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp tender (do not overcook). You want them under cooked (crisp tender) when freezing. Cook, stirring for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens.
To freeze, pack the cooled cooked stir-fry in a freezer quality container.
REHEATING: thaw overnight in refrigerator. Place in a 10” no-stick skillet and cook over medium high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated thru.
GREEN BEANS
4 servings
1 pound fresh green beans, stems removed
2 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, slice
1 tomato, chopped
Steam the green beans until crisp tender. About 5 minutes. While they are steaming, saute the bacon and onions until the onions are soft. Add the tomato and saute for just a couple of minutes. Add the green beans, salt and pepper and heat thru for 3 minutes. Just until the green beans get the flavor of the bacon and onions. Delicious.
Total points: 1 per serving
LOVE FRENCH FRIES????
Try these
Russet potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes
Egg whites
Panko crumbs (or bread crumbs)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Slice the potatoes in “planks”. Cut the potato in half (see picture) then in 1/4” planks. Drop in boiling water for just about 45 seconds (this is blanching) Remove and pat dry.
Take your egg whites and mix with a fork to get them frothy
Put Panko crumbs in a flat pan. Season with salt and pepper
Dip the potato in the egg white and then the Panko crumbs.
Place on a cookie sheet. Spray with Pam
Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until they are golden in color.
You blanch the potatoes so that you can get the inside to cooked ahead and the outside crunchy. If you are cooking for 1 then you will only need a 10 ounce potato (3 points) 1 egg white and Panko crumbs or bread crumbs. Panko are Japanese bread crumbs (minus the crusts) They are cut differently than regular bread crumbs and hold up to the egg mixture and bake and brown beautifully. For the points you have to count how many you eat. For each 10 ounce potato it’s 4 points.
Side Dishes
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Crunchy potatoes.
Slice in 1/4” planks
Ready for the oven
