side dish
This dish SCREAMS Spring! This would be a great addition to your Easter table! The bright lemon flavor with roasted asparagus and goat cheese, oh ya! If you don’t like lemon, this dish is definitely not for you. The fresh lemon juice really comes through. We enjoyed this with grilled chicken but I will be making this all through Spring! This is great made ahead. Just be sure to add the goat cheese just before serving.
INGREDIENTS
DRESSING
3 lemons total
Zest of two lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice (I needed three lemons to get 1/2 cup)
3 garlic gloves, finely minced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE ORZO
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and sliced into bite size pieces
Salt
Pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
16 ounce box of orzo pasta
Goat cheese to taste
DIRECTIONS
For the dressing- add the zest of two lemons, 1/2 cup lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
For the asparagus- clean and trim your asparagus stalks and cut them into bite size pieces. Place your asparagus on a baking sheet, add salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and combine well coating the asparagus pieces. Place the baking sheet in the oven on the top shelf of the oven leaving the oven door slightly ajar. Roast the asparagus for about 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally just until the asparagus is crispy and slightly charred. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the orzo- Place the chicken stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Add orzo pasta and cook until tender about ten minutes. Drain the orzo, add the orzo to a heat resistant bowl, add the asparagus and the dressing, mix well. Cool to room temp. If serving right away add the desired amount of goat cheese. If serving later add goat cheese just before serving. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with lemon if desired.
Enjoy!
This dish was a little bit of a surprise. I thought it would be good and a great way to use up some broccoli, but I did not expect to like it as much as I did! This dish can also be made ahead and is still very tasty a few hours later! It makes enough for two large portions, so feel free to double it! This is a great and healthy side dish!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
1 1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup salted cashews, chopped
2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoon honey
Sprinkle of cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Add the strawberries, broccoli and cashews into a medium size bowl, set aside. In a small bowl whisk the yogurt, balsamic vinegar, honey and cinnamon together. Add the dressing to the broccoli mix and stir well. Serve or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
This dish can be found at www.thediva-dish.com
We really enjoyed this side dish! If you like cabbage and want something a little different, this was really good! The day I made this it was a 60 degree day in January in New Hampshire! Crazy right!! You can easily roast this in the oven at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes per side.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 medium green cabbage
1 Tablespoon garlic infused olive oil (can use olive oil)
Salt
Pepper
SAUCE
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons minced or grated fresh onion
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
DIRECTIONS
Cut cabbage half into four equal wedges and set on prepared baking sheet, if baking in the oven. Using a pastry brush coat the cut side of the cabbage with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, turn wedges over and repeat on the second side. Place baking sheet in oven and roast 8-10 minutes or until next side browned, turn the cabbage over and roast on the second side.
For the grill, place the cabbage directly on the grill and grill over medium high heat until wilted and lightly browned, turn to the second side and do the same.
To make the sauce, add all,of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and everything is incorporated. Keep warm until ready to use.
To serve, remove cabbage from oven or grill and drizzle with sauce and serve warm.
Enjoy!
Are you looking for something to do with that leftover stuffing? Last year I wrapped my sausage stuffing in bacon and drizzled it with maple syrup. This year I will spare you a few calories! My sausage stuffing has a lot going on in it so these are simply mixed with cheese and egg to help bind it and then rolled and baked I served these over a bed of gravy. The texture and flavor does change. The outside is crispy and the inside soft with hints of cheese!
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of leftover stuffing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 eggs
Leftover gravy, warmed
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients except the gravy and mix well. Roll the stuffing into about one inch balls and place on a prepared baking sheet. Do this until all of the stuffing has been rolled. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned. Remove from oven and serve over warm gravy.
Enjoy!
I really enjoy a nice crisp salad especially in the fall with an apple thrown in! I served this salad as a side dish at Thanksgiving. It really brought such a nice, fresh, crisp dish to the table. Sometimes the holiday meals are so rich and heavy this was a nice change of pace. It also makes you feel a little better about that piece of pie you’re going to eat a little later!! I did not measure any of the salad ingredients. I just tossed it all in to my taste, so feel free to do the same!
INGREDIENTS
Romaine hearts, chopped
Baby spinach leaves
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
Candied pecan pieces (I found them by the salad dressings in the grocery store)
Goat cheese, crumbled
Pomegranate perils
APPLE CIDER DRESSING
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup good quality olive oil
Salt
Pepper
DIRECTIONS
For the dressing, simply mix everything together shaking well to incorporate all of the ingredients.
For the salad, mix the amount of greens you want in a bowl and add the diced apple, pecans, goat cheese and pomegranate. I let everyone add their own amount of dressing.
Enjoy!
