We find that the side dishes tend to be an afterthought, the steak is on the grill, and we look to see what we can make before it’s ready, hoping there’s something in the fridge or pantry. Here’s a side dish that goes well with most main dishes, try it and let us know what you think.

2 cups cold cooked rice (We use brown rice for extra nutrition and flavor. This is 2 cups ‘after’ it’s cooked)
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed
1 cup (or 1 can) whole kernel corn
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup minced scallion (or sweet onion if scallion is out of season)
1/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin

So long as you’ve made the rice the day prior (or same morning), the prep for this is very fast, just a bit of chopping, mincing. (Yes, the corn missed the ingredients’ photoshoot, but it did make it to the final dish.) Enjoy!

written by admin \\ tags: beans, recipe, rice, sidedish

Mashed squash makes a nice side dish and it’s very easy to make if you have the time (like when you’re cooking for the week but have a spare burner.)

Start out with a nice sized butternut squash. This one weighted just under five pounds.

Peel, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and quarter. Steam the cut up squash for about 25 minutes or until fork tender. Note, after peeling and scooping, we have just over four pounds of squash, if you wish, you can buy it already prepped like this.

Next put into a casserole dish, this is a 2-1/2 quart size, add eight table spoons brown sugar, and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth.

Cook for 60 minutes at 350F, covered, then remove cover and cook another 20-30 minutes until the top starts to brown a bit. From start to finish is nearly two hours but the work is minimal, and this will last nearly a week in the refrigerator. Enjoy.

written by admin \\ tags: recipe, side dish, squash

A fast, simple meal, tacos are usually a kid-pleaser. They can help cut up the tomato and shred the lettuce as well as the cheese, if you haven’t purchased the pre-shredded.

1-1/2 lbs ground beef (or turkey)
1 tomato, diced
8 oz. shredded mozzarella (or Mexican mix)
8 oz. guacamole (store bought)
1/4 head lettuce
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pkg taco shells

Brown the meat, adding the salt and cumin, drain before serving. Enjoy.

written by admin \\ tags: mexican, quick meal, recipe, taco

This is a recipe we’ve worked on for a while. Ground turkey is nice to use as it’s lower in fat than ground beef, and tasty when cooked right. The problem is, when cooked wrong, it can be too dry.

Ingredients
2-1/2 lbs ground turkey
4 eggs (I use 1 cup of egg beaters or similar fat free egg product)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 cups peppers and onions

Place in a meatloaf tin, ours is 9″ x 5″ x 2-3/4, and cook at 350F for 1hr 45min.

The ingredients, mixed and in the tin ready to cook.

This is how we cook it, inverted on a pan, so the fat drains off.

And ready to eat. This is another “cook ahead” meal, as it freezes well, or you can eat some for dinner, and serve for lunches during the week. Enjoy.

written by admin \\ tags: ground turkey, recipe, turkey meatloaf