side dish

Layered Cole Slaw – Perfect for Potlucks and Family Gatherings

October 22, 2014 by Tiffany King 3 Comments

This easy salad uses slaw mix, peas, bacon bits, water chestnuts and a simple homemade dressing. It’s perfect for potlucks and family gatherings, but easy enough for a plain old weeknight.

Not only is this salad easy, it also holds up well. Unlike the lettuce version (which is also fantastic), this one holds its shape. You can make it early and it still tastes fresh later.

And if you have leftovers (unlikely if you take it to a potluck), it doesn’t go limp. Even the next day the slaw stays crisp.

This is a common salad to find on the potluck table, but it’s usually made with lettuce. Sometimes there are peas in it and sometimes cauliflower. Both are wonderful!

Here’s what you’ll need: [Read more…] about Layered Cole Slaw – Perfect for Potlucks and Family Gatherings

Wild Rice (or brown rice) Salad – redeeming leftover rice

October 7, 2014 by Tiffany King 2 Comments

Wild rice salad is a quick and easy way to use leftover wild rice or brown rice.

I completely bombed a meal the other day. Multiple things went wrong, resulting in weird tasting chicken and a lot of leftover wild rice.

With no chicken to go with the rice, I decided to turn it into something else. We had a soccer game the next night, so this worked out great for our sideline picnic.

I adapted this recipe from an old cookbook I have, Country Gourmet Cookbook. This is one of those salads that is great for cleaning out the fridge though. All kinds of raw veggies can be added to the rice.

The dressing is a simple vinaigrette. This can be altered as well. The recipe called for lemon juice, but I decided red wine vinegar would be better. Use any type of vinegar or lemon juice you like or have on hand.

Here’s what I used. Change it up so it suits you.

Easy Side Dishes – Beyond Steamed Veggies – Rounding out 15 Minute Meals

September 18, 2014 by Tiffany King 3 Comments

I have a tendency to focus on the main dish and forget the sides. Until we’re nearly ready to sit down. And then it’s time to quick thrown some veggies in a pan to steam or pull together a salad.

This is a post I wrote last year with side dish ideas that go beyond steamed veggies.

These are all easy ideas though. Some have a simple recipe. Others don’t require a recipe at all.

All of them will help round out your weeknight meals, but still keep it fast.

Click here to see 32 Easy Side Dish Ideas.

Think simple for sides. Here are a few other ideas that work well:

Raw veggies – carrots, celery, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers etc.
Fruit (especially good with breakfast for dinner meals)
Cheese slices (with soup)
Crackers
Popcorn – healthier than chips, but great with sandwiches

What are your go-to quick side dishes?

White Bean and Garlic Hummus

July 22, 2014 by Tiffany Leave a Comment

Want a great, easy snack for the kids (and you!)?

I loved the idea of using white beans as a spin off of the classic garbanzo bean hummus. White beans are mild and creamy and make great dips. This recipe has just a few ingredients and is a good, healthy dip for snacks…or a meal, if you like! I like to spread it in a pita and layer in veggies for a good, fresh summer lunch.

You can click here to get the recipe.

If you love using your slow cooker, check out our All Slow Cooker Weekly Meal Plan. It’s got all the planning done for you (including the grocery list) so you can go enjoy summer!

This is day 72 in our 100 Days of Summer Slow Cooker Recipes series. Find the other posts by clicking here.

Balsamic Strawberries – An easy way to serve strawberries

April 30, 2014 by Tiffany King 8 Comments

I admit, when I first heard of putting balsamic vinegar on strawberries I thought it sounded crazy at best, and disgusting at worst.

But then I tried it. Oh my! Somehow, the balsamic vinegar brings out all the strawberry-ness of the berries. It doesn’t taste vinegary at all. The strawberries are elevated to be their best selves. Fantastic!

And it’s such an easy thing to do. Clean and slice the berries. Add a bit of sugar and splash of balsamic vinegar. Stir and serve.

You need to try this!

It’s more method than recipe, but here are some measurements to get you started.

3 – 4 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Stir it all together and be amazed at how this weird sounding combo is one of the most delicious things you’ve ever eaten!