Vegetable Fried Rice

Pin It Looking for a quick and delicious side dish?  Look no further.  This fried rice is super fast and easy and you probably have all of the ingredients in your fridge right now.  And if you don't you can definitely substitute with what you have.

Vegetable Fried Rice
2 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen edamame
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3-5 Tbsp soy sauce
Optional: dash of soyaki sauce
green onions for garnish

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add vegetables and stir fry until starting to get brown and tender.
2. Add egg to skillet and stir vigorously until cooked and broken into bits.
3. Stir in rice and soy sauce.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until heated through.

Garden Vegetable Medley

Pin It My parents have an awesome garden and they are very generous with sharing their vegetables with me.  All of the veggies, except the mushrooms came from their garden for this dish.  This is a simple substitute for your usual vegetable at dinner.  It also looks pretty on your plate.  You could use any vegetables that you have in you fridge or that you grab from the farmer's market.  I think eggplant or asparagus would be an excellent addition.

Garden Vegetable Medley
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed an cut in half
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 small summer squash, thinly sliced
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet heat olive oil.
2. Add veggies and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

Grilled Cauliflower

Pin It I'm getting the most out of my grill before it is too cold to go outside.  I was grilling some chicken skewers for dinner and was planning on making cauliflower as a side dish.  Well I had a few extra skewers so I decided to put the cauliflower on and see what would happen if I grilled it.  The result was terrific.  I was also incredibly easy.  This is going to become a regular side dish when we grill.

Grilled Cauliflower
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
4 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning (or seasoning of choice)

1. Skewer cauliflower on wooden or metal skewers.
2. Brush with butter and sprinkle with seasoning.
3. Grill over high heat for about 10 minutes or until tender, turning several times.  Feel free to add additional butter or seasoning as it cooks.

Lentil Stir Fry

Pin It Lentils have always scared me.  They are ugly, flat beans.  I was just never tempted to cook them or eat them until my husband and I went out to dinner for our anniversary this year.  We went to a fancy restaurant with a fancy menu and extensive wine list.  It was absolutely amazing!  I really wanted to have the salmon as my dinner, but the side dish that it was served with was....lentils.  I probably could have substituted something else, but I decided that if this upscale place thought lentils were acceptable, I could at least try them.  I'm so glad I did!  They made them in a stir fry loaded with lots of fresh veggies and it was surprisingly delicious.  I liked it so much I actually went out and bought lentils so I could recreate it at home.  I'm looking for other ways to incorporate lentils into my meals, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Lentil Stir Fry
1 cup uncooked lentils
1/4 cup edamame
1/2 cup snow pea pods
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce or Island Soyaki sauce

1. Cook lentils according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet or wok heat oil.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant. (Don't let it burn)
3. Add edamame, carrots, peas and onion to the skillet.  Cook until starting to brown and get tender, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Carefully stir in cooked lentils.  Pour soy sauce/soyaki over veggies and toss to coat.

Garden Vegetable Quinoa

Pin It I'm always looking for interesting side dishes for dinner.  While I do love baked potatoes and pasta, I get bored.  I had a box of quinoa and had just gone to the farmer's market and inspiration struck.  I chopped up some veggies and tossed them with quinoa.  Simple, delicious and healthy.  Use any fresh vegetables that you have on hand.  Next time I make this I plan on adding some asparagus, squash and eggplant.   A great summer side dish!

Garden Vegetable Quinoa
1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked according to package directions
2 cups diced fresh vegetables (I used onions, peppers and cherry tomatoes)
olive oil
garlic powder
salt and pepper

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions and set aside.
2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Saute vegetables for 3-5 minutes or until starting to get tender. 
3. Season veggies with salt, pepper and garlic.
4. Stir quinoa in with veggies.  Allow to cook for about 3 minutes or until quinoa is heated through and flavors combine.

The Best Kabob Marinade

Pin It Summer is here and that means grilling out all the time.  I love kabobs because you can pretty much put anything on a skewer and cook it up quick.  This marinade is a fmaily recipe that gets passed on to every bride in the family.  You get a cookbook full of family recipes at one of your wedding showers.  I grew up with this recipe and it is amazing!  Impress your friends at your next outdoor bbq!  These would be great for the upcoming 4th of July!

Check out Six Sisters' Link Party for some great ideas!

The Best Kabob Marinade
4 Tbsp ketchup
10 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp black pepper

3 lbs beef, chicken or pork (I used stew meat)
Veggies of your choice, cut up (I like onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and cherry tomatoes)

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in a large zip top bag. 
2. Add meat and marinate 2-8 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Put meat on skewers with your choice of veggies.
4. Grill 15-20 minutes turning often.

Roasted Cauliflour with Parmesan and Raisins

Pin It I have recently developed a love for cauliflour.  I always thought it was a boring vegetable that was part of the California Blend frozen vegetables, but beyond that I didn't really deal with it.  That is until I learned to prepare it correctly.  Roasting is exactly what this boring vegetable needs.  Juicy raisins and salty parmesan create a great flavor balance.

Roasted Cauliflour  with Parmesan and Raisins
1 head cauliflour, chopped
1-2 T roasted garlic grapeseed oil (or olive oil and up the amount of garlic)
1/4 c raisins
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss cauliflour and raisins with garlic oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper until well coated.
3. Place in a shallow baking dish and top with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.