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Healthy Carrot Soufflé

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:50:12 -0800

When my sister moved to Georgia a few years ago, I had the chance to spend Thanksgiving with her. Amongst all the dishes on the table was a Southern staple that I thought about for months after coming home - brown sugar and maple glazed carrots. I wanted to make this dish at my own Thanksgiving dinner this year, but was shocked to find out how much sugar and butter the recipe calls for. I decided to try and make my own healthy alternative to the dish and I think you'll be happy with the results.

There's barely any butter in my version and the dish has much, much less sugar. I also decided to make it into a souffle (I'm using the term loosely here!) to cut back on oil and give it a creamier taste and texture. This would be a great side dish for your Thanksgiving meal and it's an awesome replacement for a candied yam dish - carrots have fewer calories than yams and are exploding with vitamin A. Chances are your guests won't even know the difference!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Healthy Carrot Soufflé
original recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of peeled, cut carrots
1/3 cup of plain lowfat yogurt
2 eggs and 1 egg white, beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam carrots until tender, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Place carrots in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Combine yogurt, eggs, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the carrots.
Pulse in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to the mixture.
Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray or butter.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until set and firm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Time to Get the Carrots Glazing

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:15:48 -0800

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays; however, eating the same dishes year after year can be a little monotonous, so this Thursday all the classics are getting a modern twist. Glazed carrots have always been an essential dish for my feast, but I crave more complex flavor. Pomegranate-balsamic glazed carrots fits the ticket perfectly.The sweet glaze combines honey, balsamic vinegar, and pomegranate juice. Topping the dish with fresh mint and a subtle touch of cayenne pepper balances the sweetness. Chopping the carrots requires some attention, but they can be prepped six hours ahead of time. This is a fast side dish and only requires about 20 minutes of cook time. Want a new glaze for your carrots? Then keep reading.

Hash It Out With Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:15:41 -0700

Everything tastes better with bacon and brussels sprouts are no exception. For some reason, I normally only have brussels sprouts at holidays meals, but this tasty vegetable beckons to be eaten more often.

With the cold front that came through San Francisco, it was a perfect weekend to test Tyler Florence's comforting brussels sprouts hash. The enticing recipe includes tender brussels sprouts, caramelized pearl onions, and crispy potatoes; the whole thing is topped with crunchy bacon and fresh parsley. A touch of briefly reduced balsamic vinegar finishes off the dish and provides a zingy bite that enhances the full, rich flavor of the hash. To get started on this scrumptious side dish, read more.

Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Hash
From Tyler Florence's Dinner at My Place

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices thick-cut bacon
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 pound fingerling potatoes, cut lengthwise*
2 cups Brussels Sprouts, cut into thick slices
1/2 pound red or white pearl onions, peeled and cut in half
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut bacon into long, thin strips and add to pan with thyme. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes to render the fat. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. Discard half of the fat in the pan.
To the remaining fat in the pan, add the potatoes and cook for one to two minutes. Add brussels sprouts and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly browned. Add chicken broth and continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until liquid has evaporated and vegetables are tender. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Add vinegar and toss to coat. Cook until the vinegar has reduced.
Transfer to serving dish and fold in parsley and reserved bacon.

Serves 6-8 people.

*I substituted a yellow potatoes for fingerling potatoes, which I cut in 1-inch strips.

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Cince de Mayo Side: Corn & Black Bean Salad

partysugar — Sat, 05 May 2007 03:19:51 -0700

This super fresh and deliciously fragrant salad is a wonderful side dish to quesadillas, enchiladas, or carnitas. A tex mex delight, this recipe can be made with frozen corn or later in the summer with corn cut right off the cob. Bring to a potluck or picnic and make it a day in advance, so the flavors have time to meld together. I love this salad because it's super quick and involves minimal chopping- making it the ideal side dish that will serve a crowd. Other times I'll make it just for myself and store it in a big tupperware in the fridge and snack on it for several days in a row. Make it tonight or make it in two weeks - either way get the recipe now, read more

Corn & Black Bean Salad
From Guy Fieri

2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
1 can corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1/4 cup diced mango
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Enjoy.

Serves 6-8.

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Tasty Tomato Side: Fusilli With Summer Tomato Sauce

partysugar — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 05:34:39 -0700

Part classic pasta with tomato sauce, part summer pasta salad, this easy side dish is super fast to make and divinely delicious. The no bake sauce comes together in minutes with the aid of your handy, dandy blitzing machine and the flavors of Italy are highlighted in a trio of colors. Do not serve this dish cold as tomatoes retain their fresh taste best in warm or room temperature sauce. If you have access to a variety of tomatoes, use a bunch of different kinds for layers of flavor. Serve with a chilled soup, grilled fish or pork, a juicy chicken, or a grilled steak sandwich. Take a look at the tempting tomato recipe, just read more

Fusilli With Summer Tomato Sauce
From Food & Wine magazine
Image Source

2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 4), chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1 pound fusilli
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper and puree. Add the basil and pulse just to mix.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fusilli until just done, about 13 minutes.
Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce and the Parmesan cheese. Let sit for about 1 minute to allow the pasta to absorb some of the liquid. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Serves 4.

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Side Suitable For A BBQ: Cole Slaw

partysugar — Sat, 26 May 2007 01:18:31 -0700

Isn't cole slaw the quintessential American barbeque side? Served alongside sandwiches, burgers and ribs, this tangy salad is cool and refreshing. Simple to assemble and easy to take with you, its an ideal side dish for picnics and potlucks, and can easily feed a hungry crowd. If you shy away from cole slaw due to the mayonnaise in the sauce, try substituting rice vinegar instead! Make this scrumptious side for your next big bbq. Get the recipe now, read more

Cole Slaw
From Tyler Florence

1 head napa or savoy cabbage, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint, for garnish
Dressing:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup mayonnaise or 1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, apples, onion, and pecans in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, sugar, cayenne, cumin, mayonnaise or vinegar, and lemon juice until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well to coat.
Taste again for seasoning, then mound onto a platter and garnish with mint leaves.

Serves 6-8.

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Healthy Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:50:57 -0800

One vegetable delight of Autumn is the Brussels sprout. These small leafy balls are packed with fiber as well as taste, and they deserve a place at your Thanksgiving table.

My favorite method of cooking Brussels sprouts is to roast them. It's a simple preparation, but I have added nuts, balsamic vinegar, and cheese to fancy up the dish. While I have often had Brussels sprouts with bacon or pancetta, adding walnut imbues them with a meaty flavor while providing some healthy fats not found in bacon. This recipe is simple to make and is a crowd-pleaser for all ages - my 4-year-old ate three helpings!

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts
Modified from Recipezaar

Ingredients

1 stalk of Brussels sprouts (or about two pounds of sprouts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesean cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take Brussels sprouts off the stem, wash, and rip off outside leaves.
Chop sprouts until they are a uniform size, leaving the small ones whole and possibly cutting the larger ones into eighths.
Boil Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes. Pat dry.
Place Brussels sprouts in roasting pan and pour in olive oil and vinegar and stir until sprouts are coated well. Salt and pepper to taste.
Roast for 20 minutes, stirring Brussels sprouts to ensure even roasting. After 20 minutes, add chopped walnuts and roast for 5 more minutes or until walnuts are browned.
Sprinkle roasted sprouts with cheese and serve warm.

Serves 6.

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'Wich of the Week: Easter Ham Slider

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:20:19 -0700

One of my favorite things about major holiday feasts is getting to make sandwiches with the leftovers. But while the post-Thanksgiving sandwich is probably the most popular, I think Easter is underrated in this regard. So for this 'Wich of the Week, I thought I'd do something a bit different and show you how I transformed my Easter ham and side dishes into a sandwich.

This probably isn't a sandwich you'd make from scratch - the individual components are fairly time intensive - but it would be delicious if you did. Or, you can easily re-create the meal and use the leftovers to make your own sandwich. To see how the meal became a sandwich, and to get the recipes, read more.

My Easter meal involved a precooked spiral-cut ham, celery-root puree, and cabbage with candied pecans, all of which made their way onto this sandwich. I served it on one of the dinner rolls my friend made from scratch, to create a sort of Easter slider.

To make the sandwich, I sliced the roll in half horizontally, then spread the celery-root puree on either side, like a condiment. Then I added a few slices of ham, topped by a bit of the cabbage; the cabbage and puree recipes are below.

Celery Root Puree
Modified From Bon Appetit

I modified this recipe just slightly by replacing the water with vegetable broth.

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon salt
2 large celery roots (about 2 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium russet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 small onion, peeled, quartered
5 tablespoons butter, cut into 5 pieces
Ground white pepper
Chopped fresh chives

Directions
Bring milk, vegetable broth, and salt just to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add celery root cubes, potato cubes, and onion quarters; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, discarding cooking liquid.

Combine vegetables and butter in processor and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. (Do ahead: Celery root puree can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm in microwave before serving.)

Transfer celery root puree to bowl. Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives and serve.

Serves 8.

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Cabbage With Candied Pecans
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 head of green cabbage, shredded
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup unfiltered apple juice or apple cider
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

First, cook the pecans: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over low heat. Add pecans and sautee, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until they just start to brown.
Add 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue stirring until sugar melts and pecans are coated and glazed. Remove from heat, let cool on parchment paper.
In a separate skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apple juice or cider, followed by the shredded cabbage.
Cook cabbage for about 10 minutes or until it wilts and turns a vivid green. Then add 1 teaspoon salt, plus pepper to taste.
Add pecans and fresh thyme, toss with cabbage, and stir for an additional 2 minutes. Drain off any remaining liquid and serve.

Serves 8.

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Simple Side: Candied Carrots

YumSugar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 10:02:48 -0800

Sometimes I spend so much time fretting over the main dish of my special holiday dinner that I forget all about the sides until the last minute. My happiness is quickly replaced with panic: what am I going to serve with my perfect roast/turkey/ham/prime rib? If you are experiencing a panic of these sorts at the moment (around the holidays cooking crises double in number!) then try this straightforward and uncomplicated recipe for candied carrots. It will pair nicely with any of the aforementioned mains and is a snap to prepare. To get this recipe, read more.

Candied Carrots
From Tyler Florence

1 bunch young carrots, with tops
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 orange, zested and halved
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off all but 1-inch of the carrot tops, leaving a little green. Put the carrots in a large shallow pan, add the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat the carrots.

Stick them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the carrots are fork-tender.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan around and cook until the butter begins to become brown and nutty.

Squeeze in the juice from the orange halves, add the zest, brown sugar, cumin and cinnamon and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until syrupy.

Remove the carrots from the oven, drizzle the orange brown butter over the carrots and serve.

Serves 4.

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Healthy Thanksgiving Sides and Desserts

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:00:40 -0800

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I've been anticipating the meal for weeks, but I still have room on my table for a few healthy side dishes and desserts. Check out these six recipes for tasty dishes that don't rely on copious amounts of fat to please your palate.

Carrot Soufflé	Brussels Sprouts	Apple Squash
Apple Pear Oatmeal Crisp	Pumpkin-Carrot Bars	Vegan Pumpkin Pie