veggies — A Southern Fairytale

Easter Menu Planning

12:22 AM ByRachelFiled UnderMouthwatering Monday, Recipes, Side Dishes

Do you plan your Easter Menu?

Easter Menus can be daunting, the planning.. down right frightening. Do you serve Ham or Lamb? How many side dishes do you make? Do you serve appetizers?

For my family, it’s always been Ham on Easter, Turkey at Thanksgiving and Chili on Christmas Eve.

If this is the first Easter meal that you’ve cooked it can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Seriously y’all.. don’t let it.

I’m going to be playing with some Ham recipes this week and I’ll share them very soon, promise.

For today.. here are two side dishes that will be appearing on OUR Easter table:

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Potato Casserole

I made this potato chip topped, creamy, flavor packed, cream cheese enhanced casserole last Easter and it was one of the first things to FLY off our table. Seriously, you add potatoes, green onions, sour cream, potato chips, sun dried tomato and basil cream cheese, cheese and more… how can you go wrong? Plus, it’s EASY to make!!!!

You can find the recipe here.

Chilled Green Bean and Potato Salad

Fresh, crisp green beans, baby red potatoes, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, red wine vinaigrette and more blend together in a dressing that adds a special zing and unique flavor to this refreshing twist on a green bean side dish. If you’re tired of the same green bean or potato salad dish, this is the side dish to add to your table. When I serve it, it gets thumbs up from everyone and requests for it to show up again sooner rather than later.

Recipe here

What’s going to be on your table this Easter? Do y’all do Ham, Lamb or something else for a main dish?

I’d love y’all to share your Easter Menus and Ideas!

Taggedbbq, green beans, holiday recipes, potatoes, veggies 18 Comments

Marinated Chilled Potato and Green Bean Salad

4:39 PM ByRachelFiled UnderMouthwatering Monday, Side Dishes, Videos

potato and green bean salad 2

Can I get a glory, glory Hallelujah!!! Please?

I FINALLY have the Tastemaker Challenge 2 recipe and video ready to share with y’all! This video has been almost comical with the issues it’s had. Lost camera, video software crashing, things deleting, hiccuping and flat out disappearing on me.

BUT, it’s ready!

This month’s Tastemaker 2K10 challenge was nutrition on a budget. We were each given $10 and told to create a healthy, nutritious and delicious meal for under $10. Another Challenge for the Challenge.. keep it as close to the potatoes natural healthy state as possible.

So… without further ado… I present my “TONGUEGASMIC”

Tonguegasmic Apron

Tastemaker Challenge 2 Recipe & Video

please click through and watch the video and rate it using the star system! THANK YOU!

Chilled Potato and Green Bean Salad

1 bag Red Potatoes
1 lb fresh green beans, washed and snapped into 1″ pieces
3/4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced shallot (mine was a healthy 1 Tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste

Mince the shallot and whisk together in a glass bowl: lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, olive oil shallot. Cover and refrigerate.

Wash and snap green beans into roughly 1″ pieces.

Wash the potatoes and quarter

Steam the green beans to snappy crisp tender, remove from steamer and run cold water over them to cease the cooking process.

green beans being rinsed

Drizzle about 2 tsp of vinaigrette over the green beans and refrigerate.

Steam the potatoes until fork tender. Remove and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.

Add the potatoes to the green beans.

When you’re ready to serve them, toss with the vinaigrette. I had some vinaigrette left over. I didn’t want it to be too saturated.

This recipe was served at our practice Thanksgiving meal and my entire family gave it huge thumbs up. I will definitely make this again and I *might* have snacked on the leftovers for the next day. YUM.

You can see more about the #Tastemaker 2K10 challenge on the Mom’s Dinner Helper website.

If you’re linking up to the Mouthwatering Monday Tonguegasmic Linky, Thank you for your patience!!!!

Make sure to link directly to your recipe URL, leave a comment saying Hi, introducing yourself.. whatever, link back in your post and visit some of the other participants!

Thanks y’all!

Taggedcold salad, green beans, potatoes, salad, tastemakers, veggies 12 Comments

Garlicky, Veggie Rotini Pasta Toss

10:24 PM ByRachelFiled UnderMain Dishes, Mouthwatering Monday

Pasta with garlic, tomatoes, spinach, parmesan and mushrooms

Savory, Spicy, Rich, Bursting, Tonguegasmic… all adjectives that describe this insanely delicious and simple to make pasta. This was one of those.. “hmmmmm, I’m looking through what I have on hand, how can I throw it all together and oh yes.. Michelle asked me to make a vegetarian dish...kind of recipe”

So, I grabbed a bunch of things from my pantry and fridge and put them on top of my stove:

Ingredients for Garlicky Pasta

(you’ll notice once we get into the ingredients.. the wine and basil aren’t pictured here. They were halfway through cooking, additions) That’s just how I roll y’all LOL

Garlicky Veggie, Rotini Pasta Toss

1 box barilla pasta plus (see, the spaghetti up there. yes, last minute.. I changed to rotini.. I love the spirals)
16 oz cherry tomatoes (roughly 22), halved
12 to 20 mushrooms, sliced (how many do you want?)
6 oz fresh spinach leaves
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil, to drizzle in the pan.. no measurement
pinch of kosher salt (well, 2 really)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 C pinot noir or chardonnay (Barefoot Pinot Noir is what I used)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 C fresh grated parmesan cheese

Prep all the ingredients, cut, grate, slice.. etc….

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, when it’s done drain it, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, add a pinch of kosher or sea salt, toss together, set aside and cover.
While the pasta is cooking heat a skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add in garlic, pinch of kosher/sea salt, basil and crushed red pepper, cook about 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic begins to brown.
Add in 1/4 Cup Pinot Noir or Chardonnay and red peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes and a squeeze from the juice of 1/2 a lemon cook about 8 minutes, stirring frequently.

Tomatoes, Mushrooms and Garlic Sauteeing in Wine

Add in 5 to 6 oz fresh spinach (about 2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, it will look like a TON of spinach but, while it cooks, it will reduce. a lot.

spinach in veggies for pasta

Once the spinach has wilted, remove from heat, add to the dish that is holding your pasta, mix well, top with fresh grated parmesan

fresh parmesan on top of veggie pasta

Mix it all together and serve.

Garlic, Veggie Whole Grain pasta

You will lick your lips and love me. Trust.

This is SO EASY.

Nathan said: “I’m really surprised that I like it so much. There wasn’t any meat in it, and I’m full, and I really liked it. Will you pack some for me to take for lunch tomorrow”

WOO HOO!!!!!!

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