Side Dishes

Low-Carb Cheesy Celery Gratin

March 5, 2018 by Faith Leave a Comment

Low-Carb Cheesy Celery Gratin features celery as a star ingredient and pairs well with any number of things, like grilled steak or roast chicken. If you’ve never tried it, you might be surprised at how celery takes on a subtly sweet flavor once cooked!

Celery, that humble veggie that seems to always take the backseat in soups and stews and is often thought of as nothing more than a vehicle for serving peanut butter or cream cheese, is surprisingly the star of this dish.…

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Teriyaki Green Beans

January 19, 2018 by Faith Leave a Comment

Teriyaki Green Beans have all the flavor of your favorite take-out food, but you get to control the amount of sugar and salt that goes in. Most people look at me like I have three heads when I tell them I don’t eat Chinese food. It’s not that I don’t enjoy it; I too am a sucker for savory/sweet foods swimming in sauce. And fried rice. And noodles. What I really mean when I say that I don’t eat Chinese food is that I don’t eat it at restaurants....

Cheddar and Thyme Butternut Squash Gratin

December 22, 2017 by Faith 2 Comments

Cheddar and Thyme Butternut Squash Gratin is a simple, but surprisingly flavorful side dish that pairs well with just about anything. Looking through my side dish recipes, I realized that – like most side dish recipes – a lot of them feed a crowd! Which is of course a good thing most of the time, but it doesn’t hurt to have a few small-batch options on hand for those times when you’re just cooking for you +1....

Green Beans with Garlic and Golden Raisins (Copycat from Disney’s Boma – Flavors of Africa)

December 8, 2017 by Faith 1 Comment

Green Beans with Garlic and Golden Raisins was inspired by a dish I had at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge called Boma – Flavors of Africa. It’s richly-flavored and slightly nutty with a good balance of sweet and savory. I never thought I’d actually say this, but these are the green beans of my dreams. There is something oddly satisfying about a giant bowl of these, so much that I can make it an entire meal and be sated (umm, so when I say that the recipe serves 2 to 4 people, I guess that’s really more of a guideline because it’s really just 1 if […]...

Orange and Toasted Almond Saffron Rice Pilaf with Golden Raisins

November 10, 2017 by Faith Leave a Comment

Aromatic with orange and spices, this Orange and Toasted Almond Saffron Rice Pilaf with Golden Raisins is the perfect balance of sweet and savory! The secret ingredient that takes it over the top is a little splash of orange blossom water right before serving. In keeping with my exotic, intimate holiday meal, this one of the side dish stars of the show. Some kind of pilaf is a necessary component along with my Persian-Inspired Cornish Hens with Pomegranate Walnut Sauce; it acts as a bed to soak up all that glorious stew-like liquid....

Sweet and Savory Quinoa Pilaf with Cranberries, Roasted Butternut, and Toasted Almonds {Giveaway}

October 20, 2017 by Faith 38 Comments

Zoup! provided me with product for the purpose of this post, as well as compensation for my time. As always, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. Sweet and Savory Quinoa Pilaf with Cranberries, Roasted Butternut, and Toasted Almonds is packed with flavor and nutrition, and is the perfect addition to any holiday spread or fall gathering. We all have our classic holiday side dish standbys. Green bean casserole, candied yams, and buttery mashed potatoes, to name just a few of my family’s favorites. I’ll occasionally do a rice dish (typically a pilaf) of some kind, and just to mix things up, I […]...

Middle Eastern Spiced Green Beans with Olive Oil and Tomato (Loubieh bil Zayt)

June 19, 2017 by Faith 5 Comments

Middle Eastern Spiced Green Beans with Olive Oil and Tomato (Loubieh bil Zayt) is a dish that’s simple to make, but complex in flavor. This dish is heady with aromatic spices, onion, and garlic, and the green beans take on a nutty flavor after being toasted in olive oil. I don’t think there’s anything more intimate than sharing a meal with someone. Food is so deeply intertwined in who we are…meals our moms made for special occasions growing up will always be special. Holiday foods remain festive in our minds and are reserved for once a year. And there’s nothing quite like the feeling of […]...

Garlic Roasted New Potato and Asparagus Salad {#BrunchWeek}

May 10, 2017 by Faith 11 Comments

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #BrunchWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. Garlic Roasted New Potato and Asparagus Salad is a beautiful addition to brunch or a great side dish for any meal. Along with some form of eggs, brunch just doesn’t feel complete without at least one potato dish, so of course I wanted to integrate something featuring potato as the star into Brunch Week....

Sweet and Sour Green Cabbage and Apple Sauté {Paleo; Whole30}

March 17, 2017 by Faith Leave a Comment

This paleo and Whole30-friendly Sweet and Sour Green Cabbage and Apple Sauté pairs well as a side dish with just about anything. To me, other than a shamrock-wielding leprechaun sitting next to a pot of gold under a rainbow, few things in life say Happy St. Paddy’s Day more than cabbage....

Braised Broccoli Rabe with Chickpeas, Za’atar, and Tahini Drizzle {Gluten-Free}

March 14, 2017 by Faith 11 Comments

Gluten-free Braised Broccoli Rabe with Chickpeas, Za’atar, and Tahini Drizzle features the Middle Eastern flavors of tahini and za’atar to mellow out the pleasantly tangy bite of broccoli rabe. It was the funniest thing; recently I was eating lunch alone, attempting to multitask and finish up an article with a deadline approaching while downing a hot bowl of creamy tomato soup. Since I was there by myself, I thought getting work done would be a breeze and I’d have time to spare, maybe time enough to grab a coffee after lunch. It ended up being a pretty entertaining lunch after all....