Category Archives: Side dishes

Baked French Fries

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Roasting a pan full of vegetables has become an obsession with me.

roasted veggies


At least once a week I find myself chopping and chunking various veggies together and roasting them with olive oil and a bit of garlic salt. The combination of carrots, sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, brussel sprouts and onions is one of my favorites.

spread out on pan


I admit I seek out the crispy chunks of potatoes that remind of the fries that I usually shun in restaurants.

baked potato wedges


When my kids were little – back in the 1670′s – I found a magazine with recipes that showed us how to make “junk food” at home. I made my own corn dogs and Hostess cupcakes using these recipes. And of course, there were baked fries.
But I always had trouble with the fries sticking to the bar or roasting pans. And then I would dump in more oil and pretty soon they’re swimming in the very stuff I was trying to avoid – fat. Even if it is “healthy fat.” The last time I tried this I also used russet potatoes and I think they’re too starchy.
See pics at left.

bake on parchment paper


OK, so I’m not a genius, but this week I tried putting my “fries” on parchment paper to bake and I love love LOVED the results. I also used my favorite spud – the Yukon Gold which is a moist potato that holds up equally well baked or mashed. So why not fries? I used less oil and the results were fabulous.

And it only took me 40 years to figure this out! Genius.

no more sticking

baked fries

Ingredients
2 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp garlic salt (or regular salt to taste)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the potatoes into strips.
Put them into a bowl and pour on the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Mix well.
Place parchment paper onto a bar pan and then dump the wanna-be-fries onto the paper.
Bake about 15 minutes and then turn them over.
Bake another 10 – 15 minutes until brown and crisp.

No point spending life feeling deprived. If you love fries, treat yourself and your family. And clean up is a snap.

Pumpkin Custard

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OK, this is not a pretty picture. I know that. Partly because I’m a lousy photographer and partly because mushy brown food is hardly ever attractive.

But you will still love this custard if you love pumpkin pie. I have been making this recipe for about 40 years. It was first presented as a “diet” recipe, but now we just call it healthy and delicious.
I’m not sure where to categorize this. Technically, it could be a vegetable dish. Or a side. Or dessert. Yes, I do love this for dessert, plain or with whipped cream. (Sorry I didn’t have any on hand for the picture.)

whisk in baking dish


Ingredients for Pumpkin Custard
3 eggs
15 oz can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups)
1 cup low fat milk (or almond or soy milk)
1/4 cup Stevia (sugar alternative) (You can skip this and double the brown sugar.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each: nutmeg, cloves, ginger
1/8 tsp salt

test for doneness


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Use a two quart baking dish.
Break the eggs into the baking dish and whisk.
Add pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients.
Whisk until smooth.
Bake 45 – 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve warm or cool.

Now whenever you crave pumpkin, you can indulge without ending up looking like a pumpkin.
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Skinny Tangy Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet potatoes have been touted as a super food by health magazines, nutritionists, Dr. Oz and, probably, sweet potato farmers. I love to buy them and walk a little taller knowing they’re gracing my grocery cart.

crunchy pecans


Unfortunately sometimes days (or weeks!) later I find them sitting in the bottom of my vegetable bin like the last one chosen in a game of “keep away”. When their feelings are hurt their bruises surface and I’m even less likely to choose them over the perky Yukon gold potatoes calling “pick me” for a side dish to cozy up to a tender pork chop.

boil potatoes until soft


I’m trying to favor them more often by playing with a variety of cooking options that go together quickly and still enlist a “wow” from my guy Ken, the handsome chubby hubby I’ve been with for nearly 37 years.

So how’s this for quick? A recipe with four ingredients that goes from wallflower to wonderful in less than 20 minutes.
And there are two more options at the end of the post so you can fool your family into thinking it’s a whole new recipe by changing one ingredient!

sweet potato side dish

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 TBS honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup roasted pecans (I keep a baggie of roasted pecans and one of walnuts ready in my fridge.)

Directions
Put the sweet potatoes in a medium sized pot, cover them with water and bring them to a boil.
Boil potatoes about 10 minutes or until just about soft…not mushy.
Drain the potatoes and put them into a microwave safe bowl.
Sprinkle on cinnamon, honey and pecans.
Cover and microwave for a minute or two.

Note: You can make these ahead and then just quickly heat up when everyone drags themselves to the table.
For variation, use 2 TBS of frozen concentrated orange juice instead of the honey.
OK, yes, if your kids need marshmallows, add a few before you pop them in the microwave, instead of honey.

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Four Bean Salad

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The Three (or Four) Bean Salad is a staple at potlucks. So is the rhyme that goes with them: “Beans, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot.” (Lovely, Clare!)

4 bean salad

whisk wet ingredients

here come the beans


mix together

Believe it or not, I never heard this rhyme until college. We didn’t discuss bodily functions in my home growing up. One time I said to my Great Aunt Polly that I was sweating. She corrected me: “Horses sweat, men perspire and women glow.” Now you can learn all about the human body and its’ various malfunctions on TV commercials.

We’ve been glowing a lot this summer with ten days of 100 degrees or higher temps just in July. It hasn’t been this hot since the 1930’s dust bowl days. Not a soothing thought. I think this must be causing the tumbleweeds of dust living in the corners of my house. It couldn’t be because I don’t want to dust, right?

The heat is the reason I’ve prepared more salads. The recipes for the three–or–four bean salads usually mix vegetables and beans soaked in tangy light syrup similar to a sweet pickle juice. I searched cookbooks for variations and they are endless. Ironically as I was picking up beans at the grocery store, I noticed Three Bean Salad by the can. I don’t do much canned food, so I wasn’t tempted. I did, however, purchase the wax and green beans in a can for the salad to simplify the recipe. And I added an extra bean to give it more color, flavor and protein.

You could eat this as a main dish but it’s usually a side dish.

Note: all cans were about 15 oz in weight – or about 2 cups. Feel free to use fresh or frozen beans, but cook them a bit first.
Purchase low sodium beans if salt is an issue for you. If you can’t find low sodium, rinse the beans well.

Ingredients
¼ cup honey
¼ cup sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup light olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 can green beans
1 can wax beans
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ onion, minced
½ red pepper, diced

Directions
Whisk the first six ingredients together in a large bowl.
Add the beans and vegetables and toss until blended.
Chill for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better.

Serve Four Bean Salad cold on a hot summer’s day. It’s light and refreshing and so easy to make.

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