Side dish help!!

Cruise through the international foods aisle and pick up some mediterannan spice blend or Indian curry that you've never tried before! I have a whole collection of international spices, and use them to make everyday veggies into exotic sides!

Roast or grill them. My new fave is roasted cauliflower with some olive oil and seasonings. Check out skinnytaste.com. She has some great recipes on there.

Mix veggies with quinoa. Sweet potato, with touch of Cinnamon, no butter

I am not sure what kinds of veggies you like/dislike but if you like carrots, you might want to try this recipe for glazed carrots!

3 cups mini carrots, (1 pound)
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1.Combine carrots, water, honey, butter and salt in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is a syrupy glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and pepper and then sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Nutritional info (per serving): 74 calories; 2 g fat ( 1 g sat , 1 g mono ); 5 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 236 mg sodium; 287 mg potassium.

This recipe will make 4 servings, so you can adjust the ingredients according to your needs! I have made this recipe and I really like it, but instead of regular butter I use BestLife Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spread and Instead of using lemon juice, sometimes I will use some dry white wine!

Mash carrots and parsnips together, add some plain yogurt and curry? Maybe a touch of honey?

The ranch veggies sound delicious! I like yellow squash, zuccini, and onion, sliced and sauteed with a little parmesean cheese on top. I also love sweet potatoes with cinnamon. Kale chips are great and easy. Also, I make brussels sprouts by halving them, placing on a baking sheet, and coating with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I have a hard time getting the timing in the oven right on these though- they sometimes come out too hard or soft. Vegetable soup is another alternative to get a nice variety of nutrients from all different veggies.

Okra gumbo......in a skillet boil chopped onion and onion with spices of your choice. I put lots of garlic and onion powder, red pepper, etc. When Okra is soft add a can of diced tomatoes and peppers and simmer a bit. If you can handle the carbs add some diced potatoes when you boil the okra. Yummy over brown rice and very low in calories.

Yum!


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I roast mostly all my veggies, toss with some evoo, s&p and spread out on a cookie sheet. roast 400* until done. Sometimes I toss on a can of white beans or garbanzo beans, a little curry powder or cumin maybe or lemon pepper. Whatever flavors you like depending on the veg. Sometimes sprinkle a little parm cheese on top.

These are also good - they are a healthier version of T.G.I. Friday's Crispy Green Bean Fries w/ spicy dipping sauce!

Ingredients:

For Dip
3 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise (I use plain greek yogurt instead)
2 tbsp. peeled and chopped cucumber
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. dry ranch dressing/dip mix (If you are really ambitious, you can make your own dry ranch mix!)
1/4 tsp. wasabi paste
dash cayenne pepper

For Green Beans
2 cups (8 oz.) fresh green beans, trimmed
3/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor (I just put the cereal in a sealable plastic bag and roll a rolling pin over the bag!)
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt (I use Himalayan Salt)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Optional: additional seasonings, to taste (I add some paprika and thyme)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dip ingredients in a food processor or small blender. Blend until smooth. Place dip in a dish, and then cover and chill in the fridge.

Place the green beans in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 9 minutes. Carefully drain the beans, and then place them in cold water for a few minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain and dry them well.

Fill a small bowl with egg substitute, and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the Fiber One "breadcrumbs" with the spices (add extra seasonings, if you like). Cover a large baking pan with aluminum foil and/or nonstick spray. Set aside.

Place about 1/3rd of the crumb mixture into a large sealable plastic bag. One by one, dip green beans into the egg substitute, and place them in the bag with the breadcrumbs -- continue this with 1/3rd of the beans. Seal the bag and shake it up. Remove the "breaded" green beans, and place them on the pan. Repeat this process two more times, so all of the beans are coated.

Pop the pan in the oven and cook for 16 minutes, flipping green beans halfway through cooking. Beans are done once they're crispy. Allow green beans to cool slightly, and then serve with the dip.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe (dip included)
Calories: 129
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 881mg
Carbs: 32.5g
Fiber: 14g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 7g

Recipe From:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1085

I also like these beans with warm homemade hummus when I am not in the mood for the spicy sauce!

If your looking for really simple...I chop whatever is lying around and throw them in a steemer until fork tender then toss with a little soy sauce. Great flavor with zero fat and very little calories. (You just need a couple of drops of soy sauce)