Tag: side dishes

Lazy Brunch Pumpkin Fritters

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Is there anything more relaxing than a lazy brunch? I made this fall-inspired treat on a rainy Sunday, and it hit the spot – even for DH, and he’s not a huge fan of zucchini.

Serve with your favorite toppings – creme fraiche, smoked salmon, fluffy eggs, bacon, pico – whatever you have in hand that needs to be used up.

Gluten-free, Paleo, low carb, Whole30

Lazy Brunch Pumpkin Fritters

2c. shredded zucchini
6T. canned pumpkin purée (the 100% pumpkin kind, not the one that’s pre-spiced for pie)
1T. garlic powder
1T. onion powder
1t. curry powder
1T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2c. almond flour
1/3-1/2c. coconut flour
1 egg
Ghee for cooking

Toppers – I served with smoked salmon and soft scrambled chive eggs

Shred your zucchini, lay on a towel or paper towels, and press the water out.

Add to a large bowl with the rest of the critter ingredients. Stir to combine.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a couple Tablespoons ghee.

Form the critters into palm-sized patties as you go. Brown, flip, remove to a plate until everything is finished.

Serve with toppers.

Serves 2-3 for breakfast

Indian Spiced Mustard Carrots

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I think I got the general inspiration for this recipe from an image and offhandedly comment on Instagram. Can’t remember who sparked this brainstorm, but ruminating on blending sweet carrots with a hint of char and mustard got my creativity flowing – and to good effect. This is a fantastic side – and can be spiced to fit many palates.

A note on lime chili pickle: if you don’t know what this is, chop yours fine. The chunks can be a bit aggressive if you don’t know what’s going to hit you.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan

Indian Spiced Mustard Carrots

2 large carrots
1 medium onion
1-2 Tbsp. neutral oil
5 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. mustard oil
2 tsp. mustard seeds (I used 1 yellow & 1 black)
1/2 tsp. black cumin seeds (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp. lime chili pickle
2 tsp. mango powder
Salt
Pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
Chives (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200C. Prep a baking sheet by covering with foil.

Rough chop the carrots, onion and garlic. Toss with a liberal sprinkle salt, pepper, the oregano and 1 Tbsp. oil.

Roast 20-30 minutes or until browned to your liking. I did a bit of char, and really could have had more.

Add your veggies to the bowl of a food processor.

In a small pan over medium-high heat, bring the mustard oil up to temp. Toss in the mustard and cumin seeds and toast until fragrant. Chuck in the rosemary and fry until the seeds start to pop.

Add to the food processor. Whiz to combine, pausing halfway through to add a little water if too thick, the second Tablespoon oil if not rich enough, and salt to taste.

Spoon out and stir in the lime chili pickle and mango powder.

Top with snipped chives if desired.

Serves 2 as a side

Mushroom Lime Salad

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This recipe was inspired by an Instagram pic posted by one of my absolute favorite veg bloggers, @heidijswanson from 101 Cookbooks.

Aaaand now that I’m actually looking at the recipe for her salad, she’s got a lot more going on flavor-wise. Mine turned out great – but I bet hers is even more exciting. I was super curious to see if lime + roasted mushrooms would be a good combo, and I’m happy to report it is!

And I bet you could make this even more Fall-feeling with a creamy dressing or some butter in the roast. Or roasted garlic. Everything’s better with roasted garlic.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, Keto, Whole30

Mushroom Lime Salad

500g your favorite mushrooms (I used half crimini and half button, but fall wild mushrooms would be amazing here)
1 lime
1/2 bunch chives
1 big hand full roasted salted peanuts
1/2c. baby greens or a nice herby salad
Chili garlic spice mix (I use a prepackaged blend)
Your favorite sprinkleable stock starter (I used chicken here – but only because I ran out of my favorite roasted mushroom & onion)

Preheat your oven to 200C and prep a baking sheet with foil.

Quarter the mushrooms and lay in a single layer on the sheet. If you want to bump this up into a full meal and you’re not veg, add chicken breasts to one side of the pan.

Sprinkle everything liberally with the chili garlic spice blend & stock starter and bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until the chicken is done (~25 mins) and the mushrooms are nice and roasted (~35, maybe 40 minutes).

To serve, plunk the warm mushrooms on a bed of baby greens, and sprinkle all with snipped chives, chopped peanuts & lime juice.

Serves 2 for dinner with meat; you may want more greens if veg

Low Carb Paleo Falafel

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Mmmmm … falafel. Theoretically. I’ve been eating paleo or some variation for so long, I barely remember what falafel tastes like – and feel like most of them that I’ve had (except for the very few I’ve taken bites of over here) are kind of dry and tasteless. Joyless.

These could use a touch of work on the wetness side – I suspect an extra egg in the batter would do it – but they’re good. Flavorful, they hold together pretty well, and with the sauce drizzles: yuuuuummmmmmm.

gluten-free, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, vegan

081418-3

Low Carb Paleo Falafel 

Based on Perfect Whole30 Blender Cauliflower Falafel Tahini Bowl by Paleo Gluten Free Eats

Falafel

2 cups cauliflower rice
1 cup onion
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. mango powder (or sumac or lemon powder)
2 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. zaatar
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 – 5 cloves garlic

Tahini Sauce

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup neutral oil (like avocado oil)
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 date (or 1 tsp. date molasses)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Extras

Neutral oil for baking
Pomegranate molasses (check your labels for sugar!)
Zaatar

Preheat your oven to 200C (about 400F). Line a baking tray with foil.

Pulse all falafel items except cauliflower rice in a large food processor until a paste forms. Dump into a large bowl. Add the cauliflower and stir with your hands to combine thoroughly.

Form into golf ball sized balls and place onto the baking tray. Drizzle with a little neutral oil and bake 20 mins. Flip and bake an additional 15 – 20 minutes, or until browned nicely.

Drizzle with the tahini sauce and pomegranate molasses. Dust liberally with zaatar and serve.

Serves 4 for dinner or makes a nice party platter

Low Carb Broccoli Chicken Salad

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This salad is great as a side for a potluck, is even better when it sits for awhile, and can be easily made vegetarian/vegan/Keto/allergen-friendly.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, Keto, vegetarian, vegan

Low Carb Broccoli Chicken Salad

2-3 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 head (about 1 cup) red cabbage, chopped
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 scallion, sliced
Almonds – mix of slivered raw and smoked, chopped

Dressing

1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons almond butter
2 teaspoons white miso (can sub if strict paleo)
2 Tablespoons neutral oil

Optional Toppers

Shredded rotisserie chicken
Your favorite raisins

Chop and steam your broccoli until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

While the broccoli is cooling, prep all ingredients, adding all but the dressing and toppers to a large bowl. Add the broccoli.

Whisk the dressing and pour over the bowl.

Toss (I massage in with my hands). Hit with salt & pepper.

To serve, top with your desired extras.

As written, serves 2-4 for dinner

Mango Kimchi Salad

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Yeah – I know. Another seemingly weird flavor combination that I swear works. And is delicious.

This summer salad is quick to throw together, tastes great after hanging out for awhile in the event of some sort of potluck affair, and can stretch with a protein or bulk item like quinoa or blanched broccoli.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Mango Kimchi Salad

1 medium mango – I used the light green kind

1 medium cucumber

1/4 – 1/3 c. Kimchi – I used spicy but could have done with a shot or two more spice

Juice 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup pistachios

2 Tbsp. Fresh mint

Salt

Pepper

Curry powder

Garlic powder

Peel and chop the mango and add to a bowl. Chop the cucumber, kimchi, mint and pistachios and add to the bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss. Sprinkle with the spices and toss.

As written serves 1 for lunch – 2 if you stretch it with a protein (chicken, shrimp, beef, salmon or even canned tuna would work)

Roasted Mustard Veggies

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This dish was exactly what I was picturing when I picked my bottle of mustard oil up.

It’s simple, quick, keto, pantry-friendly and delicious. Plus: it can be dressed up a million different ways. I served with 2 fried eggs for a low-effort dinner one night.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, keto, paleo

Roasted Mustard Veggies

10 ounces frozen veggies (I used a mixture of cauliflower, broccoli, and romanesco)
2-3 Tbsp. Fat of choice (I used coconut oil)
1 Tbsp. Mustard oil (can be found in Indian or middle-eastern groceries)
1/4 c. Slivered almonds
Sprinkle nutritional yeast or Parmesan (optional)
Salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 200C.

While your oven is heating, line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spread your frozen veggies on top. Sprinkle with the oils and hit with salt and pepper.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until browned to your liking.

While the veggies are roasting, dry toast the almonds over high heat in a large pan. Set aside.

To serve, top the veggies with the almonds.

Makes a hearty main (with something light like eggs) for 1 or decent side for 2

Persian-ish Cauliflower Rice

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This recipe came about because I’ve been diving deep into Persian and Arabic cuisine, trying to wrap my head around what flavors are consistent and what ones are more regional – aaaaaaand I needed to use up a few stock ingredients before purchasing more fresh.

So – with this dish, we take the tomato, pomegranate and pistachio from this region, the parsley and onions found pretty much everywhere, cauliflower rice from the US (or you could probably go for India here – they have cauli, but riced is an American thing to the best of my knowledge), and blueberries from the US/Europe.

This makes a nice light side for basic chicken or beef (I first ate it with curry chicken breast), or alone and chilled as a salad.

gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto (watch your carbs from tomatoes, nuts and berries)

Persian-ish Cauliflower Rice

1 small head cauliflower, riced about 4 cups (I used some I had frozen and thawed)
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. fat of choice (I used coconut oil)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp. lemon juice, divided
10 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cup pistachios
Salt & pepper

Dice the onion and garlic. Heat your fat in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until translucent.

While the onion and garlic is working, gather the rest of your ingredients.

When the onion and garlic mixture is translucent, add the cauliflower rice, a hit of salt & pepper, stir, and let cook 3 – 5 minutes.

While the cauliflower mix is working, cut the tomatoes in half and chop both the pistachios and parsley.

Add the garlic powder, onion powder, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, pomegranate molasses, half the lemon juice, and tomatoes. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Cut the heat and add the blueberries, parsley and pistachio. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed – add the rest of the lemon juice here if desired. I wanted mine extra zingy, so I did. It would have been fine without.

Serves 4 as a side

Dilled Butternut Squash

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This sounds like a whole bunch of weird in one dish, but it’s freaking delicious. I ate both servings in one day – and was suuuuuuuuuuper sad when I didn’t have enough for leftovers the next day.

gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Dilled Butternut Squash

Small butternut squash
3 Tbsp. fresh dill
2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 c. tahini
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp. water
Fat of choice
Mustard oil (optional – this ingredient is Middle Eastern/Indian and is freaking delicious with roasted veggies and meats)
Salt & pepper

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Chop your butternut squash into 1/2 inch chunks, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with your favorite fat (I used coconut oil) and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Drizzle with a little mustard oil as an accent – I used about a Tablespoon (think of it like sesame oil in Japanese food) and I think that was the right amount.

Bake 25 minutes or until soft.

Note: I don’t peel my squash and don’t mind the skin – you may want to peel yours; you don’t have to. 

While your squash is roasting, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl into a thick paste. Whisk in the water slowly until you reach your desired consistency.

When the squash is done, add to the bowl and toss to combine.

Serves 2 as a side dish

Southabic Summer Fridge Salad

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Southabic? What’s a Southabic?

I was craving Southern-style tomato/cucumber/onion/vinegar salad, had a bunch of local tomatoes and cucumbers, and have a lot of Arabic-style spices on hand (plus: I have a whole literal drink cup full of pomegranate arils I have to use up before they go bad) – so, this salad was born.

And it was so freaking delicious I ate it for two dinners in a row with ground beef mixed in as a protein.

gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, keto

Southabic Summer Fridge Salad

2 medium tomatoes
2 – 4 cucumbers (I used Arabic cucumbers, which are smaller than the American or English varieties, with less large seeds)
1/4 red onion
1 clove garlic
1 slack hand full dill
1 slack hand full parsley
Red chili pepper
1/4 c. sliced green olives
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Sprinkle (about 1 Tbsp.) apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper
Madras curry (or your favorite curry, really, I just went for the most generic)
Cumin powder
Optional garnishes: chopped pistachios and pomegranate arils
Optional bulk proteins: ground beef or rotisserie chicken

To prepare the salad, chop the cucumber and tomato and add to a large bowl. Mince the onion, dill, parsley, chili and garlic and add to the bowl. Add the olives.

Drizzle the olive oil over top. Sprinkle the vinegar and spices (I’d say I used about a teaspoon of curry and half a teaspoon cumin all told), and hit with salt & pepper.

Toss to combine and stick in the fridge a couple hours to let the flavors marry.

Serves 2 for dinner when bulked up by a protein