Potato Salad with Horseradish Dressing

One of my favorite family traditions is Sunday lox and bagel brunch. Whenever my grandpa would visit from Florida, we would have a big brunch on the last Sunday he was in town. It had all the makings of a traditional Jewish breakfast: bagels from a local bakery, flavors of cream cheese, every kind of fish you could imagine, and a million different salads. As a kid, the different fish didn't look appetizing, so I stuck with everything else, and of course when I got older, I stopped eating meat. We got most of the fish and salads from a supermarket by my house. I loved the pasta salads and coleslaw, but my favorite was red potato salad.

Now that my grandpa doesn't travel anymore, and I moved away from home, my dad and I have our special brunch when I visit home. Sadly, that supermarket has closed, and now I have no way of getting some of my favorite salads. My dad bought a few from other places, but they just weren't the same.

While on a mission to find some recipes online, I found one for red potato salad. It looked so good, and I decided to try it out.



What you need:



5 Lbs potatoes
grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 can of green beans
fresh dill
salt and pepper
horseradish sauce

Horseradish sauce:


4 table spoons mayo
1 tablespoon horseradish
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix everything together in a small bowl and set aside to dress the potatoes later.

What to do:
Cut the potatoes into 2-bite size. Place in a pot with enough water to cover to potatoes. Bring to a boil.
Keep checking on the potatoes, until you can easily split the largest one with a fork.
Drain water and let potatoes cool in the refrigerator.
While potatoes are cooling, prepare the horseradish dressing, slice the tomatoes, and chop the dill.
Once potatoes are cold, combine potatoes, dressing, dill, tomatoes, green beans, and salt and pepper.
Serve chilled.











I can't believe how good this turned out! The dressing was tangy, spicy, creamy, and the horseradish went perfectly with the potatoes. The dill went so well with all the different flavors. The freshness reminded me of a fancy BBQ party in spring. The potatoes were nice and soft, while the tomatoes added a bit of a crunch, and the string beans were a great addition. I didn't go out looking for a recipe to replace my beloved potato salad, but every time I ate this I was instantly reminded of it. I can't wait to go back home and make this for my dad and I for brunch!

Do you love potato salad too? Will you try this one?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

P.S. The horseradish dressing is so delicious and versatile, you can use it for many other recipes too!

Veggie Packed Minestrone

I have tried a number of canned soups, which are always warm, healthy, and comforting in the winter (or any time of year). Every time I review a canned soup, someone always tells me to try cooking it myself. I recently made corn and potato chowder, and was super happy with the result. One of my favorite soups is minestrone. While I love Amy's soups, I knew it was time to try my own!



Inspired by All Recipes.

What you need:



4 small (or 2 medium) potatoes, pealed and chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
5 cups of veggie broth
1 can of green beans
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of chick peas
about a 1/2 lb of carrots, pealed and chopped
oil for cooking
your favorite Italian spices to taste (I used basil and oregano)
pepper and celery salt to taste

What to do:
Heat oil over medium head in a large pot.
Saute onion, pepper, celery salt, and Italian seasonings for about 5 minutes.
Stir in canned tomatoes (with juice), chick peas, green beans, carrots and garlic.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 30 minutes.











I was really excited when I had noticed, again, that I made a completely vegan dish...until I added a side of cheesy garlic toast.



I was so pleased with this perfect blend of Italian flavors and tomato. I loved the bite of protein that the chickpeas added, it was almost meaty. The green beans and carrots gave this soup a great veggie packed flavor. The potatoes were nice and soft, and filled with the flavor of the soup. All the veggies made this soup so colorful and beautiful. This soup was so comforting. I'd call it Italian with a twist!

What is your favorite soup? Will your try out this minestrone?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Greek Style Panini

There is officially a love affair going on, between my panini press and I. It is the best think I have added into my kitchen in a long time. When I have some left over ingredients that I don't know what to do with, they seem to always work perfectly, cooked into a panini. I have my two staples that I always make, cheddar apple, and southwestern, but I have been wanting to add a new panini to my menu. With my recent leftovers of feta and olives, and hummus on sale two for one, it was Greek style panini time!



What you need:



2 slices of bread
6-8 pitted Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Your favorite hummus
Half a tomato, sliced

What to do:
Assemble your sandwich with the hummus spread on, feta, olives, and tomato



Put everything into the panini press and cook until golden brown on the outside



I ate my panini with a side salad.





This panini was s incredibly delicious! It tasted like I ordered it right out of a sandwich shop. The hummus was creamy, and added an element of protein from the chick peas. The olives and feta were briny, and the tomato was hot a juicy. All the Greek flavors came together perfectly all in a hot and crispy crust.

What is your favorite panini combination? Will you try out this Greek style one?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Mediterranean Pasta Bake

Rabbits rabbits, and happy February! We all know how extremely cold it has been lately, and it always seems that February is the coldest month.  It always seems that there is a big snow storm every February, and after the two blizzards we just had, I'm not ready for another!  Winter wouldn't be so bad if I could just spend it all indoors with some hot cocoa by the fireplace, but unfortunately I am not a bear in hibernation. One way to combat the winter cold, is with warm comfort foods. While everyone loves the traditional comfort foods, its fun to change them up. I love cheesy, baked pasta, but I also love Mediterranean flavors.



Inspired by All Recipes.

What you need:



1 lb box of pasta
1 Jalapeno pepper, diced
1 bag of spinach
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
20-30 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Olive oil for cooking

What do to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Saute the jalapenos for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, olives, and spinach, let simmer for 10-15 minutes.



Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse.
Toss the pasta into the tomato mixture until evenly coated, and transfer into a large baking dish.
Top with cheeses and bake for 5 minutes.
Broil for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.











This meal was full of gooey, melty cheese and lots of heat! The tomatoes were hot and juicy, the olives were salty and briny, and the feta was nice and creamy. The spinach added a nice veggie flavor. I loved the texture of the olives with the soft pasta. This meal turned out to have a great mix of both Greek and Italian elements, which I loved! Everything was all baked and melted together with a crusty, baked top. This was full of flavor, and full of comfort!

Do you like to put twists on comfort foods? Will you try this pasta bake?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Tomato Basil Pasta

There are some foods that you have been making for so long, you don't even remember the first time you made it. When I first learned to cook I usually just stuck with the basics. I could make anything from a recipe, and I could make pasta.  When I first started to stray from recipe cooking, I remember my dad taught me that you can always add some more of an ingredient, but if you put in too much you can't take it out. Those are the words I still live by when I cook.

When first learning to cook, I found that it was easiest for me to work with Italian flavors. The tomato/basil/garlic combination of flavors was simple but so good. It was easy to work with those flavors and build off from there. Still to this day, when I don't know what flavors to cook with, that is my go to. Today, I am going to share with you a basic pasta dish. What is special about this is not that it is mind-blowingly delicious, or unusual, but that I have been making this pasta for as long as I have been cooking food.




What you need:



1 lb box of pasta
1 cup shredded or fresh mozzarella
1 bunch fresh basil
5 cloves of garlic, diced
4 medium vine tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Cook pasta according to instructions on the box.
While pasta is cooking dice tomatoes, roughly chop the basil, and dice garlic.



Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, and roast garlic until it just starts to turn golden.
Add tomatoes and basil, and cook until tomatoes are soft and the basil just starts to wilt.



Top with salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta, and stir in olive oil to coat the pasta.
Mix in the tomato basil sauce and cheese.









This dish features the most basic, and classic Italian colors and flavors. Its so simple, but incredibly fresh and delicious. The tomatoes were warm and juicy and the basil was so pungent and fresh. The garlic was the perfect compliment to the flavors and the mozzarella was chewy and melty. Personally, I do prefer fresh mozzarella, however cooking on a budget means you need to sacrifice at times. I find that with few and basic ingredients, that it really allows each element to shine on its own. This pasta tasted like it was straight out of an Italian restaurant.

What is your go to meal to make? Do you enjoy cooking with Italian flavors as much as I do?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Cheese and Tomato Pie

Hello everyone! Today I have a recipe to share with you that I found on Pinterest. I love searching through Pinterest and finding easy, vegetarian meals. Of course, I also need to find meals that are budget-friendly. Now that I have moved away from home, and buy my own food, I have become price conscious. Most of the meals that I make have a limited number of ingredients, and are made with food that was on sale at the supermarket that week. I had saved this recipe from Design Corral, and cheese and tomatoes were on sale during the week.  My decision was made!



What you need:



1 Deep dish pie crust
4 Medium tomatoes
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
Basil
Salt & Pepper

What to do:
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
Cut the tomatoes into slices, and arrange them flat on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Leave them for 20-30 minutes to drain.
Prebake the pie crust for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the mayo, mozzarella, and cheddar cheeses.



Layer in the tomatoes until you fill up the pie crust.
Top the tomatoes with basil and pepper.



Spread the cheese/mayo mixture evenly over the tomatoes.



Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.






My pie got a little ugly once I cut it, oh well!

What do you get when you cross pizza with comfort food?  Until  tried this cheesy tomato pie, that question would have stumped me too.  This was the prefect combination. The pie crust was light and flaky, which takes this meal away from pizza, and towards the comfort food side of the spectrum. The tomatoes were so juicy and fresh, and the basil gave it that Italian flavor. The top was so cheesy, and the mayo turned it into almost a cream sauce. All the flavors came together brilliantly, I nearly licked the plate clean!

What is your favorite comfort food collaboration? Are you going to try this cheese and tomato pie?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Mexican Zucchini Skillet

Hello veggies! How is everyone doing? I am spending the weekend in PA with Ben and his family to celebrate his birthday. I am so excited to be here because I get to enjoy all the foods Ben and I love near his house.  Now that we live far away, its rare I get to have these special foods, so I am enjoying it while I can!

As you can probably tell, I love me some zucchini. Its so easy to transform it. You can add Asian, Italian, or even Mexican flavors, and they all seem to go perfectly with zucchini. Today I decided on a Mexican flare.



Adapted from Skinny Taste.

What you need:



2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 medium zucchinis, chopped
Olive oil
1 large tomato, chopped
Oregano
Basil
Onion powder
1 tablespoon taco sauce
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
Lime juice
Salt and pepper

What to do:

Cook the garlic in the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for about a minute.
Stir in the zucchini and tomato and cook for about 5-6 minutes.



Add in the onion powder, oregano, basil, lime juice, and taco sauce. Mix it all together, and then remove the skillet from heat.



Season with salt and pepper.
Top with cheese and serve.







I ate my zucchini skillet with a side of rice.



When I took my first bite, the first thing I noticed was the authentic Mexican flavor. I'm not sure if it came from the Mexican cheese, or the taco sauce, but it was so good!  The zucchini and tomatoes were so fresh, and all the spices came together really well. The taco sauce didn't add too much heat, so if you are like me and love spicy foods, I would definitely add a little more spice. The hint of lime really tied everything together.  Overall I really loved this dish. I can't wait to make it again!

What is your favorite way to make zucchini? Will you try this Mexican skillet?

Bye from the Veggie Side!