Sides

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas

on October 19, 2020

This recipe is perfect for brunch. Plus, it makes an easy meal prep for the week ahead—leftovers taste just as good when reheated!

INGREDIENTS

3 medium ripe bananas, (the riper the better) sliced into 1/2″ pieces
2 cups blueberries
½ cup honey or agave
1 cup uncooked quick oats
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup fat free milk or oat milk from Trader Joe’s
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly spray an 8 x 8″ ceramic baking dish with cooking spray and then set aside.

Next, arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the ceramic dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1 tsp of the cinnamon, and 1 tbsp of the honey. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes or until the bananas soften.

While bananas are softening, combine the oats, half the walnuts or pecans, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Stir together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining honey, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.

Once bananas are softened, remove them from the oven. Pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries.

Then, pour the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries and walnuts over the top.

Bake the oatmeal for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm.

Filed Under: Desserts, Party Foods, Quick & Easy, Sides

Pasta Salad

on July 28, 2020

Another summertime treat that I’ve made for years! It’s one of the few dishes I know where the leftovers are better the next day, making it the perfect dish to take for lunch.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fusilli pasta, cook pasta and set aside
1 English cucumber, diced
½ cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 bell pepper (red or orange)
½ cup Trader Joe’s pitted kalamata olives with extra virgin olive oil, chopped
6oz. container Odyssey Mediterranean Herb Feta Cheese, crumbled
⅓ cup red onion, diced
2 tbsps. of fresh parsley, chopped
6 – 8 roasted Trader Joe’s garlic cloves (optional)

DRESSING

¼ cup Trader Joe’s red wine vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Mason jar (for mixing)

DIRECTIONS

Roast garlic in the oven (see directions below). Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and cook the pasta for 8 – 10 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain pasta and set aside. Add dressing ingredients into a mason jar and shake well, then set aside. Add cucumber, grape tomatoes, pepper, kalamata olives, feta cheese, red onion, parsley and roasted garlic cloves to a large bowl. Then, add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

DIRECTIONS – Roasted Garlic

Tear off a small sheet of foil. Set the peeled garlic onto the foil, then pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top of the cloves. Add fresh salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Wrap it in the foil and set it on a cookie sheet and either roast or bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes at 350°.

After baking, let it rest awhile before unwrapping. The garlic should be like butter; you should be able to smash it with the back of your cutting knife. Chop it up into fine pieces and add to salad.

Filed Under: Party Foods, Quick & Easy, Salads, Sides

Chickpea Salad

on July 17, 2020

Want a recipe that’s versatile enough to be a side dish but wholesome enough to be a standalone lunch? Try this healthy chickpea salad. Complete with cucumbers and tomatoes, it’s a summer favorite.

INGREDIENTS

2 ¼ cupsdiced cucumbers, partially peeled
1cupdiced, seeded tomato
¼ cupdiced red onion
2fresh lemon juice
½ tbsp.minced fresh parsley
1extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp.kosher salt and pepper, to taste
(1) 15can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients together and toss well. Serve and enjoy!

Filed Under: Quick & Easy, Salads, Sides