Best of the Month November 2015

A recap of my most popular posts from November 2015.

I'm finally back after my winter/holiday break from blogging.  It was great to turn off the computer and just relax.  Now that the holidays are over I'm back and it's time for my best of the month November.  It's interesting to note all of my most popular recipes, from this month, are vegetarian.

All #vegetarian recipes are my BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

November was a good month.  All of my recipes received at least 200 views and I polished and re-posted some old (but great) recipes.  All 3 of my re-posts got many more views and are my top three best of the month.

2013's best of November:

Black Bean Soup

A creamy, flavorful, and meatless soup made with black beans and spices.  Filling enough for an entree.  Now has 926 views, 73 +1s, and 34 'yums'.

BlackBean #Soup: BestoftheMonth Nov 2013  [Tweet this]

2014's best of November:

Green Pea Soup

Healthy and easy, frozen, green peas pureed in a flavorful broth for a creamy and delicious, vibrant green, soup.  Now has 612 views, 40 +1s, and 6 'yums'.

GreenPeaSoup #vegan: BestoftheMonth Nov 2014  [Tweet this]

Now back to this year's best of the month:

Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

A deliciously simple vegetable side of roasted broccoli flavored with parmesan, garlic and a dash of lemon juice.  This is a re-post of the same recipe from 2013.  It only had 58 views and now it has 1230 views 103 +1s, and 366 'yums'.  It's one of my favorite vegetable side dishes.

Parmesan&GarlicRoastedBroccoli #veggiesides: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil

A Simple side dish of mashed sweet potatoes with coconut oil.  That's it and it is delicious.  This is another re-post recipe from 2013.  It now has 655 views and 68 +1s, and 35 'yums'.

MashedSweetPotatoes w/CoconutOil #veggiesides: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Green Bean Salad

Crispy green beans in a honey mustard vinaigrette with sliced almonds.  A simple and quick vegetable side for any meal.  Another re-post from 2013.  Now has 497 views, 35 +1s, and 13 'yums'.

GreenBeanSalad #veggiesides: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Spicy Edamame

Young soybeans, in the pod, sauteed in ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sriracha.  A spicy, salty, and nutritious snack.  490 views, 38 +1s, and 71 'yums'.

Spicy Edamame #healthysnacks: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015 [Tweet this]

Hoisin Baked Tofu Vermicelli

A vegetarian rice noodle salad with vegetables, herbs, and sweet and salty baked tofu.  258 views, 46 +1s, 7 'yums'.

HoisinBakedTofuVermicelli #vegetarian: BestoftheMonth Nov 2015  [Tweet this]

Check out my Bests of November from previous years:

Linked to:  J&J, Lou lou girls, whimsy, wonderful, Tickle my Tastebuds, full plate, Freedom, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend

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Green Bean Salad

Crispy green beans in a honey mustard vinaigrette with sliced almonds.  A simple and quick vegetable side for any meal.

 

Repost of original from 3/25/13 190 views.  Added tweet-ables, pinnable image, follow my pinterest board, and minor editing.

This is one of my favorite ways to eat green beans.  I don't care for canned green beans that end up mushy and have no texture.  I first had this salad at my sister-in-laws' and I fell in love.  The green beans are only slightly blanched (steaming works too) so they are cooked yet still crisp.  Then tossed in a honey mustard vinaigrette with sliced almonds for more crunch.  You can top this salad with crispy fried onions or shallots for more crunch and more flavor, but it is fine without.

Say no to mushy green beans. #GreenBean #Salad  [Tweet this]

I love this recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish.  It's a great, lighter way to enjoy green beans instead of the usual green bean casserole. It's also great because you can make it the day before and store in the fridge until dinner time. This frees up time and cooking space on Thanksgiving day.

Save time with this #ThanksgivingSide: #GreenBean Salad  [Tweet this]

Green Bean Salad

Cook time:  under 10 minutes
Servings:  3-4

Ingredients:

1 pound green beans, snapped
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 hand full sliced almonds
Crispy fried onions or shallots (optional)

Blanch the green beans.  Toss the beans in a large pot of salted, boiling water and stir for 1-3 minutes.  Remove the beans and immediately place in ice water (sometimes I just rinse under cold running water) to stop the cooking.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  Mix the mustard, honey, vinegar, and olive oil in a glass jar with a lid.  Shake to combine.

Pour the vinaigrette over the beans and toss until coated (use as much or little as you like).  Add the almonds and mix.  Top with fried shallots or onions if desired.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Makes 3-4 servings.  Serve cold or at room temperature (I served this with my Pineapple Pork Chops it also makes a great #Thanksgivingside).

Enjoy.

For more vegetable sides check out:

Spicy Edamame     -

Baked Potato Salad   -

Simple Carrot and Cucumber Salad

Linked to:  2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Wake Up, Whimsy, Wonderful, Full Plate, freedom, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend



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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil

A Simple side dish of mashed sweet potatoes with coconut oil.  That's it and it is delicious.

A re-post of the original from 5/24/2013.  Adding pin-able image, tweet-ables, and editing.  225 views and 2 +1s.

I will no longer put butter in my mashed sweet potatoes.  It's not about health or nutrition, or even an aversion to dairy (though those are all good reasons) it is about taste.  Once I added coconut oil to my sweet potatoes I was hooked.  The coconut oil brings out the sweetness of the potato, and adds a creaminess, like butter.   I must stress:  if you like sweet potatoes, get and use some coconut oil with them.  Here is the easy 2 ingredient recipe.

Easy #2ingredient MashedSweetPotatoes w/ #CoconutOil  [Tweet this]

Another recipe in my Thanksgiving sides series.  Everyone knows about sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving but why not try Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  You could make it more like casserole by adding some cream (or keep it dairy free and use coconut milk), cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and top with chopped Candied Pecans.  This will be my "sweet potato casserole" this year.

Trade #Sweetpotatocasserole 4 MashedSweetPotatoes #thanksgivingsides  [Tweet this]

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil

Servings:  2
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 very large sweet potato
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
Cinnamon (optional)

Peel and cut the sweet potato in small even pieces.  Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil for about 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat and drain.    Remove sweet potatoes to a medium-sized bowl (or just put back in the saucepan) and mash with 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil.  No need to add any other liquid because sweet potatoes absorb more liquid while boiling than regular potatoes (but if you think you need some reserve some of the cooking liquid and use it).

Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy.

Also mentioned in this post:

Candied Pecans

For more vegetable sides check out:

Cinnamon and Cumin Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Maple Glazed Carrots                                          -

Sauteed Kale                                           -

Linked to:  Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Wake Up, Whimsy

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Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

A deliciously simple vegetable side of roasted broccoli flavored with parmesan, garlic and a dash of lemon juice.

Repost of original from 2/1/13 58 views and 1 +1. Better pictures, pinnable image, tweetables, and editing.

Leading up to Thanksgiving I'm going through my vegetable sides recipe posts.  To be honest, sides are my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm looking for good sides to make this year and thought I'd re-share and update some of my favorite veggie sides.  Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli is a great side to serve for Thanksgiving.  It's not a usual Thanksgiving side but it should be.  It's simple and delicious and everyone will love it. Have everything ready and it can go in the oven once the turkey is out and resting.

Parm&Garlic #RoastedBroccoli for a #ThanksgivingSide  [Tweet this]

Many people need to eat more fruits and vegetables.  I know it's true for me.  This recipe makes eating your veggies easy.  Roasting makes broccoli sweet and tender.  The cheese adds a salty, cheese, and almost nutty flavor and, my favorite, makes the roasted broccoli crisper around the edges.  I love garlic and add it to almost everything so it's always a natural addition and makes this dish top the charts in flavor.  It's a great vegetable side dish for any meal.

Yummy way to get your #5aday Parm&Garlic #RoastedBroccoli   [Tweet this]

Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Cook time:  20 minutes
Servings:  2-4

Ingredients:

2-3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 large head)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F

Place the broccoli in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss until broccoli is thoroughly coated. (the oil should help the spices and cheese to stick to the broccoli)

Lay out in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes or until dark brown and crispy around the edges. (sometimes I stir about half way through, but not always, and it seems to turn out great either way.)

Serve hot (it's still great cold too).  Makes 2-4 servings but it's so tasty I've been known to eat it all by myself.

Enjoy.

For more vegetable sides check out:

Cumined Cauliflower and Broccoli

Sweet Dill Glazed Carrots

Sauteed Kale       -

Linked to:  2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Tickle my Tastebuds, Wake Up, Whimsy, Wonderful, Full Plate, Foodie Friends, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend

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Spicy Edamame

Young soybeans, in the pod, sauteed in ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sriracha.  A spicy, salty, and nutritious snack.

This is my new favorite game day snack.  I love having salty and spicy snacks/munchies when I'm drinking (alcohol) and I do a bit of that while watching my favorite teams play.  Even when not drinking these beans are a great snack.  The recipe is very customizable to your individual tastes add more or less of any ingredient as you prefer.  Use any hot sauce, minced chilis, or none at all.  It always turns out great. Spicy Edamame also makes an excellent side dish.

Spicy Edamame is my new favorite #gamedaysnack  [Tweet this]

If you've never eaten soybeans like these you should definitely give them a try.  You only eat the beans inside the pods (the pods are tough).  So what you do is put the whole pod in your mouth and kind of suck/squeeze the beans out of the pod.  The beans are tender and buttery and you suck the spicy salty oil off the pod with the beans.  Just 1/2 of a cup is considered a serving but I've been known to eat it all by myself.

You gotta try this Spicy #Edamame #snack  [Tweet this]

Best of all, this is a nutritious snack.  There are 5 grams of fiber and 10 grams of protein in just 1/2 a cup.  As well as many other health benefits of soybeans, ginger, and garlic (they are all on The World's Healthiest Foods site click to check them out).

Spicy Edamame is a #healthysnack  [Tweet this]

Spicy Edamame

Servings:  2-4
Cook time:  about 10 minutes

2 cups frozen edamame (in pods)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1-2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sriracha

Boil the edamame, in enough water to cover them, for 5-8 minutes then drain.

While the edamame is boiling, simmer the garlic, and ginger in the oil over low heat.  Then add the drained edamame stirring and tossing to coat with the oil mixture.

Pour in the soy sauce and sriracha and turn up the heat so that the liquid boils off while mixing to coat well.

Turn off the heat and remove edamame to serving dish (with an empty trash bowl on the side).

To eat you just suck the tender beans out of the spicy coated pods (make sure you suck all that spice and oil off the pods and don't forget to lick your fingers too--it's so good) and discard the pod.

Enjoy.

For more healthy snacks check out:

Hummus           -

Cucumber Bites      -

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Linked to:  Pretty Pintastic, Show off, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, TicklemyTastebuds, Wake Up, Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends

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