A great side dish, or a lighter main dish. 1 box lasagna noodles – the kind you must boil 2 boxes frozen, chopped spinach 15 oz. container ricotta cheese 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 jar (or 2-3 cups homemade) tomato sauce – your choice 1/2 – 1 [...]

In elementary school I had a classmate whose mother would send her with pickled eggplant for lunch. To an 11-year old they looked kinda gross at first but then I tasted them. They were so exotic and tart, I was in awe; we never had this kind of stuff at our house! Though I never [...]

I’ve got this thing for beets. I really do. Not a lot of my friends or family agree with me, but that’s okay, I get more! 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup white or rice vinegar 3/4 cup water 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1 large onion, sliced thin 2 cans sliced beets, undrained [...]

A lovely vegetable side dish which we served alongside baked chicken.  2 cups water l lb. carrots, trimmed, cut into small chunks and you don’t even have to peel them 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 – 1/2 cup of the hot cooking water 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. brown sugar (dark brown sugar, if possible) [...]

The perfect accompaniment to hearty meats or ham. We enjoyed tham alongside beef short ribs. 1 lb. unpeeled baby onions 2/3 cup seasoned rice or tarragon vinegar 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning Place the onions in a pot with enough water to cover; bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and when [...]

A different twist on the usual mayonnaise based salad. Try to use only freshly squeezed lemon juice, not the stuff in the bottle. About 6-8 good sized potatoes 1 tsp. onion powder 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1 tsp. dill weed 1-2 tsp. sugar (taste) 1 [...]

Yuck? Not when they’re roasted. Container (about 6-8) Brussels sprouts Olive Oil – extra virgin is best Salt (I use Kosher) Pepper Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise. Spread them in a single layer on a rimmed cookie-type sheet. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons olive oil o ver. Sprinkle salt & [...]

A true, delicious classic and something we eat all summer long. I like the shredded cabbage pieces smaller so to achieve this I give it a whirl in the food processor for a few seconds; the choice is yours. 1 bag of coleslaw mix 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s) 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar 1 [...]

This is the same recipe used for my Marinated Tomato Slices. Get the freshest cucumbers you can find or use the English version. 1 cup vegetable oil (I use canola) 1/3 cup vinegar – white, rice, or tarragon (not cider vinegar) 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp. dry 3 Tbsp. minced fresh basil [...]

Anybody can make this! The secret lies in not using watery, soggy eggplant. So, with that being said, you prepare your eggplants ahead of time and let them “dry” in the fridge overnight. It comes out so perfect that you’ll be making this easy dish a lot. 2 medium sized eggplants, peeled and sliced into [...]