Sides and Salads

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Aunt Fannie's Baked Squash
Baked Beans

Black Bean and Avocado Salad

Butternut Squash French Fries

Fried Okra

Fried Squash

Fried Squash (Version 2)

Grilled Fennel and Red Onion with Lemon Dressing

Green Beans and Peppers

Ratatouille

Spinach Salad

Spaghetti Squash

Squash casserole (faux sweet potato casserole)

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Hash

Teriyaki Veggie Spears

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish

Aunt Fannie's Baked Squash
3lb yellow squash, sliced thinly or diced
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c coconut milk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup almond flour or crushed almonds
Cook squash in salted water until tender (don't overcook). Drain and pour squash into a greased baking dish (coconut oil). Add milted coconut oil, salt, pepper, and onions. Combine coconut milk and eggs and mix with squash. Top with almond flour. Bake 20 min at 450 until brown.

Baked Beans
2 bags dried beans (black and or red)
2 onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2 cup honey
dash of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
Soak beans in cold water overnight or for at least 7 hours. Drain the water, rinse beans, add more water. Um... not sure how much - about 3 inches above the beans. Add onion and garlic, bring to a boil, simmer for 2-3 hours. Do not add salt until beans are soft, or they will not get soft. When beans are soft and the water is down to the level of the beans (add more as they cook if you need to), add honey, pepper and salt. The 1/2 cup of honey is approximate - see how much you like. Same with the salt and pepper. These are even better the next day.If you like spicy, then chop fresh jalapenos and add when you add garlic and onions. Yum!

Black Bean and Avocado Salad
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or 1 lemon)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup black beans (soak beans in water over night, rinse, cook on low for 6-9 hours in crockpot until tender)
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 diced avocado
Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Butternut Squash French Fries
Butternut squash
sunflower or peanut oilPeel a butternut squash. Using care and a large knife, slice up the squash into french fry slices (we like them on the skinny side). Fry in hot oil (We used peanut oil, but you could also use coconut or safflower). Salt lightly and enjoy!
You can also bake at 450 until the edges crisp up.

Fried Okra
2 packages frozen cut okra
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour
peanut or sunflower oil
Pour frozen okra into a large bowl. Mix the two eggs and pour on top, stirring to coat. Add almond flour and toss to coat. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large frying pan. Put okra in and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. When the lower side is browned, turn the okra in clumps. Let the other side brown (10-15 minutes), Remove onto paper towels to drain, sprinkle with salt (the key is not to stir the okra as it cooks - stirring knocks off the coating).

Fried Squash
3-5 zucchini or yellow squash
2-3 tbsp olive or peanut oil
salt to taste
Slice squash into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Add oil to a large frying pan, heat, add squash. Fry on high until over half of the squash pieces are lightly browned. Add salt to taste and serve hot. Yum!Very good cooked diced with diced onions too!

Fried Squash (another version)
3-4 yellow squash or zucchini
1 egg, whisked in a small bowl
3/4 cup almond flour or pulverized almonds (crunchier)
Slice squash in 1/4 inch rounds or 1/2 inch rounds. Dip into egg, dip into almonds, fry in oil (peanut, olive, etc). Don't deep fry - just put a coat of oil (maybe 1/3 a cup) in a frying pan. Fry on low/medium heat until browned, flip, fry until brown. Do not cook on high heat - you'll burn the almonds without cooking the squash. Sprinkle with salt and enjoy!

Grilled Fennel and Red Onion with Lemon Dressing
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large fennel bulbs with fronds
2 large red onions
2 tbsp olive oil
Whisk together first 4 ingredients. Whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil until blended. Set aside. Mince fennel fronds to measure 1/4 cup. Set aside. Trim stalks from fennel. Cut fennel bulbs in half vertically, discarding the cores. Cut each into 1/4 inch lengthwise slices. Peel onions and cut into 1/4 inch lengthwise slices. Combine fennel and onion in large bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil. Toss well. Place in grill basket or on top of foil on grill. Grill covered over medium high heat until tender (13 min), turning after 6 minutes. Add veggies and fennel fronds to lemon juice mixture, toss well.

Green Beans and Peppers
3-4 cups fresh green beans
1 red bell pepper
olive oil
salt to taste
2 cloves fresh garlic (optional)
Snap the stem end off of the green beans (we leave the beans whole other than the stem). Slice the red pepper into thin long slices, about the size of the beans. Get the oil hot in a frying pan and sear the beans and peppers on high heat. Add garlic after about 1 minute of cooking (we don't use this for the kids, but we adults enjoy the garlic!). Sear until about 1/3 of the beans and peppers have slightly blackened spots (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and salt to taste.

Ratatouille
3 tbsp olive oil
1 med yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
2 med zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
2 small eggplants, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Saute onion until golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Reduce heat and add peppers, cooking until soft (about 5 min). Add zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, thyme and salt. Cook, covered, until cooked through (about 30 min), stirring occasionally. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Spinach Salad
1 package fresh baby spinach
1 cup grated carrots
Artichoke hearts (marinated)
Sauteed mushrooms (saute in oil)
Thinly sliced red onion
4-6 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 package bacon, cooked crisp
Dressing:
1/2 c cider vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1/4 c honey
Heat up the dressing in a pan. Assemble salads, crumble bacon on top, drizzle with hot dressing.

Spaghetti Squash
1 spaghetti squash
oil (olive, sunflower, peanut)For spaghetti, use a spaghetti squash! Slice the squash in half, place the cut side down on an oiled cookie sheet (olive oil or your oil of choice), bake at 350 until tender - 20-40 minutes. Try not to overcook it too much. Take a fork and tease out the "spaghetti".
Uses:
Add tomato sauce (boil down tomato juice that is not from concentrate, add fresh garlic, dried oregano, basil and marjoram, add some salt, a tiny bit of honey. Add browned beef or turkey if you wish. Add sautéed mushrooms and onions. Enjoy!)
Sauté fresh onions, mushrooms and peppers. Add spaghetti squash. Add fresh tomatoes and cider vinegar. Add cayenne pepper (or don't). Enjoy!
Add lemon or lime juice, a touch of salt, and coconut oil. Toss then serve.

Squash casserole (faux sweet potato casserole)
Butternut squash
1 egg, optional
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
toasted, salted nuts, 1/2 cup
Bake a butternut squash (acorn squash would work too). Cut in half, scoop out seeds, bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes until soft. Scrape out the soft inside and mash well (You can mash however you like – I like it smooth, so I process it in the food processor with an egg until smooth). Add honey (1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on your taste) and salt to taste (1/2 tsp). Sprinkle toasted nuts (pecans or almond) on top, drizzle with honey if you like it sweet, bake at 350 until things look tasty - about 30 minutes. Yum!

    Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes [about 7-8” long and 3-4” diameter]
3 eggs
1/3c mushrooms and peppers, diced (optional)
2Tchives, finely diced
2T mashed avocado
1/4t salt
black pepper
Preheat your oven to 400* and wash your potatoes.
Place on a pan [or right on the rack] in the middle of your oven for 45-60 min, until cooked through.
Whisk the egg until smooth then whisk in the mushrooms, chives, salt, and pepper.
Remove from the oven and carefully cut a slice in the top of the potato (do not go all the way to the ends, leave an inch or so). Then either push open the potato to create a hole (that's what I do), or scoop out some potato.
Place potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle the carved potato with a pinch of salt, add the avocado, then pour in half of the egg mixture to each.
Bake for another 25-32min until the egg is set.

Sweet potato hash
1/4 c oil (I use a little less)
1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper diced
1-2 sweet potato peeled and diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Saute the onion and pepper for about 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and saute for 20-30 minutes depending on the desired texture.

Teriyaki Veggie Spears
1 pound fresh veggies (carrots, broccoli, asparagus, etc.) (I used zucchini and carrots.)
1/3 cup mock soy sauce (see condiments/marinade page)
1 TBSP sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Clean and cut veggies into long spears. Place on a broiling pan. Mix the soy sauce, oil, and honey. Drizzle on the veggies. Sprinkle with seeds. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish
(makes 2 cups)
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound carrots (peeled and cut to match stick size)
1/2 pound daikon radish (peeled and cut to match stick size)
Mix the water, vinegar, honey and salt until the sugar and salt dissolves. Place the carrots and radish in a container and cover with the pickling liquid. Let pickle for at least and hour and store in the fridge for up to a week.