Veggie Sides

It's always good to have a healthy arsenal of side dishes up your sleeve...it's so easy for side dishes to become an afterthought.

Here are some fantastic vegetable side dishes that we found recently.

Roasted Asparagus with Herbes de Provence

Ingedients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Herbes de Provence
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Toss the asparagus with olive oil, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Spread the asparagus onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Roast in preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Jessica. You can find it here.

Sweet Baby Carrots

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package baby carrots
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Place the carrots into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.

Return the pot to the stove, reduce the heat to medium-low. Melt the butter in the pot. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; add the carrots and stir until evenly coated; cook another 5 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by MrsAltmiller. You can find it here.

Notes: These were really good. They got gobbled up quickly!

Italian Veggie Bake

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Kraft Tuscan House Italian Dressing
1 large onion, chopped
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 pkg. (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 zucchini, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained, cut up
1/3 cup Kraft Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat dressing large skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in eggplant; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers; cook and stir 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour vegetable mixture into 2-quart casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese. Cover.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.

Recipe Notes: This dish tastes even better if prepared the day before. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. Bake as directed just before serving. You can also use light Italian dressing and reduced fat cheese, if you like.

14 (1/2 cup) servings.

Nutrition information: 60 calories, 3.5 g fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 130 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 2 g protein.

Source: Kraftrecipes.com. You can find it here.

Notes: This was so good. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. Sorry!

Asparagus, Artichoke, and Mushroom Saute with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Vegetable Saute:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), sliced into 3-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 pint teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tarragon Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves (or 1-2 tsps. dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.

Add the mushroom and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and artichokes and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and reserve.

Combine the oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.

Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve warm.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis recipe found on the Food Network website. You can find it here.

Notes: My brother-in-law made this and brought this to a family get together. It was FANTASTIC. Seriously, crave-worthy. You will love this. Sorry I didn't snap a picture of it! I thought it would be a little weird of me to take a picture of my food at our family gathering. :) I'll have to make this sometime and take a picture of it and add it then.