No Potatoe Side-dish

wrap fresh asparagus in tin foil with olive oil and butter buds and grill, so yummy!!! Also you can do a green bean caserol, that is always a favorite in my home.

I love a good salad. One of my faves is some mixed green lettuce tossed with a sliced pear, some blue cheese (or gorgonzola), pecans and a balsamic vinaigrette. It's simple, but kinda fancy and very delicious!

green beans - either a green bean casserole or done almondine (sauteed and topped with slivered almonds).

green salad

roasted vegetables

I have a dressed-up version of the classic green bean/onion casserole.

2# fresh green beans
1 large onion, sliced in wedges
8 oz. goat cheese
3-4 tbsp milk
2 tsp soy sauce
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. veggie oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Blanch green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain.
Mix soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil, toss over green beans, roast in oven for 30 minutes, stirring 1/2 way thru cooking time.
Meanwhile, heat veggie oil, add onions, cooking until soft. Add in brown sugar until carmelized.
Mix goat cheese and milk until smooth.
Add onions to the top of the green beans, then top with cheese mixture, roast until heated thru, serve and enjoy.

You can also had mushrooms to the green bean step, but my family doesn't like them.

what about a beautiful ceasar salad or a salad with Romaine/Pears/Pecans/Gorgonzola cheese with a honey mustard dressing.

I buy hot spiced green beans from the heath food deli. Then I cook spinach or broccali with crimini mushrooms sliced thick and onions in half moons thinly sliced.
Once the onion cut in quarters and sliced thin is sauted in the pan I add the mushrooms, and a few minutes later the fully washed spinach with a small amount of water 1/2 cup at most. If I chose broccalli I only use the flower tops. I cover and let it steam add 1/2 cup of water and let steam and then look to see if you need to add more. Spinach makes it's own water as it cooks so seldom requires more but do check.
At last I place the green beans around the three other cooked vegetables and serve.
Not much work and the result is delicious.
If your children don't like such interesting food cook carrots for them adding
a dash of ginger to enhance the flavor.

Green beans with bacon. Yummy.

how bout just a nice big green salad with all of your favorite toppings? I put tomatoes, kidney beans, garbanzo beans (for my hubby, I personally don't like them) avacado, sesame seeds, cheese, croutons, bacon bits, some carrots, and red onion. I sometimes just add chicken and make this my main dish at dinner time!!

I love steaming fresh veggies - they have so much flavor I don't even season them. I coat the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil (or canola oil) and layer the longer cooking veggies on the bottom and the leafy greens on top. I set the gas burner on low, put a lid on it and wait 10, 15, 20 minutes - sometimes I'll even turn the burner off and let the trapped steam do the work. Be careful not to over-cook...the less cooked, the healthier.

Brussel Sprouts.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchStr...

This is the one I made:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/br...

GOOD!
SUPER easy! and quick
My family loves it... even my daughter.

Or, this:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/glazed-pearl-onions
SUPER easy, GOOD, and cheap to make.... and SUPER quick to make.
My family LOVES this one too.
(I recommend doubling the recipe so you have enough. That is what I did).

BOTH these dishes, goes well with any meat dish.

good luck,
Susan

Our family LOVES this Cranberry salad. It is easy to make, but needs to be done the night before (TODAY!) You will need a bag or 2 of fresh cranberries. Put them in the freezer so they are firm when you process them. Take a large can of crushed pineapple and mix with one cup of sugar. When the cranberries are frozen, use a food processor to chop them up fairly fine. Some chunks are ok. Mix this with the pineapple and sugar, in a glass bowl - NOT metal. I have started adding a can of jellied cranberries as well. Add a half a bag of mini marshmallows. Cover and let sit in the refrig overnight to marinate. (If you have less time, that is ok too)
Right before serving, fold in whipped cream. I prefer to make my own - but Cool Whip probably works just as well. This dish is good for you - it is almost a dessert, but is a lovely, pretty side dish!
I tweak it depending on how large of a batch I need. We always want leftovers, it seems better the next day!

1 lrg can crushed pineapple - WELL DRAINED!
1 bag fresh cranberries (chopped)
1 can jellied cranberries (this is up to you, I like it)
I C. sugar
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
1 pint whipping cream or container of cool whip

this is our family favorite for all holidays

1 bag cranberries
2 cups water (Just enough to cover the cranberries in pan)
2 cups sugar
3 small packages of red jello (strawberry, cherry, cranberry etc)
1 large can crushed pinapples
1 cup chopped nuts (optional we skip this but down south they put it in)

put cranberries in bottom of large sauce pan cover with water and turn on heat. cook till they have popped (it will sound like popcorn)

when done and mushy add in sugar and jello mix well add in pinapple and mix well pour mixture into dish (1 large cakepan type dish or 2 smaller dishes if your going to pass them around the table)

refrigerate until firm

topping
2 - 3oz bars of plain cream cheese cut into cubes
2 small containers of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 small bag of mini marshmallows (I use the bag size from aldi's but about 3/4 bag of campfire mini's works as well)

put cream cheese into mixing bowl pour marshmallows over it then pour the whipping cream in. beat till it is turning into whipped cream add sugar and beat it till it is whipped cream

after the jello portion is set then frost the top with this topping. it is a huge hit at the holidays good luck

Any veggie (green veggies are best - Brussels sprouts, asparagus, frozen green beans, broccoli)
Sprinkle with packet of dry ranch dressing mix
Roast at 350* until desired doneness (10 min?)

Simple and SOOO good! They disappear every time!

Our family always likes a pineapple sauce as an option to put on the ham. We use crushed pineapple heated on the stove with a little cornstarch and water mixture to thicken it. Serve on the side as some may not like it on the ham.
Another family favorite is green beans and vinegar. To dress it up, I add bacon. Cut the bacon small with kitchen shears, fry, then add to green beans and vinegar, heat slowly on stove. I sometimes throw a little of the bacon fat in, too. I usually use about a half lb. bacon to one can beans.

Ok, so not so healthy but ohhh soo yummy
Green Beans n Bacon ... 2cans GB to 1lb of bacon
Cut the bacon into bite sized peices pan fry
In crock pot at least 12hrs before the meal drain the GB and put in on low
Add bacon and GREASE!! stir let cook on low overnight ... drain first thing in the am and put on high for about 3hrs before serving drain again before serving (should not be much) ... family tradition here.

Healthy Option
Fresh Asparagus w/ lemon & parm cheese
Snap off the ends of the asparagus (after good rinse)
lay on cookie sheet lined with foil
put 2tsp of oil on the foil and roll the asparagus in the oil
1 lemon, juice over Asparagus only one half of the lemon (hold the cut part of the lemon to your clean palm and squeeze over)
other half of lemon slice and set aside
bake in the oven at 350 for 20 min (you want them to be cooked but still crisp)
Serve on a plate with the lemon slices and shaved parm cheese.
this is good for 1lb of asparagus :)

Cauliflower purée. Search it on eatingwell.com. I'd recommend roasting the cauliflower instead of steaming. So delicious. People always ask for recipe. Ask if you have questions.

I like broiled asparagus with a blue cheese sauce (also good for the ham). I HATE blue chees anything normally, but when its melted with cream and butter, it is sweet and rich, who knew!!!

its super easy:

Lay out asparagus on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and a couple dashes of pepper. Broil or bake at 425 for about 10 minutes...

For the sauce. I googled Blue Cheese sauce and came up with a million ideas all a little different and all including things I don't normally have around the house, so I kind of made up my own, but it turned out perfect and was super easy:

in a sauce pan heat 2 tablespoons butter,, 2 tablespoons worshestershire sauce and 5-6 cloves chopped garlic on medium heat until melted. Add about 4 ounces of heavy cream and heat until almost boiling. Add 4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese and stir until melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. It should thicken, but even if it doesn't its tasty! This only takes about 10 minutes. should be ready by the time the asparagus comes out.

drizzle the sauce on the asparagus just before serving and have extra on the table.

All the veggie ideas are great, but if you want something else, I like to make a cheese soup sometimes for a side. I just use the condensed cheese soup in a can and make it with milk, not water. I add chopped up chives or green onions and crumbled bacon. I top each bowl with some shredded cheddar. It's really good! You could also put in some veggies of your liking as well. It goes well with some nice yummy bread too.

Asparagus Tart:

Frozen puff pastry, thawed and rolled according to the box. Then brush with egg and a little gruyere cheese. Place washed and trimmed asparagus on top, bake at 400 until the asparagus is tender, covering the edge with foil if it gets too brown.

Also, you could do a rice pilaf - take a boxed mix and add in raisins and toasted almonds.

There are a million ways to do spinach too - creamed, baked with cheese, etc.

Happy New Years!