Sides Taking Over

It's usually the side dishes that get all the applause. Guests may like stuffed mushrooms or the kids may like the the squash  instead of the roast. Is it possible to just make a meal of them then and forgo the main dish? Yes, if it's done right. A home chef can make a fun and nutritious meal by just using the second string.

Everyone loves stuffed mushrooms, They usually accompany a beef roast but can be made on their own. Use the portabella ones for a truly hearty meal. They can be stuffed with a variety of different ingredients. Try Italian sausage and mozzarella or crab meat and parsley, Vegetarians will love a spinach and eggplant one. You can also throw in some  white or brown rice too to round it out. The smaller white cap ones can be used  to make bite size versions. Another idea that involves mushrooms is mixing them with rice. Use the arborio  kind and you wind up with mushroom risotto. Rice itself is always the perfect side because it complements any meat poultry and fish.yet on its' own it can be a tasty and filling. Think about combining it with leftover chicken or ham along with some carrots broccoli and onions for a variation of fried rice.Rice patties are another idea. They're bound together with Parmesan  cheese and broccoli, then baked for fifteen minutes. The rounds can be made with brown rice too.Couscous is usually a side dish too but it can be stepped up to be a major player. Add some currents and chopped shallots and it turns into an exotic Moroccan dish.

Veggies have always been relegated to second string however they can shine on their own Squash can be stuffed with everything from beef to rice. It can also be filled with ground chestnuts or couscous too. Spaghetti squash is a great dinner .It's baked for forty-five minutes , scraped out and then served like any pasts. Try it with a rich marinara or a delicate burro or butter sauce. For true vegans  serve with a tomato sauce and chickpea meatballs.Zucchini is another side that can be stuffed and made into the star of the dinner table. Kids will love having zucchini boats for their meal instead of the usual garlic sauteed coins.They're an easy recipe starting with boiling or steaming the gourds and then slicing them in half. The pulp is scooped out then mixed with cheese, egg, beef, chicken or spinach  along with seasonings .It's then put into the squash shells and baked for twenty minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit. String beans, long the second banana to almost every dinner Yet serve it with pasta in an aglia e olio,, garlic and oil sauce and it's a fantastic dinner.Stir fry green beans with tofu and ginger for a yummy Asian influenced supper.

Sides can go from being a supporting player to the star of the dinner table. Any vegetable or grain can be revamped into a tasty and satisfying main dish.Don;t let them linger in the shadows any more.

Juiced Up

Now that there are a variety of fruits in the supermarket , it's time to start thinking about juicing them. After all, there's nothing like freshly squeezed glass of orange juice or apricot nectar. They re' also what the Obamas demand in this new era of healthy eating and drinking. The best part is that fresh squeezed juice won't be laden with anything artificial or packed with sugar. Everything is all natural and good for you.

The first step is finding the right juicer. There are several different types such as the masticator (Or chewer- It brings memories of a line from "The Glass Menagerie" when the mother tells her kids to masticate their food). This is great for pulping bananas if you want smoothies. The best bet for any novice juicer is a centrifugal type where the machine grinds fruits as well as vegetables and puts them through a strainer (similar to your washing machine on spin cycle) You get more juice and less pulp. Another option is the triturating or twin gear juicer. This type of juicer first crushes the fruit and then presses it. You get more fiber and trace minerals. Also look for juicers that can easily eliminate the pulp. This allows for less mess and less clean up.

Once you have your juicer the sky's the limit. You can make fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice for breakfast. A hot day can be alleviated with just made lemonade or limeade. You can also infuse teas with juices for a different taste. Blend different juices for a maximum intake of vitamins and minerals. Anything is possible and you can create some tasty flavor combinations such as cherry orange or raspberry lemon.


Juicing is a great way of getting more good stuff into your system. It's also a great way of introducing your family to real fruit juice, not that sugary store bought kind. Juicing should be one of the stepping stones to a better diet and a better you.