Add Some Tasty Vegetable Dishes to Your Menu

Thinking of an entree to serve at a meal is not too hard, but coming up with something to go along side is a little trickier. Donna Marcus has many side dishes that she likes to prepare.

Marcus loves the creative side of cooking and always has. Growing up, she liked watching her mom cook. As she has run her own household for many years she’s enjoyed trying new things and coming up with recipes of her own. She likes to combine varieties of vegetables with her favorite herbs and spices. Her three grown daughters share her cooking enthusiasm. 

One thing Marcus does, now that she’s cooking for only two, is buy a canned soup like a tomato or pea soup and use that as a base to create a stew. Adding meats and vegetables she comes up with quick creations -- something new every time. 

Below she shares two of her favorite vegetable side dishes that are a hit with her friends and extended family.

Spinach Dumplings
Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 cup ricotta cheese       
• 2 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
• 1¼ cups all purpose flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 cups water
• 1¼ cups (2oz) parmesan cheese, grated
• butter

Prep:
Squeeze excess moisture out of spinach. Add to spinach, ricotta cheese,1 cup parmesan, 1 cup flour, eggs, egg yolks, salt & pepper. Mix together well  and shape into 8 balls. With remaining flour, pat outside of balls until just covered.  

Bring water to a rolling boil. Drop the dumplings gently into the water one or two at a time. Cook for 2 minutes, until the dumplings float to the surface. 

Remove with a slotted spoon to a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 min. at 350 degrees.  

Serves 8

Crumb-topped Brussel Sprouts & Cauliflower
Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1 garlic clove, pressed   
• ¼ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs     
• 1 lb. trimmed Brussels sprouts, halved
• 3 cups fresh cauliflower
• salt & pepper to taste
• bacon crumbles for garnish, optional

Prep:
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté. Stir in breadcrumbs and cook 3-4 minutes or until browned, then remove from heat.  

In a separate pot, place Brussel sprouts in a *steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 8 minutes. Add cauliflower to steamer pot and steam all for an additional 3 minutes. 

Toss veggies with the crumb mixture and put into a serving dish. Top with crumbled, cooked bacon if desired. 

Serves 6

*A steamer basket is a great addition to your kitchen tool set. They are inexpensive and help your vegetables retain their nutritional value, as the vitamins don’t get cooked out into the water.