Get your Veggies On ~ Two Healthy Holiday Side Dishes

Happy Friday Everyone ~ As Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted to share with you all two of my absolute FAVORITE HEALTHY VEGGIE SIDE DISHES that all can EASILY whip up this year (no “real” cooking required!)

HONEY BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BACON!

I am also participating today is the Recipe Lion’s First Ever Blog Hop!  So get ready for some deliciousness and tons of fun great recipes from bloggers all over.  If you have a blog, feel free to join in ‘The Hop"’ ~ Click HERE to find out how to link up!  If you don’t have a blog, just click the button to hop over and check out all the recipes

I grew up NEVER liking Brussels Sprouts at all.  I mean, they are little balls of strong flavored cabbage.  But, I learned that if you prepare them the right way, versus just boiling and buttering them, that they can have a phenomenal flavor.  In this recipe, I combine my favorite roasting ingredients (Olive Oil, Balsamic, Honey) to add a salty sweet balsamic caramelized flavor to these little balls of cabbage.

HONEY BALSAMIC ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Brussels Sprouts, halved and quartered

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp honey

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 c chopped walnuts, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

2.  Halve and quarter your Brussels sprouts. Combine Olive Oil, Balsamic and honey.  Pour over Brussels sprouts.  Stir to combine and coat.

3.  Pour Brussels sprouts onto prepared cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once half way through.  Add your walnuts during the last 5 minutes if using.  Enjoy!

STEP-BY-STEPS:

Quarter and halve your Brussels sprouts.  I like doing a little of both.

Whisk together your olive oil, balsamic and honey.

Pour mixture over Brussels sprouts and stir to coat.

Pour your balsamic spouts onto a prepared cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once half way through.

I dare ya ~ try it, and I bet you may just find you like Brussels sprouts too! 

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions & Bacon is one of my FAVORITE childhood classic dishes.  However, the version I grew up with was not so healthy ~ picture loads of butter with the onions and mushrooms “fried” in the bacon grease.  I cleaned up this recipe by using a healthy cut of bacon and just a kiss of real butter.  It’s pretty easy to make and can be whipped up fairly quickly while everything else cooks for your holiday meal.

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BACON

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound green beans   

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 cup sliced white mushroom, optional

6 slice Cooked Center-Cut Bacon or Turkey Bacon

1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 tsp garlic salt   

1/4 tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Prepare all veggies – snap ends off beans and break in half, slice onion and mushrooms.

2.  Cook bacon and break into pieces. Set aside.

3.  Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray and add onions and mushrooms (if using).  Saute onion and mushrooms until tender and slightly browned/carmelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

4.  Boil green beans in enough water to cover them for 6-8 minutes or until crisp tender and drain.

5.  Add butter, garlic salt, pepper, onion/mushrooms, and bacon. Stir just until combined.

Enjoy – makes 6 servings – 1/2 cup each and only 1 Weight Watcher Point

NUTRITIONAL INFORMAITON PER SERVING:

Calories 60.9, Total Fat 3.3 g, Saturated Fat 1.7 g. Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 10.1 mg, Sodium 219.6 mg, Potassium 113.8 mg, Total Carbohydrate 5.7 g, Dietary Fiber 1.9 g, Sugars 0.2 g, Protein 3.2 g

STEP-BY-STEP:

1.  Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and add onions (plus mushrooms if using).  I omitted them this time since The Husband’s mom does not like mushrooms.

2.  Cook and crumble your bacon ~ set aside.

3.  Steam your green beans.  I saved time by buying Trader Joe’s steam in a bag Green and Yellow Beans.  I LOVE green beans, but, do NOT love preparing them ~ Thanks TJ’s!

4.  Add garlic salt, pepper and butter to your green beans.   TIP ~ You can always let your butter melt a little and remove any extra if you feel you have enough to cover your veggies.

5.  Add caramelized onions (plus mushrooms) and bacon.

6.  Stir to combine and enjoy!

MMMMM….I honestly cannot wait to get MY VEGGIES ON this holiday season!

First, I want to to know why Brussels Sprouts has an “s” on the end of Brussel”s”….don’t you think it should just be “Brussel”? I do! LOL

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY DISH TO ENJOY EACH YEAR ~ HEALTHY OR NOT?

Have an awesome day all!  And hop on over to the Recipe Lion Blog Hop for more recipe ideas!