Category Archives: Sides

French Toast Apples

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French toast is a very popular breakfast item at restaurants, but is the opposite of a balanced meal. Traditional versions are prepared using white bread (refined flour) and high amounts of sugar, often followed by a flooding of sugary maple syrup or artificial “pancake syrup” or “original syrup.” Did you ever notice that those cheaper syrups at the grocery store aren’t even called “maple syrup”?

Instead, this recipe replaces the unhealthy white bread with much healthier apples, and contains no added sugar. Try serving this recipe with something other than syrup, such as fresh berries, nuts, and/or natural nut butter.

French Toast Apples | Guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, easy, lower carb, no added sugar, no refined grains

French Toast Apples

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This healthy recipe replaces white bread with apples to make a delicious French "toast."

Ingredients

  • 2 Medium to large apples
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon virgin coconut oil (or other medium to high heat cooking oil)

Optional

  • 6-8 drops liquid stevia
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Step 1
Cut the apples into 1/2 inch rounds, then use a paring knife to cut out the core.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, almond milk, cinnamon, and if using, vanilla and stevia.
Step 3
Heat a nonstick skillet (non-Teflon preferred) over medium heat. Add the oil.
Step 4
Dip the apple slices into the egg mixture, then onto the skillet. When the bottoms become golden brown, about 3 minutes, flip the apples with a spatula and cook the other side until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Step 5
Repeat step 4 until all apple slices are cooked. Remove from pan and serve with your choice of berries, a touch of maple syrup, or nut butter.

French Toast Apples | Guess Who's Cooking | Healthy, easy, lower carb, no added sugar, no refined grains. Great for breakfast, brunch, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, or Father's Day

French Toast Apples | Guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, easy, lower carb, no added sugar, no refined grains French Toast Apples | Guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, easy, lower carb, no added sugar, no refined grains

French Toast Apples | Guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, easy, lower carb, no added sugar, no refined grains

Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans, Arugula, and Truffle Oil

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Spaghetti Squash with Truffle Oil. Guess Who's Cooking. Low carb, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free.

This “pasta” dish is so full of flavor that you won’t care that it’s spaghetti squash, not spaghetti! The truffle oil is optional, but really gives this dish a huge boost in rich, earthy flavor.

Truffle Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans, Arugula, and Truffle Oil

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This rich and flavorful pasta dish is so tasty that you will forget you're eating spaghetti squash, not spaghetti!

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 to 1lb green beans (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • handful baby arugula
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • garlic powder to taste
  • salt to taste

Optional

  • dash of truffle oil

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds and stringy flesh. Drizzle with olive oil, rub the oil over the inside and outside of the squash, and place face down on a baking sheet.
Step 2
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until squash is fork tender or flakes easily with a fork. Let cool.
Step 3
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add green beans. Blanch for 2-3 minutes for thin beans and 4-5 minutes for thick beans. Drain.
Step 4
Once the squash is cool enough to handle, shred the flesh into strands with a fork. In a large bowl, combine the squash, green beans, and arugula. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder to taste.

Bean and Corn Dip – Super Easy

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This appetizer/side dish is extremely easy and will please a large crowd. You can serve it as a salad, or as a dip with tortilla chips (preferably baked chips). You can make this recipe from scratch using dried beans (cooked and cooled) and homemade dressing using the ingredients below (it’s really not that hard), or make it super easy by using canned beans and store-bought Italian dressing, which isn’t quite as healthy. BPA is a potential concern in canned foods, and store-bought dressings often have artificial ingredients and added sugar.
Bean and Corn Dip - Super easy. Guesswhoscooking.com

Bean and Corn Dip

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Serves 12
Prep time 10 minutes
This super easy bean and corn dip makes an easy appetizer or salad for a party.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups white beans, cooked (or 1 15-oz can)
  • 2 cups black beans, cooked (or 1 15-oz can)
  • 2 cups white or yellow corn, fresh, cooked and cooled; or frozen and thawed (or 1 15-oz can)
  • 3 tablespoons pimentos (about 2 ounces)
  • 1 stalk green onion (sliced)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Step 1
Rinse and drain the beans and corn. Add to a medium bowl, then add green onions and pimentos.
Step 2
To make the dressing, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine, or place in a jar and shake.
Step 3
Pour the dressing over the bean mixture, using only as much as necessary. You may not need the whole batch of dressing. You can also substitute store-bought Italian dressing, although it is not as healthy. For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve as a salad or as a dip along with baked chips.

Bean and Corn Dip - Super easy. Guesswhoscooking.com

Easy Whole Wheat Scallion Pancakes

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These savory pancakes are similar to Chinese and Korean pancakes, but are made with whole wheat flour. They may not be completely authentic, but they are easy to make and even easier to eat. You could experiment with other finely chopped or shredded veggies too, such as carrots or bell peppers.

Healthy Whole Wheat Scallion Pancake - similar to Chinese or Korean pancakes. Guess Who's Cooking

Whole Wheat Scallion Pancakes

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Serves 4-8
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Total time 35 minutes
Meal type Appetizer, Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack
These savory pancakes are similar to Chinese and Korean scallion pancakes, but have a healthy twist with whole wheat flour.

Ingredients

Pancakes

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cup green onions (or about 8 stalks)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons oil (grapeseed, canola, coconut, or olive oil)

Dipping Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

Pancakes
Step 1
Add eggs to a large bowl and whisk. Add water and flour and whisk until well combined.
Step 2
Slice green onions into 1-inch pieces. Add to batter, along with salt.
Step 3
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1/2 teaspoon oil to the pan to lightly coat the bottom.
Step 4
Add about 1 cup of batter to the pan. Swirl the pan to make the pancake an even round shape, and use a wooden spoon to spread out the scallions if necessary.
Step 5
When the edges start to brown and the underside is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes, flip the pancake. Continue cooking until the underside is golden brown, another 3-4 minutes. Set aside and repeat steps 3-5 until you've used up all the batter. Cut into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
Step 6
Whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Chips

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Brussels Sprouts Chips - Guesswhoscooking.com

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Chips

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Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Total time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1lb Brussels sprouts
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt to taste (starting with 1/2 teaspoon)

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2
Cut off the stems of the brussels sprouts and peel off the leaves. Cut off a little more of the stem to continue removing the leaves until you get to the tight and light-colored leaves in the center. Reserve these cores for another recipe, or try cutting them in half, tossing with olive oil, and roast after you bake the chips.
Step 3
Toss leaves with olive oil and use your hands to rub the oil into the leaves. Season with salt and spread leaves evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet, using 2 baking sheets if necessary.
Step 4
Bake 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Remove from oven when sprouts reach desired level of caramelization. Serve immediately.

BBQ Pulled Squash

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BBQ Pulled Spaghetti Squash - guesswhoscooking.com

This recipe is vegan, but contains no fake meat analogs or anything weird. This recipe contains only 3 ingredients. If you prefer, you could use bottled BBQ sauce, but it will probably have more sugar and other undesirable ingredients. Spaghetti squash is not incredibly tender, so this recipe won’t be as soft as shredded meat, but throw it in a tortilla, a lettuce wrap, or a whole grain bun and it’ll be just fine.

Easy BBQ Pulled Squash (only 3 ingredients)

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Serves 3 (about 1 cup each)
Cook time 45 minutes
Dietary Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish
Misc Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion Barbecue, Casual Party
This recipe is vegan, but contains no fake meat analogs or anything weird. This recipe contains only 3 ingredients. If you prefer, you could use bottled BBQ sauce, but it will probably have more sugar and other undesirable ingredients. Spaghetti squash is not incredibly tender, so this recipe won't be as soft as shredded meat, so throw it in a tortilla, a lettuce wrap, or a whole grain bun and call it a day!

Ingredients

  • 1 small spaghetti squash (yield 3 cups cooked)
  • 8oz tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut spaghetti squash in half, then scoop out seeds and discard. Place the 2 halves cut side down in a baking pan. Optional: add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan to help steam the squash.
Step 2
Place pan in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until squash easily shreds with a fork or until you can pierce easily through the skin with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Step 3
Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred the insides. Heat a large pan over low heat. Add tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar and stir. Add shredded squash and stir. Cook until the squash reaches desired tenderness, stirring occasionally, about 10-20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad

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Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com   

Ingredients

For dressing:

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons tamari

juice of 1 lime (1 1/2 Tablespoons) (or rice vinegar if you don’t have a lime)

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (or Thai sweet chili sauce)

1/4 cup water

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad Dressing - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1 cup carrots, sliced

2 cups red and yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1/2 medium avocado, diced

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Garnish: 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Optional: Baked tofu*

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com

Directions

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, food processor, or by stirring in a bowl. Combine all salad ingredients and top with dressing. Top with peanuts or other nuts (optional) as a garnish and serve.

 

*For baked tofu: slice 2 packages of firm tofu (non-GMO and/or organic) into blocks and press between 2 towels to squeeze out some of the water. Cut into cubes, toss with olive oil, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until golden, stirring once or twice.

Cauliflower Mash

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Print recipe
Serves 6
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 10 minutes
Total time 15 minutes
Dietary Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type Lunch, Side Dish
Misc Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion Barbecue, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower (roughly chopped into florets (about 3 cups))
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 clove garlic (start with 1)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Step 1
Steam cauliflower for 7-8 minutes, until fork tender. Set aside and let cool.
Step 2
In a food processor, add cooled cauliflower, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste, or more olive oil to make it creamier.

Cauliflower Mash - Lower-carb, dairy-free, gluten-free, low glycemic, vegan, & vegetarian. Follow GuessWhosCooking.com - @guesswhoscookin on Twitter, Pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin, & Facebook.com/guesswhoscooking

Vegetarian Baked Beans

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baked beans

This easy, vegetarian (and vegan) baked beans recipe is satisfyingly savory without being overly sweet. Most brands of canned baked beans contain about 12g (or 1 tablespoon) of sugar per 1/2 cup serving. In addition, most recipes call for bacon, which is a processed meat. This recipe has neither, making it low in added sugar and free of meat of any kind. The small amount added sugar is in the form of 1 tablespoon of molasses. Molasses is still sugar, and although it contains healthy minerals, let’s be real, you’re not going to get a significant amount of from 1 tablespoon divided by 6 servings. 

baked beans
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Vegetarian Baked Beans

Easy homemade baked beans without the meat or extra sugar.

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword barbecue, Beans, dairy-free, dinner, easy, one pan, plant-based, summer, vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
  • 1 cup onion, diced about 1 small to medium onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 15-ounce cans beans, rinsed and drained such as pinto and white beans
  • 1 can diced tomatoes,
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth or more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke optional

Instructions

  1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Add more vegetable broth as needed to keep the beans from drying out, until you reach the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Vegetarian Baked Beans

Mexican Zucchini Fritters

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Mexican Zucchini Fritters - Low carb, gluten free, grain free, dairy free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin and on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup poblano pepper, diced

2 cups zucchini, shredded

1/4 cup green onion, sliced

4 eggs, whisked

1/2 cup almond meal

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil, such as grapeseed, canola, or coconut

 

Directions

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add about 1 teaspoon oil. When the pan is hot, add onions. Cook 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add bell peppers and poblano peppers. Cook until vegetables are somewhat tender and onions are somewhat translucent. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, green onion, eggs, almond meal, cumin, salt and pepper, then stir in cooked pepper mixture. Preheat a nonstick pan (such as cast iron or ceramic, preferably not Teflon) over medium heat and add about 1/2 teaspoon  oil. Once pan is hot, add about 1/4 of the zucchini mixture. Once the edges are cooked and the underside is golden brown, flip the fritter. Cook until the underside is golden brown.

 

Note: If you don’t have almond meal, you could try coconut flour or whole wheat flour, but I haven’t personally tried it.

Mexican Zucchini Fritters - Low carb, gluten free, grain free, dairy free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin and on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin