My birthday always falls on or around Easter weekend, and in my family, I am responsible for the holiday meals. Throughout my posts, I have talked about the importance of simplifying and finding balance. That it is easy to get carried away on menus you designed from your Pinterest board that leave you spending hours upon hours in the kitchen, I have been there many times.
I learned quickly that simplifying the menu of a holiday meal goes a long way to reducing stress and cost while allowing you to spend more time with your loved ones, versus being stuck in the kitchen all day. Here are 8-holiday side dishes, that are healthy, required few ingredients, and are all crowd pleasers. I hope you love these dishes as much as I do as they provide you with more time with your loved ones during your holiday meal.
1) Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
- Carrots 4 lbs.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 4 tbsp
- Dijon mustard 1 tbsp
- Rosemary, 1-2 tbsp. chopped
- Salt & Pepper
- Honey 2 tbsp
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Wash carrots and slice lengthwise into long pieces
Whisk remaining ingredients in a bowl, and brush the dressing onto the carrots
Bake for 30-40 minutes, till tender and caramelized
2) Roasted Beet & Walnut Salad with an Orange Tarragon Dressing
Ingredients:
- Beets 1.5 lbs. (5-8)
- Walnuts, 1/8 cup chopped
- Micro greens, 2 cups
- Goat cheese, crumbled 1/8 cup (for a vegan version, substitute a nut based cheese)
- Dressing: Orange Tarragon Dressing (oil 6 tbsp., juice of one orange, 1 tbsp. tarragon finely chopped, salt & pepper)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Trim, wash & dry beets. Place them in a 9×13 glass dish
Drizzle with a little olive oil and kosher salt
Roast for 30-45 minutes until tender
Allow beets to cool for about 5 minutes until you can handle and peel them. The skins should slip right off; use a paring knife to peel off any pieces that stick
Place micro greens on a platter, Slice the beets into thin rounds and arrange on the plate, sprinkle with goat cheese and walnuts.
Place all the dressing ingredients into a jar and shake, pour over salad, serve and enjoy
3) Garlic & Sage Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
- Potatoes, 4-6lbs, mixture of baby yellow & red varieties
- Grass-fed butter or coconut oil, 3-4 tbsp.
- Minced garlic cloves, 2
- Sage leaves (3 to 4), chopped
- Shallots (two) finely chopped
- Salt & pepper
Instructions:
Boil potatoes in salted water and drain
Place a pan on the stove on med-high heat and add 3-4 tbsp. of grass-fed butter or coconut oil.
After the butter melts, reduce heat to low-medium, add the chopped sage leaves, garlic, and shallots to the butter or oil
If the oil version is preferred, remove the pan once the shallots are translucent about 5-6 min
If opting for the browned butter sauce, let the butter mixture cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is a nice brown color. Place ½ the boiled potatoes into a bowl and ½ the sauce from the pan and, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add the remaining potatoes and sauce and beat again until the potato mixture is smooth and well mixed. Place into a bowl and serve.
4) Perfectly Roasted Brussell Sprouts
Ingredients:
- 1-2 lbs Brussels sprouts, washed & trimmed
- Juice of 1 medium pink grapefruit
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp Avocado oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut sprouts in half and arrange them on the pan. Drizzle with oil, squeeze the grapefruit juice all over the pan, roughly chop rosemary and sprinkle around, along with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
5) Fresh Green Salad
Ingredients:
- Pecans, ¼ cup, chopped
- Pomegranate seeds, ¼ cup
- Mixed baby greens (such as spinach, butter lettuce, frisée), about six cups
- Handful of fresh curly parsley, finely chopped
- Balsamic dressing (5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt & pepper to taste).
Instructions:
Toss pecans, pomegranate seeds, mixed greens and parsley in a bowl and combine.
Toss pecans, pomegranate seeds, mixed greens and parsley in a bowl and combine.
Place salad dressing ingredients into a jar and shake. Pour over the salad, mix well and stir.
6) Sautéed Ginger Peas:
Ingredients:
- Sugar snap peas, 3 cups
- Olive oil, 2 tbsp
- One-inch piece of fresh ginger grated
- One lemon (zest & juice)
- Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the peas, tossing occasionally for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are tender.
Add the grated ginger and lemon zest and toss gently, Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Put peas into a serving dish and enjoy.
7) Steamed Broccolini
Ingredients:
2 bundles of broccolini
Avocado oil, 2 tbsp
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp of crumbled, soft organic feta or goat cheese
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp of pecans or walnuts
Instructions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil
Place broccolini in a steamer basket and lightly steam for 2-3 minutes
Remove the broccolini and place under cold water or in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and to keep the color bright green
Drain and toss in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and serve.
8) Sweet, Maple Roasted Squash
Choose whatever squash you like for the number of guests you are serving. I love butternut squash, winter squash, pumpkin, acorn, and delicata squash. For servings, typically a 2 lbs squash yields about 3 cups diced squash.
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs squash of choice
2-3 tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tbsp avocado or coconut oil
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions:
Roast these in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. For step-by-step instruction with pictures check out the How to Roast a Pumpkin Article.
9) Apple & Turnip Casserole
Ingredients:
2-3 big Gala Apples
2-3 big purple top turnips
1/2 cup organic rolled oats
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice apple and turnip and arrange them in a baking dish. Melt coconut oil and mix in a bowl with remaining ingredients to create your crumble. Sprinkle over top of the vegetables and firmly press it down. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour (based on how thick you slice your veggies).
I hope some of my families holiday side dishes become some of your favorite dishes too. Happy Healthy Holiday Feasting.