Sides - DIY Candy

This Kale and Chickpeas Recipe is a Tasty Delight

Amy — Sat, 13 May 2023 16:33:00 +0000

If you’re looking for a healthy side, this sauteed kale and chickpeas is delicious! High fiber and perfect for a paleo eating plan.

I recently wrote about my struggle with adrenal fatigue, and let me tell you one of the staples of the new diet I’m on: KALE. Kale here, kale there, kale everywhere!

I eat kale all the time. It’s lucky that I like kale so much, including sautéed kale, which is the hallmark of this delicious dish.

If you’ve never tried kale and chickpeas before, you’re in for a real treat. I love the textures and flavors that both bring to the table.

I’m going to be honest: even though I love kale, I really wouldn’t be interested in eating it cooked on its own. However, the chickpeas completely change the game.

Throw some roasted chickpeas into cooked kale and you’ve got a side that’s perfect for eating as part of your adrenal fatigue diet, and could even be considered paleo (depending on your opinion of chickpeas).

The point is that sometimes straight up veggies get boring, and this sautéed kale with chickpeas is a way to make life – and eating your greens – interesting. Learn how to make this particular kale recipe below.

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2

A bunch of kale, chopped
2 tsp olive oil + 1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp of sesame seeds
1/2 tsp of paprika
Couple of tablespoons of chicken stock or vegetable broth or water
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 can of garbanzo beans or 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

You’ll love this tasty kale with the crunch of the chickpeas! Get the printable recipe card below.

Kale and Chickpeas

If you're looking for a healthy side, this sauteed kale with roasted chickpeas is delicious! Perfect for my adrenal fatigue eating plan.

Course Sides

Cuisine Paleo

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 483kcal

Ingredients

15 oz garbanzo beans 1 can or 1 cup cooked
1 bunch kale chopped
1 T olive oil
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 T chicken stock can also use vegetable stock or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a cookie sheet or cover with parchment paper and keep aside.
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans if using from a can. Get rid of as much moisture as possible and transfer to the greased cookie sheet.
Drizzle 1T of olive oil on top of the beans and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss to mix. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes. Halfway through, toss again once.
While the chickpeas are roasting, cut the kale into thin strips and chop the stems into no more than 1/4 inch thick pieces.
Slice the garlic thinly or mince, depending on preference.
Heat the remaining oil in a skillet on medium high heat and start cooking the kale and garlic together. Keep cooking till the kale starts wilting and then season with salt, freshly cracked black pepper and paprika.
Stir for a couple of minutes and add the chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water). Cook till the kale softens and the moisture evaporates.
Add handfuls of roasted chickpeas to the cooked kale and serve with optional sesame seeds.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information can vary greatly depending on how many chickpeas you add and whether you use oil to cook the kale. There are opportunities for calorie reduction for sure!

Nutrition

If you enjoy this sauteed kale recipe, check out these other delicious recipes on the blog:

The post This Kale and Chickpeas Recipe is a Tasty Delight appeared first on DIY Candy.

Whole Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary

Amy — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:05:00 +0000

The garlic and rosemary make this whole roasted butternut squash recipe! Perfect for a weeknight dinner or even a side for a holiday.

Hey there, squash enthusiasts! Are you tired of cubing and peeling butternut squash? I’ve got you covered. I’m going to share a game-changing way to enjoy this autumnal favorite – whole roasted butternut squash!

Yes, you read that right.

I mean you will have to cut the gourd in half, but this method will save you precious time and effort versus cubing. It will also deliver an equally delicious and stunning centerpiece for your dinner table.

Not only does it look impressive, but roasting the squash whole also locks in all the flavors and nutrients, making it a reasonably healthy and tasty choice.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t like butternut squash until I was an adult. I didn’t appreciate the entire cucurbits family of veggies until adulthood.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

Have you ever had a food that made you gag at first, but eventually you ended up loving it?

Squash was that for me. Obviously I gave it a try again and ended up loving it, and that brings us to this roasted butternut squash recipe with rosemary.

It’s really tasty. And perfect for a side item for a weeknight dinner, or for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Really anytime during the fall is a great time for squash, especially when it involves butter, garlic, and a healthy dash of rosemary.

Learn how to make this easy recipe below. Also remember that one squash serves two people, so double or triple it (or more) as need be.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, cut into halves, lengthwise with the seeds scooped out
1 tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary
1 fat clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Olive oil to drizzle on the butternut squash
1 tablespoon of cold butter, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Tips and Thoughts for This Recipe

When selecting a butternut squash, look for one with a firm, matte skin without any soft spots or blemishes. It should feel heavy for its size, indicating that it’s full of moisture and flavor.
You can also place the squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil if you like.
If you’d like your squash a little sweeter, you can use maple syrup on top along with cinnamon instead of garlic and rosemary. Don’t be afraid to play with seasonings.
To test if it’s done, insert a knife or fork into the thickest part of the squash – it should slide in easily with little resistance. That is what we call “fork tender.”
Size matters! The actual roasting time can be an hour or more depending on how thick the squash is as well as your oven. Just keep that in mind.

Get the printable card for this recipe below! Then let me know what you think in the comments.

Roasted Butternut Squash

The garlic and rosemary make this roasted whole butternut squash! This is a really easy recipe and tastes delicious.

Course Sides

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 242kcal

Ingredients

1 butternut squash
1 T rosemary finely chopped
1 clove garlic thinly sliced
1 T butter cold and cut into small pieces
1 tsp olive oil
1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut into halves lengthwise with a knife. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.
Place the halved butternut squash on a cookie sheet lightly greased with oil. Drizzle the olive oil over the squash, then put dabs of butter on both halves.
Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Sprinkle on the chopped rosemary and arrange the thinly sliced garlic randomly.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Scoop out of the skin and serve.

Nutrition

If you like this recipe, I’d also love for you to check out the following recipes:

The post Whole Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary appeared first on DIY Candy.

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts Roasted with Apple Cider

Amy — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:37:00 +0000

This roasted, caramelized brussel sprouts dish features brown sugar and apple cider. It also does the impossible: bridges the gap between salad and dessert.

Ah, poor, maligned brussel sprouts. The boiled foe of every toddler (and manchild) on earth.

If only our mothers and grandmothers had known that instead of boiling sprouts until they were practically gray, they should have been eating roasted brussel sprouts!

Roasting sprouts brings out their sweetness, makes the outer leaves crispy, and just results in one very delicious green side!

This particular roasted brussel sprouts dish goes a step further: a quick brown sugar, apple cider, and butter glaze in a cast iron skillet into which you toss your fresh brussel sprouts.

Then 25 minutes roasted at high heat, and you have something that does the impossible: bridges the gap between salad and dessert.

Seriously, these are so good. When we tested this recipe, I ate an entire bowl full . . . by myself! These will be enormous winners at your holiday dinners, I promise.

Ingredients

1lb fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed, rough outer leaves of larger sprouts removed
¼ cup high quality unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
¼ cup apple cider

You want to use high quality ingredients for this recipe. When you are looking for Brussels sprouts, look for those that feel firm when you squeeze them. You don’t want any that have holes or are shriveled. Leaves should be tightly layered.

When prepping the sprouts, trim the dry ends and remove yellow or damaged leaves. You can half them or leave them whole depending on what you like best. Use a paring knife to cut.

Make this recipe within three days of purchasing your sprouts, because they tend to lose sweetness as they age.

The cast iron pan makes it easy to take the brussels directly from the stovetop to the oven. If you don’t have a cast iron pan, just cook them on the stove in a regular pan and then transfer them to a lined or sprayed cookie sheet to roast.

Serve with chicken or turkey . . . or eat on their own. They really are that good! Enjoy! Get the printable recipe card below.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

This roasted brussels sprouts dish features brown sugar and apple cider; it also does the impossible: bridges the gap between salad and dessert.

Course Sides

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 180kcal

Ingredients

1 lb brussels sprouts (fresh, rinsed, ends trimmed, rough outer leaves of larger sprouts removed)
¼ cup butter (high quality, unsalted)
2 T brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Place butter, brown sugar, and salt in a cast iron skillet. Cook over high heat until bubbling and thickening.
Add apple cider and then keep stirring and cooking until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Toss brussels sprouts in the glaze until well-coated.
Roast for 25 minutes, tossing regularly, until sprouts are crispy and caramelized, whilst cooked through.

Nutrition

Let us know what you think of these brown sugar brussel sprouts in the comments! If you like this delicious side item, check out these other recipes:

The post Caramelized Brussel Sprouts Roasted with Apple Cider appeared first on DIY Candy.