Browsing Category FAST AND EASY SIDE DISHES
Anita’s Creamy-Dreamy Broccoli Soup
Smooth and creamy without the heavy cream!
Ingredients
5 cups of broccoli florets
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced
2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 potatoes, diced
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
- Use a large pot and heat over medium high heat and melt butter. Sauté the onions until softened. Incorporate minced garlic.
- Add potatoes and broccoli.
- Seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add broth.
- Bring it to a simmer uncovered, then place lid on pot. Lower heat and cook for about 30 minutes until broccoli and potatoes are tender.
- Add milk and simmer for additional 5 minutes.
- Turn stove off. Use a hand blender and puree until smooth.
- Add cheese while hot and mix.
Ready to serve and warm your soul up. Enjoy!
Anita’s Light and Delicious Tuna-Stuffed Tomato
So flavorful, healthier and perfect as a summer side dish. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 5-ounces cans white albacore tuna in water, drained
1/2 red onion, finely minced
3 celery stalks, finely minced
2 Tablespoon of caper brine
1 Tablespoon of capers, minced
1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of Plain Yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
- Use a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, yogurt, caper brine, salt and pepper.
- Add the drained tuna, celery, capers, and red onions. Stir until well combined.
- Serve inside a beefy big tomato, make it in an Olive bread (see my site for recipe) sandwich, tuna melt or enjoy on its own over a healthy delicious spinach salad with balsamic glaze.
Anita’s Best Vodka Sauce Ever
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgen Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 ounces can) crushed tomato
4 Heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
12-15 fresh leaves of Oregano, chopped
2 Tablespoon Vodka
1/4 cup of heavy cream or evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Preparation
- Use a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add minced garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes.
- Add fresh oregano leaves.
3. Let them simmer and cook until softened. Incorporate crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
4. Add vodka and stir to incorporate. 
5. Lower the heat, cook for 2 to 3 minutes and add slowly heavy cream. 
6. Keep stirring until sauce thickened and has turned into a salmon fish color.
7. Store sauce in glass containers. Let it cool first, and place into the fridge up to 4 days to use next to fried calamari or in any of your pasta dishes. Enjoy!
Anita’s Angel Hair Pasta with Sage Butter
A very satisfying and delicious family dinner cooked in no time!
Ingredients
1 Pound angel hair pasta, cooked to package directions till al dente
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh leaves of Sage, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
zest of lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon salt for pasta water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup butter
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Preparation
- Cook pasta as directed on package with a Tablespoon of salt in the water. Drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
- Add butter to a large skillet and sauté minced sage for about 2 minutes at low heat until butter gets foamy with golden brown color. Add garlic and cook for an extra two minutes.
- Incorporate cherry tomatoes. Seasoned with crash pepper, salt and black pepper.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet and toss all ingredients together. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and zest of a lemon. Serve and enjoy!
Anita’s Easy and Delicious Portabella-Pesto Bowtie Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 pound Bowtie pasta, boiled according to package
2 cups of baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 pint of multi-colored cherry tomato, cut in half
3 Tablespoon of extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of butter
1/4 cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
1/3 cup stuffed pimento green olives, pitted and cut in half
1/2 cup Homemade Basil Pesto (see recipe on my site)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Preparation
- Use a large pot with boiling salted water and cook pasta al dente.
2. Rinse pasta and set aside.
3. Use a large skillet and at medium-high heat with olive oil and butter sate sliced onions till tender. 
4. Incorporate mushrooms. Cook till softened.
5. Add cherry tomatoes and stuffed green olives. Stir to combine.
6. Incorporate Homemade Basil Pesto.
7. Mix all ingredients and cook sauce for about 10 minutes.
8. Grate 1/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese on top of warm pasta in
the pot.
9. Pour sauce over pasta and mix to incorporate all ingredients. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Anita’s Homemade Labneh Cheese Balls in Thyme Olive Oil
Ingredients
1 (32 ounces) Original Plain Yogurt
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh string of thyme leaves
Preparation
- Place the yogurt into a mixing bowl and mix in the salt.
- Use a cheesecloth or clean pillowcase to transfer in the plain yogurt.
- Set a sieve over a large container. Place the cheese cloth or thin pillowcase bag covering the entire surface of the sieve and sides of pillowcase bag are hanging down to be able to tight it up.
- Transfer the whole milk yogurt into the center of cheesecloth or pillowcase bag.
5. Grab pillowcase bag and suspend it over the sieve and container.
6. Tie up the cheesecloth or pillowcase bag. Place a plate on top of bag with some heavy cans just for weight so the whey can drip completely into the bowl.
7. Set aside in the refrigerator and leave in for three days until yogurt drip completely through the cheesecloth.
8. The labneh has formed and ready to be made into cheese balls.
9. Prepare a clean container and pour in some Extra-Virgin Olive oil. Add springs of fresh thyme.
10. Shape labneh into a ball. Place over paper towel so they can release any moisture left.
11. Place balls in the bottom of container. Keep incorporating more gently. Add rest of extra-virgin olive oil to cover the top of labneh balls. 
12. Close the lid and place your labneh cheese balls in the fridge. Olive oil will solidify but will last up to 3 months or more.
Note: Labneh cheese balls can also be kept in a cool place outside the fridge. Can be roll into zaatar or any other spice.
Enjoy! 🙂
Anita’s Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, boiled
3 cups water
1 cube chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/3 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoon fresh squeeze lemon juice
heavy cream drops (to drizzle after)
pumpkin seeds (for garnish)
Preparation
- Use a large pot and fill it with 3 cups of water. Add chicken bouillon. When it starts to boil add cubed butternut squash. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until is tender.
- Place tender cooked butternut squash with their broth water into a blender and pure until smooth.
3. Return to the pot. 
4. Seasoned with curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and fresh lemon juice. Heat through and serve warm. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and some drizzles of heavy cream if you like. Enjoy!
Halloumi Baked Rolls
Ingredients
8 Sheets of filo dough sheets,thawed
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil
Halloumi Cheese cut into 14 – 16 logs
Fresh mint and parsley, finely chopped
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 grades Fahrenheit. Prepare your ingredients.
- Unfold one Filo pastry sheet on the work board surface and cut into even rectangles size. Cover the rest of the filo sheets with a damp towel to prevent drying up.
3. Sprinkle some of the fresh mint-parsley chopped leaves in the middle of triangle. Place Halloumi log cheese over herbs.
4. Roll the sheet over the log of Halloumi cheese.
5. Continue folding edges and roll till the top.
6. Repeat with the rest of the filo sheets. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 
7. Brush top of Halloumi filo rolls with Olive oil.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until light golden. You can sprinkle some Zaatar or Zumac on top too. Enjoy!
Anita’s Healthy and Delicious No-Mayo Tuna Salad Wrap
Ingredients
2- 6 ounces solid white tuna canned, in water
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 cup cranberries, dried
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
4 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
zest of a lemon
5-6 Butter Lettuce Leaves, rinsed and dry
2 Tablespoon of Balsamic glaze
Salt and pepper To Taste
Preparation
1. Drain Tuna cans and place into a bowl.
2. Add diced tomatoes, diced avocado. Seasoned with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle over olive oil and lemon juice. Add zest of a lemon. Combine all ingredients. Add dried cranberries.
4. Rinse butter lettuce and arrange them over a serving plate. Place mixed tuna in middle. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Wrap and enjoy!
Anita’s Crispy Baked White Sweet Potato Rosemary Fries with Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
2 white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into long thin strips
1 Tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon corn starch
water
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425 grades Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking sheet lined with foil paper and set aside. Peel sweet potatoes.
- Soak thin strips of sweet potatoes into a large bowl with cold water for at least one hour to minimize excess of starch.
3. Drain and pat dry potatoes using paper towels. Add corn starch and toss well. 
4. Drizzle with olive oil. Add kosher salt, garlic powder, and chopped fresh rosemary. Toss all ingredients until potatoes are well coated.
5. Arrange sweet potatoes evenly into the baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes first, flipping fries using a spatula to bake evenly.
Bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until potatoes are crispy and slightly brown.
6. Remove crispy fries from the oven. Sprinkle with salt. 
Enjoy next to a Rosemary Garlic Aioli Sauce !
Rosemary Garlic Aioli Sauce: Mix a cup of mayonnaise with the juice of half of a lemon. Add a teaspoon of fresh finely chopped rosemary leaves. Seasoned with salt, a dash of cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Blend all ingredients and chilled.
