Category: Side Dishes

Side Dishes

The Best Cole Slaw You’ll Ever Eat

This Cole Slaw recipe comes from a family friend and my parents have been making it for years. I like a vinegar slaw but creamy cole slaw will always have my heart.

This recipe is good to eat after making it but I do recommend letting it sit in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. Really letting the flavors mix together and have time to sit makes it even more delicious. I usually make it a day ahead of when I plan on having so it’s ready when we need it.

Here is what the Cole Slaw looks like after first mixing everything together… So yummy

One of our favorite ways to enjoy this slaw recipe is on top of our homemade pulled pork sandwiches, so good.

Here is the Cole Slaw after sitting over night

Ingredients

  • 1 bag of slaw mix
  • 1/2-1 green bell pepper finely chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons red onion grated
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/8 cup dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Put your slaw mix, green bell pepper and red onion in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  2. Add the rest of your ingredients to a smaller bowl and whisk to combine, then pour over your veggie mix.
  3. Stir everything together and store in and airtight container in the fridge, for 4 hours to over night. This will last in the fridge for a few days!

Tips: You can always make your own cole slaw mix by chopping up cabbage and carrots, I just find using the mix so much easier.

This recipe makes a good amount for one family but if you plan on making it for a crowd I would definitely double it.

If you try this recipe please tag me on instagram because I would love to see it!

Side Dishes

The Best Guacamole Ever

There are a lot of things that you will never see me buy from the grocery store and you can bet that one of them is pre-made guacamole. It is always too mushy and never has any flavor. For me, making it at home is so much tastier and way more fresh than store bought. And if you have never made it, you might be surprised how easy it is and how quickly it comes together.

This guacamole also goes great on my Shrimp Taco recipe!

Best Guacamole
Just chop all the ingredients and mix, it’s so easy!

Ingredients

  • 4 small ripe avocados (or 3 large)
  • Juice of three limes (adjust to your taste)
  • 1/2 cup diced cherry/grape tomatoes, you could also use roma tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro rinsed and chopped
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1 Jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon of good extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons each)

Directions

  1. Cut your avocados in half and remove the pit, then scoop out the flesh of the avocados with a spoon. Put into a bowl with your lime juice and mash with a fork or a potato masher works great. Don’t mash too much if you like your guac a little chunky.
  2. Cut and or dice all of your veggies and herbs and add to the bowl, along with your olive oil, salt and pepper. I like to start off with about 1 teaspoon each or salt and pepper, tasting as I go to see if more is needed.
  3. Stir all of your ingredients and you are done!

Tips: This, like a few of my other recipes requires you to taste as you go. For example, if you need more lime, garlic etc. just add more! I never actually measure my ingredients for this recipe. I just eyeball the amounts and taste it as I go, making sure to use a clean spoon every time if I am serving to others.

If you try this recipe please tag me on Instagram because I would love to see!

Side Dishes

Easy and Fresh, Vegan Cous Cous Salad

This cous cous salad is one of my favorite side dishes to make and it’s perfect for spring and summer. It’s so fresh, light and easy to make. If I’m going to a potluck or something in the summer, I’m either making my homemade macaroni salad, or I’m probably making this! I always get compliments on this salad because everyone loves it.

I have to credit this recipe to my lovely husband, he first made this for me for part of my birthday dinner several years ago and now I make it all the time. The fresh lemon juice and crunchy veggies makes it so refreshing and delicious!

Ingredients for the cous cous salad
finely chopped veggies are my favorite
fresh cous cous salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry cous cous
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons juiced)
  • 1 cup finely chopped orange bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • some mint leaved chopped for topping (this is optional but adds that nice fresh flavor)

Directions

  1. Cook your cous cous according to the directions on the package. I like to add vegetable broth and water to mine because the broth gives it a nice flavor. Once it is cooked, add the lemon juice and olive oil, then let cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or the freezer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. While your cous cous is cooling, chop your vegetables, then add them to cooled cous cous. It doesn’t have to be completely chilled, but we don’t want the cous cous to be hot and cook our veggies.
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste and top with some fresh mint. Keep refrigerated and serve cold, enjoy!

This recipe keeps fairly well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Helpful tools: lemon squeezer, rubber spatula, mixing bowls

Side Dishes

The Best Macaroni Salad for any Potluck

Growing up, I was a very picky eater. I always loved my mother’s macaroni salad but I would pick out the things I didn’t like and just eat the noodles. To this day, her recipe is the best macaroni salad I have ever had, and my go to for potlucks!

For this recipe, I have never really measured the ingredients, I just add things and taste the sauce as I go. I know this recipe looks like it make a lot of sauce, but you need more than you think. The macaroni salad really absorbs the sauce overnight so I add half in when I make it, and then the rest of the sauce in the morning.

My favorite thing about recipes like this is that you can change it to accommodate your taste and its not set in stone. Taste as you go and add more or less of whatever you think is necessary. It also comes together very quickly so it is really easy to make.

Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound box or 454 grams of elbow macaroni cooked according to directions on the box
  • 2-3 stalks of celery finely chopped (I use about 1 cup of chopped celery)
  • 1/2-1 green bell pepper finely chopped or 1 cup
  • 1/4-1/3 cup of finely chopped red onion (I judge this by how hot the onion is)
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I like Hellman’s)
  • 1 cup miracle whip
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1/2 cup Italian dressing
  • 4 hard boiled eggs finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box, then drain and rinse with cold water because we don’t want it to stick together.
  2. Chop all your veggies and add them in a large bowl with your macaroni.
  3. Mix your mayo, miracle whip, mustard, Italian dressing, salt and pepper and taste to see if you like the flavor.
  4. Then pour HALF of you dressing into your pasta and stir until incorporated. We want to save the other have to add in the morning or the next day because your noodles will absorb a lot of the sauce overnight.
  5. Carefully stir in the eggs last so they don’t get pulverized with all the stirring.
  6. Put into an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight, then add your remaining sauce the next day, remembering to stir gently so your eggs don’t get mashed. Enjoy!