Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Carrots

The holiday season is upon us and it is time to get that kitchen going as guests visit and pot lucks begin with family and friends. You can not go wrong with a great side dish, as many of us try to think what type of a main entree we would like to cook up we tend to not focus as much on what would go with that meal. My family always told me that a great entree needs the same quality of side dish to accompany it and make every bite enjoyable. This side dish is all vegetable and I like to stick to two of my favourites which are potatoes and carrots but you can also add some of your favs to the dish which can include zucchini, sweet peppers, celery or asparagus. The baking dish should be at minimum 9 x 13 but larger is fine to and when mixing all the ingredients do not be afraid to mix everything up with your hands so that you every vegetable is being seasoned properly. Cheese lovers can also sprinkle some parmesan on top or serve with some chopped fresh rosemary.

Inspired by Family

MORE SIDE DISH RECIPES
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GRILLED LEMON PEPPER ZUCCHINI
BAKED POTATO WITH SALSA
OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS  
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Garlic Roasted Potatoes and Carrots Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 60 minutes  Servings: 6

Ingredients

Chipotle Mini Sliders

Mini Sliders a popular appetizer or for some a main course meal when they are out at many pub style restaurants. I decided to give this tasty treat a try at home and found that I created a very similiar style meal just like you would enjoy at your local local pubs and the best part is you can create as many as you like in the comfort of your own kitchen. Eggs are a key ingredient to create the sliders from scratch as this is the best binding agent and helps to keep the ground beef from falling apart. I would recommend that you use a lean ground beef and for some of the more self conscious meat eaters you can even try lean ground turkey or chicken. You can pick up medium (mini) buns at your local grocers and when you are making the patty you want to  get them to around the size of the palm of your hand. The cheese used should be natural cheese slices and you would cut them into four even parts to place on the burger patty. Chipotle sauce is a must have topping.

Inspired by Taste of Home

MORE BURGER RECIPES

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THE BACHELORS CHEESEBURGER
SLOPPY BACHELOR BURGER
GROUND TURKEY BURGER WITH SAUTEED MUSHROOM MIX
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Chipotle Mini Sliders Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 8 minutes  Servings: 4

Ingredients 

Avocado Summer Sandwich

The summer is finally here and after a long winter, I like to make sure to enjoy the extra day light and sunshine and one thing this tends to cut into is my cooking times. I find that I am just not home long enough to get into some intense meals so my summer months in the kitchen tend to turn into what can I make quickly so that I can get out and enjoy a walk or a run. I tend to make a lot of sandwiches for dinner and figured, why not make those sandwiches healthy to go with my healthy activities. This recipe is quick and easy and more importantly tasty and full of nutrition. What you want to use for bread is a whole grain or multi grain, your choice of any type of tomato or cucumber but make the cuts of the thin variety, tear up your lettuce and spread the avocado mixture on both sides of the bread. The seasoning of the avocado is key, so make sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Finish it off what a little bit of sriracha sauce for those looking for a little kick in their meal.

Inspired by Eating Well

MORE SANDWICH RECIPES
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SIRLOIN STEAK GOURMET SANDWICH
CLASSIC GRILL CHEESE ON MULTI GRAIN
CLASSIC BACON AND EGG SANDWICH
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Avocado Summer Sandwich Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 0 minutes  Servings: 2

Ingredients 

Spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata

It has been a little time since my last post and I hope to add a few recipes to the blog over the next few weeks, I will start it off today with a tasty dish of pasta. Pasta tends to be a delicious part of my entree meals through out the month and my favourite types of pasta are Penne, Spaghetti and Linguine. I also tend to incorporate spice into my meals, now I know not everyone is a big fan of spicy food but I just love it. Those that have been to restaurants especially Italian ones have had or seen arrabbiata on the menu, which basically means spicy sauce. I decided to use spaghetti but any long strain of pasta would work, like linguine, fettuccine or angel hair. Then to bring in the heat I used a tomato sauce with chilies as well as chili flakes the amount in the recipe provides a decent amount of spice but use more or less depending on your taste buds. I also decided to go heavy on veggies but you can omit or even add more to the recipe as you like as for the ground meat I used pork because basically it was all I had on hand and worked great but give beef a whirl.

Inspired by CookingwithNonna

MORE PASTA RECIPES
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SPAGHETTI WITH BABY CLAMS
PENNE WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE
EUROPEAN EGG DROP SOUP
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Spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 100 minutes  Servings: 8 

Ingredients

Chorizo Chickpeas Skillet Meal

It has been awhile since my last post as at times life gets in the way of blogging but  it doesn't stop me from making delicious recipes. I am glad to be back blogging with what I found to be a delicious and healthy recipe to share with you all. There is just something about smoked chorizo that gets my mouth watering and when you add protein and fiber rich chick peas to the dish it packs it with a tonne of flavour. You will need to use a large skillet for the meal and make sure that the beer you use is a pilsner but an ale will work almost as well. I went with a faster root for the chickpeas and just got them from a can, you will just need to wash them thoroughly before adding them to the dish. When it comes to the simmering of the recipe it depends how saucy you enjoy your meals but a longer simmer will reduce the liquid and make it sparse and thick which is the way I prefer this dish to be.
The chorizo I chose to use was spicy as this is my fav but for those with milder taste buds can chose a non spicy sausage.

Inspired by Delicious

MORE SAUSAGE RECIPES
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PENNE WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE
SPICY KIDNEY BEAN STEW WITH SAUSAGE
PORTUGUESE CALDO VERDE SOUP
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Chorizo Chickpeas Skillet Meal Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 45 minutes  Servings: 4

Ingredients 

European Style Garlic Shrimp

This recipe is a dish that is savory, spicy and with a lot of garlic, some of you will enjoy it as an appetizer before their meals, while others like me like to finish off seafood as a dessert. This traditional dish has been passed down the family tree, at times I even enjoy it as a quick snack with a side of bread for dipping. This recipe goes great as one of your holiday dishes, your guests will thank you for including it. I prefer to use jumbo shrimp in the recipe and with the cost of seafood continuously on the way up, I would recommend that you purchase a large bag to save on the cost. Sazon goya powder with coriander and annatto is one of the main ingredients in this recipe and can be picked up at most latin grocers, some big box grocery stores or online. I love garlic in my food, for those that would prefer a little less you can cut the garlic cloves in half, a large skillet should be used to cook the peeled and deveined shrimp, plus make a small incision along the back of the shrimp to absorb some of the sauce and you can leave the tail on.

Inspired by Family

MORE SEAFOOD RECIPES
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SPAGHETTI WITH BABY CLAMS
EAST COAST PAN SEARED SCALLOPS
BROILED SQUID WITH MONTREAL STEAK SPICE
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European Style Garlic Shrimp Recipe

Prep Time: 8 minutes  Cook Time: 6 minutes  Servings: 2

Ingredients