Green Bean Casserole

Just like the one your mom made, only healthier. Everyone loves the green bean casserole. Here I'll show you one one that doesn't take much longer to make and it’s real food, not processed!

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Talk about comfort food. This is the pure definition. Thankfully fat doesn’t make you fat so you can eat this at parties and not feel the guilt.

Colorful Peppers with Zip

Things like peppers are popular at Italian little plates restaurants. I’m offering you a recipe for mine here. Mine have a bit of an after-burner kick to them.

Balsamic-Roasted Exotic Mushrooms with a White Truffle Olive Oil Glaze

I ordered this dish at a restaurant in town. It was so good I said, “I have to figure out how to make this myself!” It was that wonderful.

Dauphinoise Potatoes (aka Potato Gratin)

This is a wonderful potato casserole from the southeast part of France. Works great on a buffet too if you like room temp potatoes or have a chafing dish. For the LOWEST glycemic index, make this dish the day before you serve it.

Crustless Quiche and Variations

This is not a “thick” quiche so you get to have a bigger piece. I made it a thin version so it cooks faster because no one wants to wait long for breakfast!

Veggie Stir Fry (EASY)

This colorful dish is super simple to make. You can include whatever assortment of veggies you like. I’ll give you a list of suggested options. You can serve this with something cooked on the grill; chicken, fish, or even steak.

Creamy Leek and Onion Casserole

This is a decadent side dish. When I serve it, people at the table often ask me why this tastes so unique, so we play “guess the secret ingredient”…. Answer is the nutmeg. This dish goes well at dinner parties and holiday celebrations. It makes a perfect side dish for your upcoming holiday dinner.

Roasted Carrots

Roast carrots are easy to make and taste good every time. If you can splurge on fresh herbs, it will be well worth it. 

Cauliflower Pancakes

The other day, potato pancakes came to mind and I they could probably be made with cauliflower. Turns out they can!

Exotic Egg Salad

This is great as a light lunch time meal and a great holiday recipe. The juxtaposition of the sweeter apricots with the curry has the exotic taste I was looking for.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

A rich and easy cream of mushroom soup.

Sweet and Spicy Acorn Squash

I love my acorn squash roasted with just butter in the center and a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper. But I know tons of people want brown sugar in the middle and more. So this version can satisfy the sweet tooth and add an optional spice/heat factor.

Sea Salt Crusted Snap Peas

A variation of my sea salt crusted snow peas recipe - but with snap peas!

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

A nice, summery meal that can also be eaten in cooler months. You can make this in a grill pan or on an outdoor grill.  This is much lighter and lower carb than the breaded and fried version.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I designed this broccoli cheese soup for the average cook. It only takes a few minutes to chop the veggies and then put it in the pot and let the magic happen. All you have to do is stir it. How easy is that?

Celery Salad with Dried Fruit, Nuts and Parmesan

Well, of course I’m not the only one who every dreamed of a celery salad so I found all kinds of them and formulated my own, simple version. Turned out great.

Zucchini Fritters (or Pancakes)

Fried till golden using coconut flour.

Veggie Drawer Quiche

Everybody needs the perfect recipe that uses up the little leftover bits of vegetables you have in the drawer. Instead of letting them go to waste, you can whip up this quiche. I served it for dinner. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Some people even like it room temperature or cold.

Exotic Teriyaki Mushrooms

These mushrooms are a super side dish. Perfect for a quiet dinner for two. Or make a giant bowl and serve on a holiday.

Brown Butter-Sage Cream Sauce

Best served over ravioli; especially a pumpkin ravioli or a butternut squash ravioli.

Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)

You’ll never miss the pasta if you start serving these with your Italian dishes. They are pretty, too!

Cauliflower Mash

The touch of nutmeg in here really makes the dish. Try this as a substitute for mashed potatoes. It’s really quite delightful

Buttered Mushrooms

Dieter Rebecca first had this warm and rustic side dish while in Ireland on a road trip in 1994. These mushrooms where in every Irish B&B Dieter Rebecca visited. She loved the recipe so much she recreated it for Plan Z! Hope you enjoy.

Fried Eggplant with Tomato Sauce

This dish takes a humble vegetable like the eggplant and turns it into a crunchy, warm and Italian inspired meal. Big yum!

Mushroom Spinach Quiche

We had this quiche as a vegetarian entrée for a light dinner. My husband loved it so much he had it again the next morning for breakfast.

Broccoli Cheese Brunch Pie

Breakfast. Lunch. Brunch or even a light dinner. You can even serve this as a side dish at a family event. Even the kids who don’t like veggies will like this one.

Butternut Squash Casserole

Serve this at your next family event instead of potatoes and you’ll save 30% of the carbs.

Can be a vegetarian entrée or a side dish. SUPER Yummy because as the squash bakes it becomes sweet.

Oshkosh Guacamole

Add zip to your chip with Dieter Carolyn's version of guacamole. The secret she says is using lime instead of lemon!

Zucchini-Carrot Saute (SUPER simple)

This is such a fabulous substitute for pasta. I promise you won’t miss it. You even get the same texture of the noodles from the spiralized zucchini and you get color and bits of carrot for fun.

Roasted Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love a good broccoli cheese soup, and this is creamy, dreamy and a BIG YUM.

Shiitakes in Vermouth

This one is for the gourmet cooks in the group. You can do this with any standard mushrooms and make it less exotic but the gourmet cooks will appreciate the earthy flavor of the shiitakes.

Asparagus with Toasted nuts

Timing the side dishes to come out and be warm when served can also be a challenge. I am offering up this idea for an asparagus side dish because asparagus tastes good at any temperature.

Yogurt with Fruit and Nuts

Okay. This seems so simple. Everyone wants a fast breakfast or snack. Your kids will be giddy with this as their breakfast or their after school snack.

Creamy Leek Pie

This recipe makes a yummy vegetarian lunch or side dish to go with a protein. I also put it in Zola to GO! because it can travel to a buffet.

Marvelous Mushrooms

This mushroom dish was designed to go with steak but I am confident it will go well with chicken or even an omelet. The taste is rich so be ready for some big YUMs around your table.

Butternut Squash Roasted in Coconut Oil

This recipe is SUPER simple and SUPER BIG YUM! I don’t crave potatoes anymore but I can develop a craving for this stuff!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Egg and Cheese Casserole

This recipe is for all the vegetarians out there. Thank you dieter Nancy for this photo. For you non-vegetarians this makes a great side dish to go along with a grilled meat. We had this last night with grilled Andouille sausage and had a lovely meal.

Eggplant Lasagna

Dieter Debbie created this fabulous recipe. Thanks Debbie!

Hearty Italian Tomato-Mushroom Soup

This is a very thick soup. If you like your soup thinner you can add tomato juice to thin it out. I'd say a couple of cups of juice would be plenty.

Creamy Cauliflower

This recipe was submitted by Plan Z dieter Debbie. Debbie says, "Here is an idea for Thanksgiving. Many of us have had this before, but wanted to share it again."

Tomato-Zucchini Medley

If you are serving this dish with the salmon, place the salmon on the plate and then spread the tomatoes and zucchini around it for color.

Asparagus Flan

This look great and perfect to serve over the holidays to impress your guests.

Creamy Cucumbers

These are perfect for a comforting snack or if you need to make an appetizer for a party. YUM!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

This works well with all your favorite veggies, so enjoy!

Beetroot, Carrot and Zucchini Salad

This recipe is taken from the cookbook New Farm: Savoury Recipes from a Farmhouse Kitchen on the Isle of Bute by Carole Howard.

Roasted Pear and Spinach Salad

I designed this pear recipe to go with meat dishes. If you carve some turkey, slice some ham or grill up a pork tenderloin to go with this salad you’ll have a full meal.

Side Salad for Holiday Shrimp Scampi

This is a great little side salad, good with any dish.

Baked Shrimp Jambalaya by Chef Josh

This dish is super easy once you grab all the ingredients!

Pizza Zola Style

I got this idea from an internet recipe. I hope you love it.