The Platefull

Inspiring home cooks to be creative with accessible, nutritious recipes.

Archives for July 2020

Berry and Goat Cheese Salad

~ Salads, The Platefull Blog

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I love salads for lunch or as a side with dinner. Berry and Goat Cheese Salad is a great way to get in some extra vitamins! It’s packed with flavor and brightens up any meal. It is incredibly easy to throw together too!

I get asked a lot if my kids eat the salads I make. The answer is yes and no. I find that they often eat things better in a “deconstructed” fashion. So, I don’t typically cook separate meals for them, but I do serve things a bit differently to them. They also eat much better and are willing to try more new things if they serve themselves. So, when serving something like this salad, I’ll make the bowl of salad for my husband and I, but for the boys, I will put the fruit, avocado, greens, and pecans in small bowls or on a plate, but with each ingredient separated. I put that on the table with a spoon and they will serve themselves. One of the best books I’ve read on feeding kids is called Fearless Feeding: How to Raise Healthy Eaters from High Chair to High School. It breaks down feeding strategies for every age group and walks through what’s normal and not. I’ve found that the strategies have worked very well for us. Who knew that something as simple as no longer plating their food for them would bring about such a huge change in our dinnertime battles?! I highly recommend this book after reading more than my fair share of books about feeding kids!

By the way – you can easily turn this Berry and Goat Cheese Salad into a main dish by adding a little shredded rotisserie chicken. Yum!

Berry and Goat Cheese Salad
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Berry and Goat Cheese Salad

Berry and Goat Cheese Salad

  • Author: Sarah
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Ingredients

Mixed greens

Strawberries, sliced

Blueberries

Goat Cheese

Avocado

Candied Pecans (I buy mine at Trader Joe’s)

Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Instructions

In a bowl, combine all ingredients (quantities of each to your liking).  Top with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Blistered Garlicky Green Beans

~ Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

Need a quick side dish that is packed with flavor and comes together in minutes? Blistered Garlicky Green Beans is it! I’m always looking for quick veggie sides – gotta get those veggies in! My kids actually like green beans better than I do. I love a green bean casserole, but fresh green beans are not typically my thing. I don’t like the squeaky-ness…anyone with me?! These Blistered Garlicky Green Beans are really good though! They get nice and crispy, and I think it eliminates that squeaky-ness. Very technical food terms here, by the way.

To start, trim the green beans, wash them, and make sure they are nice and dry. If there is water left on them, they will splatter even more when they hit the oil. I typically do this step on the weekend, so mine are ready to go as a quick side dish. Plus I hate trimming green beans and asparagus, so if I don’t do it right when I get home from the store, I probably won’t use them.

Add the olive oil to a pan and heat it over high heat, until shimmering. Make sure the green beans are nice and dry before you put them in the pan. They will splatter quite a bit, so a splatter screen can come in handy. Throw in the green beans and use tongs to spread them out evenly. Cook them, without disturbing them, for about 3 minutes. Then use tongs to flip them over (be very careful – the hot oil will splatter). Spread them out in an even layer again and let cook for about 4 more minutes.

Once they are blistered, add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and the sliced garlic. Let cook for about 1 more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. I love to serve these with Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops. The green beans cook while the pork chops are in the oven.

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Garlicky Green Beans

Blistered Garlicky Green Beans

  • Author: Sarah
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

3 garlic cloves, sliced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Once hot, add the green beans (be sure they are very dry – no water on them).  Spread them in an even layer and cook for about 3 minutes, until browning on the underside. Using tongs (and with an oven mitt on), carefully turn the green beans over.  Cook for 4 more minutes, rearranging with tongs as needed, until all sides are browned.  Add the sliced garlic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Cook for one more minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.