Holiday Side Dishes So Delicious They Just Might Upstage Your Turkey

Everyone is always looking for those perfect holiday side dishes to present next to your turkey. Well we have three dishes made with our Sunnyland products that are so good they just might become the star of the show!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Raisins

Holiday Carrot Salad

LOW-CARB PECAN STUFFING

My passion for all things culinary happened by accident, as do many good things. Working professionally in both the restaurant and catering industries gave me the background but I was the people person; customer relations was my forte. It wasn’t until I began cooking in my own kitchen, free to experiment, taste and create that I fell in love with the art of cooking. I think cooking is a lot like creating art, you can’t be afraid to fail and often will. However, the few successes that come along the way are oh so worth it. Plus you get to share these victories with your family and friends! On that note, here is a summer recipe I think you will love!

Bright, flavorful herbs and veggies are always just so delicious and within an arm’s reach this time of year. Pulling together easy, healthy foods that actually taste good always seems so much easier in July and August. Lemony fresh basil, crunchy cucumbers, Georgia peaches that taste like honey and best of all, those heavenly, candy-like tomatoes! 

A few nights ago I wanted to make a nice side dish to go with grilled hamburgers and this Mandarin Pecan Slaw was the perfect accompaniment. Nice and bright with the addition of garden fresh basil and mandarin oranges makes this side a perfect summer dish to add to your repertoire.  I think I’ve found a new staple summer recipe!

Crunchy Mandarin Pecan Slaw

1 pre-packaged cabbage slaw mix (dry)

1 small can mandarin orange slices (drained)

1 & 1/4 cup Sunnyland Farms Large Pecan Pieces

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1 6oz container Feta Cheese

1 small diced Vidalia onion

1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette (good store bought/pecan raspberry is even better)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 & 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

*Garnish with whole Sunnyland Farms Junior Pecan Halves, mandarin orange slices and whole large leaf basil springs.

Mix together in bowl one hour before serving (Serves 4-6).

Food quote of the day:

“If most of us valued food & cheer & song above hoarded gold it would be a merrier world.”

– J.R.R. Tolkien

One of my favorite summer vegetables is squash!! We can’t get enough of it at my house. So, today I want to share with you one of my favorite ways to have squash using our Sunnyland Pecan Meal and Oil. I call it, Pan Seared Summer Squash. It is a super easy recipe and only has THREE ingredients!

All you will need for this delicious side is:

3 – 4 Yellow Squash

1 Cup Sunnyland Pecan Meal

1/4 Cup Sunnyland Pure 100% Pecan Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Slice squash roughly 1/8″ thick either with a mandolin or a paring knife. You can adjust the thickness based on how crispy you would like your squash to be. The thinner you slice them, the crispier they will get when cooking.

Once you have them sliced place them in a bowl filled with water in order to help them retain their moisture during cooking. This is important because we are keeping this dish healthier by not adding an egg wash!

Set your stove on Medium-High and add a very thin layer of the Pecan Oil to the pan. It will take just a few minutes for the oil to come to temperature. 

While your Pecan Oil is heating, begin dredging the squash in the Pecan Meal. You will want to make sure to get a generous coating, pressing firmly to adhere the meal to the squash. Then, lightly salt and pepper squash on either side. 

After you make sure your oil is hot enough, (I always drop a little extra pecan meal in the pan to make sure it pops and sizzles) it is time to place your squash in the pan!

Allow them to cook for 3 – 5 minutes on either side until golden brown.

And there you have it…Pan Seared Summer Squash! A scrumptious summer treat for you and your family. Quick, simple, and perfect for the whole family! 

Make-Ahead Pasta Salad: The Perfect Summer Side Dish or Main Meal

One of the things I love most about summer is how suited it is for make-ahead meals. Think about it -- the classic summer Southern meal is a potluck. And what do all potlucks have in common? Delicious make ahead dishes…

...Potato Salad, Coleslaw and Deviled Eggs just to name a few. 

(And the desserts. Don’t forget the desserts!) 

But being the food adventurer I am, I also love to mix things up a little when prepping a summer meal, especially one that I hope to share with friends. That’s where this recipe comes in.

I developed this Two Tomato Tortellini Salad with Toasted Pecans with summer in mind. Fresh from the garden summer-ripe tomatoes tossed with orchard-harvested Georgia Pecans are two of the best tastes you’ll find down south year after year. 

This dish, though, branches out from it’s southern borders, by leaning on quick-fix cheese tortellini, sundried tomatoes and olives for a uniquely Italian twist on a simple make-ahead pasta salad.

While the recipe makes enough to feed a crowd as a side dish, it can also serve as a weeknight meatless meal option for a family of four. Pair some grilled fish or chicken with it and it becomes an even heartier dinner option. 

Got leftovers? It’s arguably even better the next day as the flavors meld overnight. You can warm it gently in the microwave for a totally different take on pasta for lunch. The crunch and bite of the pecans pair perfectly with creamy, cheese tortellini centers. You likely won’t have leftovers for long. 

It’s also worth noting that with a few tweaks, you can turn this dish into a completely different dish all together. Sub in spinach and ricotta stuffed ravioli for the tortellini and chopped artichoke for either or both of the tomato varieties. Use black olives in place of green and you’ve got an equally as easy make-ahead pasta salad summer dish. All that’s missing now is the potluck.

Two Tomato Tortellini Salad with Toasted Pecans Recipe

Makes:  4 Main Dish Servings or 6-8 Side Dish Servings

Prep time:  10 minutes

Cook time:  5 minutes

12 ounces cheese tortellini

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup bottled sundried tomatoes, drained

1 large summer-ripe tomato, cut into wedges

1/2 cup green olives, sliced in half lengthwise

1 cup Sunnyland Large Pecan Pieces, toasted

Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.
   
2. Combine garlic with next 5 ingredients (through black pepper). Toss with tortellini and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

~Guest Post by Regan Jones, RDN, ACSM-CPT 

Host and Blogger at This Unmillennial Life

Vegan Stuffing by Catherine Perez (MS, RD, LDN) @plantbasedrd 

The holidays aren’t truly the holidays until stuffing is involved. If you’ve made stuffing before, I can promise you the little bit of extra effort involved in making your own transcends any boxed mix you can find. It’s also a little easier to tweak to your preference as well, which I really appreciate. Some extra cranberries and pecans in mine, please! And not sure about you, but I like being able to see the chunks of gooey bread in my stuffing. But maybe you like having yours a little more gooey. Everyone should be able to enjoy their stuffing the way they want!

So how do you make stuffing that is even better than the box mix? Super easy, throw some delicious buttery pecans and sweet cranberries into the mix and you have yourself a winner. I think the combination of the pecans and cranberries help to add some more texture to the stuffing I love with a little sweetness that helps compliment the savory holiday undertones. And it’s beyond delicious too. My husband who is an avid stuffing lover said this was his favorite batch he’s ever tried. A truly bold statement considering I think his mother is the queen of stuffing. 

As a dietitian, I feel that seeing where you can add more nutrition is always my go to. You’ll find that this stuffing has a little more fiber to it thanks to the addition of apples, flax seeds, pecans and cranberries. It is also vegan, so no dairy or eggs needed. And it still has a buttery flavor to it thanks to the addition of the high-quality, straight from the orchard Sunnyland Pecans used in this recipe. Truly makes a big difference in flavor.

Tips for making a successful vegan cranberry pecan stuffing

• If you don't have day-old bread, you can use fresh bread and slightly toast it. Just cube your bread and spread it out evenly on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 10 minutes to crisp up.
• Add additional vegetable broth slowly if you want to change the texture of your vegetable broth. Just add a little more at a time, making sure that your bread is soaking up the broth. The more you add the more soggy your stuffing will be, so be careful not to add too much at once because you won't be able to take it back. If I need to adjust, I'll just add about 1/4 cup at a time.
• Make it extra good by placing it in the oven to cook. Cover your dish with foil to cook your stuffing well and then remove the foil at the end to crisp up the top as it bakes. Don't worry, your stuffing will not dry out.
• Store extra stuffing away in a sealable container and place in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Vegan Cranberry Pecan Stuffing Recipe

Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 large loaf of whole grain or sourdough bread, about 10 cups cubed
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp olive oil
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 apple, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups or more of vegetable broth
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp dried fresh thyme
4 sage leaves, minced
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13in baking pan.
2. Spread out the cubed bread on a baking sheet then place in the oven to lightly toast for 10 minutes and set aside (you can skip this step if you have day-old bread available, just cube and set aside).
3. In a small bowl, combine water and flaxseed and mix together, then set aside.
4. In a heated skillet, add olive oil, onion, and celery with a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add in diced apple and minced garlic and continue to stir together to help soften the apple, about 3 minutes.
6. Remove pan from heat and in a large bowl add your cubed bread then pour vegetable broth over top evenly and stir bread to make sure it absorbs the broth well without getting too soggy. Adjust the amount of broth to your preference, remove from heat and in a large bowl add your cubed bread then pour vegetable broth over top evenly and stir bread to make sure it absorbs the broth well without getting too soggy. Adjust the amount of broth to your preference.
7. Add the sautéed apple mixture over top along with the cranberries, pecans, thyme, sage, rosemary, and a generous pinch of salt.
8. Fold ingredients together to evenly mix. Pour stuffing mixture into a large baking dish and spread out evenly.
9. Cover your baking dish with foil and place into the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes.
10. Remove cover and bake on the top rack of your oven for an additional 10 minutes to crisp up the top of your stuffing.
11. Once done cooking, remove stuffing from the oven and serve along with additional sides and main entrees as desired.

• 1 Pre-packaged cabbage slaw mix (dry)
• 1 Small can mandarin orange slices (drained)
• 1 & 1/4 cup sunnyland farms large pecan pieces
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 6oz container feta cheese
• 1 small diced vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup rasberry vinaigrette (good store bought is fine)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Toss together 1 hour before serving

Recipe Staci Willson

1/3 cup Sunnyland Pecan Oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp. spicy brown mustard

2 tsp. Sunnyland Gallberry Honey

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. dried parsley leaves

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

1.      Add all of the ingredients to a sealable container. Seal and shake until well combined.

2.      Store in the refrigerator.

3.      Shake well before each use.

Almond Stuffed Figs

Sunnyland Toasted & Salted Almonds or Sunnyland Toasted & Salted Pecan Halves

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Sunnyland Pure Gallberry Honey  

For a quick appetizer or afternoon snack....

1. Take your favorite dried fig and cut in half length wise.
2. Stuff with pecan half or almond.
3. Top with blue cheese crumbles.
4. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and drizzle with honey.
6. Finish with a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.
7. Serve and enjoy!

*topping variations can include crispy, chopped bacon, dash of cayenne, or you can always substitute a delicious Pecan Half instead of the almonds, yum!

Ingredients

12 oz raw green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Sliced Almonds

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the green beans in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Stir to coat, making sure oil is evenly distributed on the beans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spread the green beans across a baking sheet in a single layer. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the beans from the oven and sprinkle the minced garlic and sliced almonds over top of the green beans. Stir to mix together and then spread to a single layer again. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and roast for an additional 5 minutes until green beans are cooked through and the garlic and almonds are lightly golden. Yield: 4 servings

Recipe & Photo Credit: Emily Bites

Ingredients

3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup Sunnyland Small Pecan Pieces

Instructions

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into slices. Mix apples and potatoes with brown sugar. Combine oat bran, oatmeal and cinnamon. Cut butter into oat bran mix until mixture is crumbly. Add pecans and mix well.
2. Pour apples and potatoes into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle crumbly pecan mixture on top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serves 4 - 6.

Recipe Picture from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Sunnyland Toasted Runner Peanuts
1/4 cup chopped ripe olives
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed dried basil
8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Sauté garlic and onion in oil until onion is tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients except cheese.
3. Toss together; heat 2 minutes.
4. Toss with Parmesan cheese. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe Picture by lilmissbossy.com

Ingredients

1 lb. green beans, trimmed
Salt to taste
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup Sunnyland Sliced Almonds

Instructions

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring to boil enough water to cover beans. Add beans and salt to taste and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, until they lose their crunch. Drain and toss with 3 Tbsp. butter.
2. While beans are cooking, melt remaining Tbsp. of butter in small saucepan; add almonds. Sauté, stirring constantly, until almonds are just golden. Watch carefully to keep from burning. Toss with green beans. Serve while hot. Yield: 8 servings.

Recipe Picture from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

2 butternut squash, halved lengthwise, and seeded
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Sunnyland Small English Walnut Pieces, Toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place squash, cut side down, in 13” x 9” x 2” glass baking dish. Pour water over squash. Bake until skin on squash is blistered and brown and flesh is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
2. Turn squash cut side up. Cool slightly. Scoop out flesh and transfer to medium bowl, leaving 1/3’’ shell. Mash flesh. Add butter and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon squash back into shells. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

Recipe Picture by cookingwithbarryandmeta.blogspot.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs asparagus
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup Sunnyland Cashews Toasted and Salted
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat wok or skillet to medium high or 325°.
2. Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces.
3. Pour oils around top of a preheated wok or skillet for 2 minutes. Add ginger, stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add asparagus, and stir fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms, and stir fry 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.
6. Add cashews and soy sauce; toss gently.

Recipe Picture on food.com