Skip to Content

Vegetables are a mainstay for side dishes on a healthy diet whether it is low carb, keto or any other diet. Vegetable dishes are integral to a healthy lifestyle.

Chicory Varieties for Italian Kitchen Gardens: Grow and Cook

If you love Italian cooking and are experimenting with growing your own Italian herbs and vegetables, you will want to try some chicory in your Italian kitchen garden. This guide on growing chicory will help you decide between the best Italian chicory varieties and give you tips on growing, cooking and storing this delicious leafy …

Read More about Chicory Varieties for Italian Kitchen Gardens: Grow and Cook

Mini Vegetables for Small Space Container Gardening

Short on garden space? You can still grow your favorite vegetables on a balcony, on a deck, on a roof top, or in a small side yard. Growing vegetables in small urban spaces is easier however if you opt for growing baby vegetables (aka mini vegetables). Jump to: Benefits and Nutrition of Baby Veggies | …

Read More about Mini Vegetables for Small Space Container Gardening

Flat Beans (Romano Beans) for the Italian Kitchen Garden

Take a leaf out of the Italians’ book and learn to grow and cook with Romano beans, a broad, flat bean in the same family as garden variety string beans. Romano beans are juicy, with a sweet flavor and a great crunch, and they come in a wonderful range of colors. Italian flat beans taste …

Read More about Flat Beans (Romano Beans) for the Italian Kitchen Garden

Low-Carb Pork Chops in Italian Peperonata (Stewed Bell Peppers)

Peperonata is a rustic Italian stew of sweet bell peppers long simmered into a tender melt-in-your-mouth sauce. It is often a side dish or a topping for crusty bruschetta, but in this recipe, it is a sauce that is used to flavor and tenderize pork chops. A common problem with pork chops is that they …

Read More about Low-Carb Pork Chops in Italian Peperonata (Stewed Bell Peppers)

Slow Carb Peperonata with a Side of Butternut Squash

Peperonata (peh-peh-roh-NAH-tah) is an Italian vegetable dish of slow-cooked, or stewed bell peppers with onion and garlic.  Of course there are variations and some Italian cooks will add tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, or other vegetables. This recipe heightens the flavor of peperonata with an Italian romesco sauce served over a creamy bed of butternut squash. Jump to: …

Read More about Slow Carb Peperonata with a Side of Butternut Squash

Traditional Chile Rellenos (soft not crisp) in Egg Batter

The first time you make chile rellenos can be a bit intimidating from all the roasting, peeling, stuffing and frying. The next ten times you make them, because they were so wonderful, it will come together much easier. The key is to grab a friend or family member and enjoy the process. Just don’t rush …

Read More about Traditional Chile Rellenos (soft not crisp) in Egg Batter

Low Carb Baked Cauliflower with Saffron & Olives 

Cauliflower is a mainstay of many low carb diets. There are many different ways to prepare it however, and this simple baked cauliflower dish becomes special with the robust additions of saffron and Mediterranean green olives. It is easy enough for weeknight dinners and elegant enough for the Thanksgiving table. Jump to: RECIPE | About …

Read More about Low Carb Baked Cauliflower with Saffron & Olives 

Sheet Pan Dinner: Roasted Root Veggies with Pork Chops

Take the stress out of cooking and roast some Winter vegetables in one pan in the oven. All that’s required is a little chopping and peeling. Add your favorite spice blend and serve as a side dish to breaded pork chops for an easy Winter dinner. Jump to: RECIPE | Roasted Vegetables vs Sautéed | …

Read More about Sheet Pan Dinner: Roasted Root Veggies with Pork Chops

Quesadillas Rajas con Crema: Poblanos in Cream Sauce

This creamy Mexican comfort food can be used in quesadillas or just eaten on it’s own. There are always nuanced versions of classic regional dishes, but the poblanos and crema are key ingredients in all versions of this dish. This recipe is from the Bajío region of Mexico and it includes mushrooms, corn and chicken …

Read More about Quesadillas Rajas con Crema: Poblanos in Cream Sauce

Best (and Worst) Vegetables to Grow When on a Budget

A vegetable garden can help keep your family’s grocery budget down, but which crops should you be growing? Let’s have a look at 14 cost-effective vegetables to get you the most bang for your buck (and 6 that will not). Gardening to save money is easy and fun. Jump to: Budget for Vegetable Garden | …

Read More about Best (and Worst) Vegetables to Grow When on a Budget

How to Grow Eggplants from Seed: in Pots or the Garden

With its broad leaves and lavender flowers, eggplants are a beautiful plant that produce a unique fruit used in many dishes from Italy, the Middle East, and India. This guide will help you grow heirloom or hybrid varieties of eggplants from seed and then guide you to transplanting out to a container or the garden …

Read More about How to Grow Eggplants from Seed: in Pots or the Garden