Just~One~Donna

Pickled onions are a condiment that will enhance just about anything. You can very quickly and easily make pickled red onions for your refrigerator.  Then you will always have a crisp, colorful, and flavorful way to jazz up any meal. Make some pickled onions this morning and they'll be ready to use on your sandwich at lunch or your vegetables for dinner. Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickled Red Onions These pickled red onions are so versatile you'll want to make them regularly.  They will add a delightful tart-yet sweet, crunchy texture to many dishes and the vibrant color will be a feast for your eyes.

This fresh tomato salad is one of the simplest and most delicious salads you can make.  At my house, we only make this salad at this time of year, when garden-ripened tomatoes are readily available. The Best Tomato Salad The anticipation builds as we watch the tomato plants in my garden grow and mature.  We'll eat this salad as a side dish or as the main event.  Tomatoes are the star ingredient.

Have you been making a lot of summer salads lately? The hot weather in my part of the country has a lot to do with my salad-making. Hot, humid weather makes the prospect of cooking using the oven or stove unpleasant. This cucumber salad makes a cool side dish for a hot summer day. You might even consider making this cucumber salad instead of potato salad for your next picnic or barbecue. It's that good. Crunchy Cucumber Salad   This is not your momma's cucumber salad recipe. I've changed it up, replacing sour cream with mayonnaise, and dill with celery seeds.  I love this version of cucumber salad and trust you will, too.

When you are pickling this year don't forget about pickled beets.  This refrigerator pickled beets recipe is so easy you'll find yourself making them over and over again.   There is no need to go through a tedious canning process for them either.  These beets will last a week or two in your refrigerator but you'll find so many ways to add them to your menu that they will be gone before you know it. How to Make Easy Refrigerator Pickled Beets Just look at the color of those beets! Yum!  Both the pickled beets and the onion stay crisp in the brine and have just the right amount of tartness.  The vibrant color means they will add a pop of color to any dish.  You may never have considered making pickled beets but just check out your local gourmet foods shop and you'll see the jars of beautiful pickled beets for sale.  They really are special. You can use any color of beets but the deep red ones will make the biggest impact visually in your salads and as a side dish. Tips fo

When grilling season hits I look to easy, flavorful side dishes to complement grilled meats. This grilled potatoes and onion recipe is an adaptation of a grilled potato recipe I have been making for years and years because it is flavorful and versatile.   When you want a potatoes side dish, these potatoes are a nice change from potato salad. This recipe is a little less fussy to make and that means the preparation is quick and easy.  I'm all about quick and easy, especially where the grill is involved. A Grilled Potatoes Side Dish Once you make these grilled potatoes you will be sure to add them to your grilling menu rotation. 

Summer is all about salads and crunchy, colorful coleslaw is a summer favorite.  Making coleslaw at home is so easy there really is no reason to buy prepared coleslaw from the store. This is my easy homemade coleslaw recipe. Making Homemade Coleslaw Starting with bagged coleslaw mix for the easiest coleslaw preparation. Coleslaw mixes vary from store to store and brand to brand.  Some will be more finely shredded than others. Some will contain more carrots than others.  Some will be more colorful than others.  Purchase the brand you prefer, or shred the cabbage and carrots yourself. 

Roasted vegetables make a tasty side dish that is perfect for many occasions.  Whether you choose to roast vegetables in your oven or in a grill pan on your grill you'll love the ease and versatility. You'll especially love them when you are planning a menu for a large gathering.   Do you need a make-ahead side dish? Roasted vegetables can even be prepared in advance because they are delicious either hot or at room temperature.  Oven Roasted or Grilled Vegetables This roasted vegetables recipe is my go-to combination of vegetables but seasonal additions are tasty, too.  I think you will enjoy how nicely the flavors meld together during the cooking process.  

Guacamole season is here. Whether you are starting the season with a Cinco de Mayo celebration or a weekend taco bar with friends you will want to add this guacamole recipe to the menu. This recipe makes jump up and down delicious guacamole.  I kid you not!  The big flavor will really get your party rolling. How to Make Awesome Guacamole Just about every gathering at my house includes a bowl of this guacamole.  It is always a crowd-pleaser.  Leftovers never go to waste either.  Guacamole is a delicious addition to sandwiches, breakfast toast, scrambled eggs, and many dinner entrees.

 In today's Parmesan Roasted Asparagus recipe, we're taking the lowly asparagus and turning it into an easy dinner side dish that is so so delicious you're going to want to make it all the time. Parmesan Roasted Asparagus This Parmesan Roasted Asparagus side dish is one of the easiest vegetable dishes you can make. It takes just a minute or two to prepare, and a very short time to cook in your oven. It looks impressive and it tastes delicious. This spring vegetable makes a perfect side dish for your Easter menu but it is quick and easy enough for you to enjoy any day of the week.

Roasting Brussels sprouts in your oven is one sure way to get family members to eat their vegetables. This is my tried and true recipe for oven-roasted Brussels sprouts.    You'll be surprised how fast these Brussels sprouts disappear from the table when you prepare them this way.  I continue to be surprised when family and friends ask me to make them for our gatherings.     Make these for weeknight dinners or special occasion meals.  They are a delicious side dish for any occasion. The Best Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts  The Best Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts One of the keys to super flavorful roasted Brussels Sprouts is preparing them in advance.  This will allow time for the flavor of the onions, garlic, and bacon to blend throughout.   Mix all the ingredients together at least an hour in advance but even the day before will work.

Summer's bountiful harvest brings an abundance of fresh produce, including one vegetable that often multiplies faster than we can keep up with – zucchini. When your garden or local market overflows with these green gems, turn to our Zucchini Gratin Casserole for a versatile and delightful vegetable side dish.  I look forward to the abundant supply of fresh produce that summer brings.  I also plant a small vegetable garden to ensure I will have plenty of my favorites like peas, beets, string beans, tomatoes, and zucchini. Delicious Zucchini Gratin: A Summer Bounty Delight The trouble with zucchini is that there can be too much of a good thing.  What do you make when you have too much zucchini? That's when recipes like this Zucchini Gratin Casserole come in very handy.  You can use up a lot of zucchini with this recipe. 

The heat of summer and the increased opportunity for casual outdoor eating beg for a pasta salad. Most people I know have their go-to favorite. Mine is this Italian Pasta Salad made with tri-color pasta.  I love how colorful this pasta salad is to start. It is a feast for the eyes. Taste it and you'll realize your eyes did not deceive you. The flavors in this salad are a feast for your taste buds.  No boring salads are allowed on my table! My Italian Pasta Salad with Tri-Color Rotini This post contains affiliate links.  When you purchase through these links you help support the costs of publishing this blog. A Summer Pasta Salad Packed with Flavor I always make this Italian Pasta Salad with tri-color pasta because it adds to the visual appeal. You don't have to choose tri-color, but choose a pasta with some substance. I like rotini or bowtie pasta . You want a pasta with a surface that will absorb the flavor of the dressing. Choose colorful vegetables.  For today&

Here's a potato salad time-saver for you just in time for summer cookouts. You'll love how you can transform grocery store potato salad so easily no matter whether you are hosting a BBQ or bringing a side dish for a summer barbecue. There's no judgment here. We don't always have the time to make a potato salad from scratch. Sometimes it is just easier to stop by your local grocery store to pick up a container of store-made potato salad. It's good. It's predictable.  It will do.  All it needs is a little doctoring. How to Make Store-Bought Potato Salad Better When you need a quick potato salad, and have no time to make one from scratch, that ordinary store-bought potato salad you have in your refrigerator can go from blah to amazing in just a few minutes with just a few ingredients. Yes, you can improve store-bought potato salad. How to Doctor Up Potato Salad to have a little more flavor? You're going to a potluck picnic or you are having

This cranberry sauce recipe is just in time for your Thanksgiving meal planning. With just four simple ingredients you'll have a festive and delicious side to add to your holiday dinner. Cranberry sauce is a funny thing.  Do you prefer chunky or jellied? Ask folks and they will have a definite preference.  The response seems to be related to whichever is served at their family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner.   In my family it was always jellied cranberry sauce, sliced perfectly.  It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.  As a matter of fact, I always refused to eat chunky cranberry sauce, not being able to fathom how I could possibly enjoy chunks in my cranberry sauce. The Best Fresh Cranberry Sauce This post contains affiliate links. The BestCranberry Sauce I'm evidence that you can teach an old dog new tricks.  Several years ago, I decided to step out of my comfort zone by making a chunky cranberry sauce. One bite of this cranberry sauce a

Applesauce is a perfect complement to a pork dinner. I always have a pork tenderloin on hand in my fridge for a quick weeknight dinner.   A pork tenderloin roasts in about 20 minutes and if you buy one of the marinated options there is absolutely no prep time required.  That can be a real lifesaver when you are running behind and need to get dinner on the table.  One of the ways to make your pork tenderloin dinners your own is to serve them with homemade applesauce. A Homemade Applesauce Recipe This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you shop through these links you help to support the costs to publish this blog. Homemade Applesauce Homemade applesauce tastes so much better than any jarred sauce you will purchase and takes so little time to make that you will never buy applesauce again.   September and October are the best times of year to make your own fresh applesauce as so many delicious apples come to market.   You can have the applesauce cooking on

Do you have a recipe box?  I have been collecting recipes from a variety of sources for many, many years.  Those recipes are stashed in multiple places.  One of those places is a small metal file box that is overflowing with index cards, scraps of paper, and clippings from various magazines and newspapers.  Today's grilled potatoes recipe is one of the recipe gems from the collection in my recipe box, just in time for the summer grilling season. How to Grill Potatoes with Lemon and Onions Awesome Grilled Potatoes You'll love this favorite grilled potato recipe. It is genius in its simplicity. A little butter, onion, lemon, and chicken bouillon combine to make a delicious side for your next grilled dinner.

What goes with sushi as a side dish? Occasionally, we like to have take-out sushi for dinner. When we do, I will make either this  fried rice  recipe or these Asian Vegetables as a side dish.   I particularly like these Asian Vegetables as a side dish because I leave the veggies in big enough chunks to make them easy to eat with chopsticks. After all, chopsticks are part of the fun of eating sushi for dinner! Vegetable Side Dish for Sushi or Chinese Take Out (This post contains affiliate links) The Best Asian Vegetables My vegetable preferences for this side dish are broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper, and onions.  This is not a traditional Asian vegetable side dish. It is a simple, but delicious, mixture that is easy to whip up while the sushi is being fetched. The Asian flavor in this vegetable dish comes from a simple and easy-to-prepare sauce.

Are you a cauliflower lover?  Cauliflower is a vegetable I make infrequently. That's because I am very picky about the quality of any head of cauliflower I buy. I want my cauliflower to be pristine white, with no hint of dark spots anywhere on the head. The Best Roasted Cauliflower A Head of Roasted Cauliflower It's not very often I find heads of cauliflower that look fresh enough for me to buy.  This week I did find a beautiful little head.  It weighed just over a pound. That head of cauliflower was so pretty that the cashier at the grocery store commented on it.  We began talking about roasting cauliflower.  That conversation spurred me to think of how I might roast my beautiful cauliflower.

When making a holiday dinner you often look for side dishes that are a little indulgent.  One side dish I like to serve is these cheesy twice-baked potatoes. Cheesy Twice-Baked Potatoes  How to Make Twice-Baked Potatoes for a Crowd These twice-baked potatoes are required on my holiday table.  The good news is you can just as easily make them to serve four or thirty dinner guests.

When you want a quick and flavorful vegetable side dish this Southwest Vegetable Medley is the recipe for you.  I made this side dish recently to take to a casual dinner party to accompany pulled pork and grilled shrimp entrees.   This Southwest vegetable recipe works for a party or a weeknight dinner at home. A Versatile Southwest Vegetable Side Dish Colorful Southwest Vegetable Medley The recipe as I have written makes a tasty side dish. Make this dish your own by adjusting the seasonings to your taste. If you are making this vegetable dish for kids you might want to swap out the Rotel with a can of diced tomatoes and go easy on the Southwest seasoning.