Roasted Beet & Orange Salad with Creamy Dill Vinaigrette

This week is all about the Best Of ChowMama 2009! To help ensure that you begin 2010 with a recipe box loaded with quick and healthy recipes that your whole family will love, I’ve hand selected my favorites (recipes that I return to over and over again) and the most popular recipes as measured by traffic and comments (ones that worked out well for me and you).

As promised, today is all about veggie sides that double as main meals for little ones. That means that these dishes will get the whole family jazzed about vegetables. Tune in tomorrow for snacks and apps.

Roasted Poblano Cheesy Rice (8+ mos)
*i’d normally avoid using the word “cheesy” in naming a recipes but, in this case, doing so would be misleading. because, if nothing else, this roasted poblano rice dish is, well, super cheesy. and delicious. if you’re feeding older folks who like spicy foods, go crazy with the poblanos. (if you ask me, the spicier the better!) otherwise, be sure to carefully de-seed and de-vein the peppers so that more sensitive little ones can gobble this up, too.

Polenta “Creamed” Spinach (8+ mos)
*this is one of my favorite recipes of the year. the chowpapa and i wanted creamed spinach to go with our not-very-kid-friendly steak, but creamed spinach doesn’t quite cut it as a healthy, satisfying main for a toddler. enter polenta. this recipe turned out a side that is healthier and more delicious than the classic steak house version and a satisfying dinner for any toddler.

10-Minute Quick Sauteed Bok Choy (10+ mos)
*this recipe is self explanatory. it’s green. it’s bok choy. it takes 10 minutes to make. perfecto.

Vanilla Cumin Roasted Carrots (6+ mos)
*i came up with this unexpected flavor combination trying to boost the natural sweetness of carrots to better balance (sometimes funky tasting) cumin, a natural pair for carrots. lo and behold, it worked! this side is a great way to introduce to kids more exotic flavors in an accessible way.

Roasted Beet & Orange Salad with Creamy Dill Vinaigrette (8+ mos)
*i composed this salad the very first time that i made beets at home. can you believe it?! i’ve been making it nonstop ever since. a perfect balance between earthy, sweet and tangy, it’s hard to resist and healthy, too. what about the “creamy” dressing, you ask? it’s all about low (or non!) fat greek style yogurt.

Fresh Corn & Ricotta Crostini (& all about crostini vs bruschetta) (12+ mos)
*these bites, made with buttery, thyme flecked corn, creamy ricotta and crispy toasted bread, are a dreamy taste of summer. while frozen corn can’t compete with sweet summer kernels, it does the trick all year around. and who doesn’t need a taste of summer right about now?

Butternut Squash with Honey, Lemon & Parmesan (12+ mos)
*inspired by a contorni at one of my favorite neighborhood italian restaurants, this squash side is a quintessential family food. it’s simple; understated, but sophisticated for adult palates; easy to make; easy to adapt for kids even younger than 12 mos (see original post); and the perfect, creamy texture that delights first eaters and adult diners alike. i make this constantly to have on hand or use in our Butternut Squash & Avocado Quesadillas.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (10+ mos)
*these are another prepped staple that we have on hand all of the time. you can throw these sweet roasted tomatoes in anything from a tuna salad, to couscous, to a side of sauteed spinach. Toss them plain with pasta for a quick sauce or, if you have an extra 10 minutes, heat them in a pan with a little cream, pitted olives, salt and pepper for a “fancier” sauce.