Tuesday, May 3, 2011

"Simply Suppers" Cookbook Review and Giveaway!

I have a delicious and simple side dish recipe for you today. A couple months ago I was contacted by Katherine at Thomas Nelson and she wanted to send me a cookbook for review. The book was titled Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler. This sounded perfect for me because at the time, I just had surgery and was recovering. I didn't have much energy or the desire to cook. But when my body was feeling up to it again, I grabbed this book off the shelf and read each and every page, mentally bookmarking recipes and drooling along the way.

This book is categorized into several chapters including, but not limited to Soups, Meat, Pasta, Sandwiches, Grains and Vegetables. It is mostly comprised of savory meals and sides, but there is a section of Sweet Endings which has recipes for Double Decker Peach Cobbler, Banana Pudding Pie, Tarts and Cakes. Every single recipe is accompanied by a photo so you'll know what your food is supposed to look like. That also helps when trying to decide what to make. A few other useful sections in this book are 30 in about 30 (you guessed it, 30 recipes made in about 30 minutes), 10 Leftover Chicken Makeovers (recipes in the book you can make using a rotisserie chicken) and 20 Freezer Go-To's (recipes from the book that freeze well).

I chose to make Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes (p.189) as a side dish to brown rice and Pesto Parmesan Chicken. It was a fantastic meal if I do say so myself. Even Mr. H agreed with me and he's not a big fan of Parm. I made a couple adaptations to the recipes but rather than altering the recipe, I just made my changes in italics below. This would be a great recipe to make any time of year because roasting them makes them sweeter and taste like Summer even if the tomatoes aren't so ripe. After roasting, the tomatoes became soft and the flavor intensified. The tomatoes burst in your mouth, but the topping was crispy and garlicky. I could eat a whole bowl of just crumbs, they were that good! I'm looking forward to trying other recipes from this book, because if they're half as good as these tomatoes, I'm in for a treat.

Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes from Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler

Printer Friendly Version

  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used 1 Tablespoon dried parsley)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 6 large ripe tomatoes, cut in half horizontally
  • kosher salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 395 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic parsley and oregano until well combined.

Place the tomato halves in a shallow baking dish, sliced side up. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste. (I added the salt and pepper to the bread crumb mixture).

Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with the Parmesan bread crumb mixture. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the tomatoes. (I mixed the olive oil in with the bread crumbs so they'd stick together and create a crisper topping).

Bake until the topping is golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

NOTE: Since this recipe was part of a cookbook review I didn't want to alter the original recipe. Instead I added my changes to the recipe in blue italics.

Katherine from Thomas Nelson also wants to give away 3 copies of Simply Suppers for you to enjoy! All you have to do is leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite side dish is.

Anyone and everyone is eligible to win. Just be sure to leave me your contact info so I can contact you if you win. One entry per person please.

I'll reveal the (3) winners next Tuesday, May 10. Good luck!

134 comments:

  1. These look so good! :) I'm almost afraid to make them, because I know I'll probably eat the whole bunch by myself. :P

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  2. probably hash brown casserole--it is so easy and everybody loves it so i make it a bunch!

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  3. Oh, I really hope I win! Side dishes...hmmm...I love salads, mashed potatoes, and stir fried veggies. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  4. Any kind of potato - mashed, baked, fried, etc!

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  5. Oven roasted veggies, especially beets, carrots and onions.. delish!
    Tho most of the time I am a real one pot meal sort of gal.

    bstroudf@gmail.com

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  6. Bonjour,
    je serais heureuse de recevoir un exemplaire du livre.
    Mon plat préféré est le couscous

    bises

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  7. anything with potatoes in it! :)

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  8. These sound delicious. Next Tuesday (contest deadline) is my birthday, and I think I'll try these as an appetizer using cherry tomatoes...sounds delicious.

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  9. I can' wait to make these this summer - easy enough for the kids to help with - I have a future chef on my hands and I am always looking for fun and easy ways for her to continue her love of food. Our favorite side dish to make for the family is panzella salad. Yum!

    Glad to see you posting more these days!

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  10. Mmmm, those look great. Perfect summer side-dish!

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  11. I love any roasted veggies, but these sound really yummy. They are definitely going on my to make list.

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  13. My favorite is Ranch Broccoli Casserole. It's creamy, cheesy and delcious!
    Mika
    tytanbay3 at cox dot net

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  14. My favourtie side dish might be German Spaetzle! Or is it czech Semmelknoedel (bread dumplings)? Couscous? Mashed potatoes? Basmati rice? And don't even get me started on vegetables ...

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  15. Those look SO good! Lately my favorite side is roasted asparagus, can't get enough. My all time favorite is roasted corn on the cob though. I could eat several ears alone for a meal and be happy.

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  16. I just made your Sweet Grape Salad this weekend and it was delish! A perfect side to our BBQ chicken.

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  17. Oooh these look delicious! I can't wait to make them with fresh tomatoes this summer ;) My favorite side dish is roasted veggies...sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, pretty much any vegetable you can roast!

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  18. I love roasted new potatoes.

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  19. You had me at "double decker peach cobbler" so please put my name in the pot!!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  20. My favorite side is always a good baked potato with a crispy skin .... and dollops of butter and sour cream, of course!

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  21. I love the way these look and you always take such great pictures. Please include me in the drawing.
    meemawfish@gmail.com.

    Thanks,
    meemaw

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  22. my favorite side dish has GOT to be my Aunts cheesy broccoli casserole! OMG it's so easy but SOOOO yummy!!!

    steamed broccoli-velvetta cheese-cream of mushroom soup-butter and ritz crackers! I'm tellin ya, it's heaven on earth!

    i3lessed@yahoo.com

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  23. I love steamed/roasted broccoli or cauliflower. Thanks.

    Chris M.

    zekks at yahoo dot com

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  24. Your tomatoes look yummy!

    My favorite side-dish is mashed potatoes. Gravy optional...

    So glad to see you're back in the kitchen!

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  25. I love LOVE roasted tomatoes! I made some the other night (without the lovely crunchy topping you made) with steak and salad - sooo yummy. The juiciness of them is great with just about anything! I also love cherry tomatoes pan fried with some good olive oil, fresh garlic and s&p - not cooked, just heated... like candy! YUM!
    So... to answer your question - roasted tomatoes are one of my favorite sides as is a big mixed green salad!
    Great post, thanks!
    Lisa

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  26. Roasted cauliflower with balsamic and Parmesan! It's as good as candy.

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  27. Those look great. My favorite side dish is veggies, anything except peas.

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  28. I have a few favorite side dishes-- macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, veggies (especially carrots!), corn pudding.... the list goes on!

    kelgirl105 @ yahoo.com

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  29. I like potatoes or corn as a side. Very traditional.

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  30. My favorite side dish is cheesy broccoli and rice (usually brown rice). It's yummy and my kids will eat their veggies this way! In the summer though, I love to make a summer squash casserole with summer squash, tomatoes, mushrooms,some thin sliced onions and parmesan/mozzarella cheese. Best part about that one...I get it all to myself because nobody else will eat it. LOL

    mama_mint64 at hotmail dot com

    ps...the lemon lime bars you posted a while back...best ever! I'm making them again today.

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  31. I could make a meal out of just sides! Probably anything that includes vegetables: green beans, squash, potatoes, carrots... I love them all!

    jennifer.lyn.lawson@gmail.com

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  32. Love the freezer ideas. I'm always looking for stuff that freezes well so I have more time during the week. My favorite side is potatoes. In about any form!

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  33. I often bake breads to serve with meals, as we have a larger family(6 children), some side dish recipes take oo much time to really be helpful. I LOVE toatoes, so once we find some good ones, I'd love to have these!
    Tiffany- adamtiffany1@yahoo.com

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  34. Yum these look delicious! I love veggies or rice as side dishes to my meals.

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  35. This looks yummy! I have lots of favorite side dishes, but my most favorite are anything with potatoes, especially red potates with fresh green beans. I also love Pioneer Woman's Hominy Casserole--I could eat nothing but that for days!

    cledperez@hotmail.com

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  36. My favorite side dish is corn casserole, green beans and this delicious recipe I have for brown sugar carrots from Better Homes and Gardens.
    jennifer dot sciarra at gmail dot com

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  37. I love baked sweet potato fries or medallions---so easy and simple and can be dressed up with cinnamon for sweet or rosemary and salt for savory!

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  38. Lisa in Fort WorthMay 3, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    Special Potatoes which are mashed potatoes with cream cheese, sour cream, garlic and butter!!

    Lisa in Fort Worth
    lisa0655@hotmail.com

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  39. Yum! My favorite side dishes are potatoes! Mashed, baked, roasted, etc. And asparagus!

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  40. What a wonderful looking cookbook! My favorite side dish would be fresh, perfectly cooked green beans. :)

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  41. Always love your great posts! Mashed potatoes are always a hit with me!

    Regina
    rgelhaus@hotmail.com

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  42. Yummo! I'd love to add this wonderful cookbook to my collection - thanks for the opportunity to enter!

    My favorite side dish would be potatoes, cooked any way.

    :)
    ButterYum

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  43. fave side dish?? I love asparagus-with butter, oh, lots of yummy butter!!
    love your blog, Monica ;)

    kshrum@pcfcu.org

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  44. My fave side dish is probably fried green beans~! They are so delicious!!! ^^

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  45. those tomatoes look delicious. I love any vegetable roasted with olive oil and garlic. cant wait to try this one.

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  46. Roasted Brussells Sprouts! I make them all the time for myself and the offspring!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    d (dot) fi (dot) gravity (at) gmail (dot) com

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  47. The roasted tomatoes look yummy!

    My favorite side dish? Crash hot potatoes, or if grilling season, potato salad.

    Or maybe it's a romaine salad with strawberries, mandarin oranges and sugared pecans...

    Now I'm hungry!

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  48. My favorite side dish changes depending on the time of the year. In the summer, it would be squash medley or sliced tomatoes with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar. In the fall, probably greek green beans. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, it would be my grandmother's caramel sweet potatoes. In the spring I like roasted cauliflower.

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  49. My favorite side dish is roasted new potatoes.

    heatherspooner1981 at gmail dot com

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  50. Yum! Those look divine!
    I love a good potato side dish. Whether it's a fancy mashed potato, potato salad, or sweet potato.

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  51. I would love to try the recipes in that book! Those tomatoes look beautiful and delicious! One of my favorites side dishes would have to be rolls, fresh, homemade and hot out of the oven! Oh yeah!
    rexburgartist@yahoo.com

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  52. Potatoes! Mashed, fried, baked... love it all!

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  53. Mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli!

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  54. In our house we love roasted seasoned potatoes and any kind of steamed veggies.

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  55. Lately, my go to side dish is roasted broccoli/cauliflower or roasted brussel sprouts. With the heat coming on, they are just as easy to do on the grill!

    Thanks for the giveaway.

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  56. Oooh, yay, a giveaway! The cookbook looks awesome. My favorite side dish is my husband's fresh green beans with lemon and dill, not only because they are delicious, but also because if we have them it means I'm not cooking. :)

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  57. Joanna from ColoradoMay 3, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    Mmm, those look great! My favorite side dish ever since I was a kid is Macaroni and Cheese, box or baked - I'm not picky (though I did make the homemade bechamel-based sauce-Fannie-Farmer baked version not too long ago for my husband and myself, and it was SOOOO good!) :)

    jesmith1702 at gmail dot com

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  58. I love a good side of fresh green beans! Can't wait till it warms up here so I can get my own going in my garden!

    amypickrel@gmail.com

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  59. baked sweet potato fries or roasted asparagus are my favorite sides!!

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  60. My favorite side dish is roasted brussels sprouts.

    msj1smj@coosahs.net

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  61. love roasted vegetables in general .....

    jacquieastemborski AT comcast DOT net

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  62. right now am I love with roasted sweet potatoes

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  63. I have lots of favorite side dishes, but my favorite are anythng with potatoes.
    Love your blog!! :)
    shortyannone@msn.com

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  64. I could seriously eat tomatoes all day! But my favorite side dish would honestly have to be roasted asparagus with grated parmesan cheese over it.

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  65. My favorite side has to be mashed potatoes. They are such a comfort food to me.

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  66. anything roasted. This method is always yummy!

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  67. Hard one! I love chips and guacamole!!!!


    abbie@10burnetts.com

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  68. I love tomatoes...I think I will try these tomorrow.
    I love a side dish we make with zucchini, onion, bacon and shredded cheese, fried up in a pan. Really good.
    leduc.kelly@yahoo.com

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  69. My fave side dishes are potatoes, and I love asparagus with seafood meals!

    vickdn@live.com

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  70. Those tomatoes look wonderful Monica! My favorite side dish would be broccoli fried in olive oil with lemon and parmesan cheese!

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  71. I'd say Caprese Salad! Love the combo of ripe tomatoes, fresh mozz and basil from the garden! All drizzled with balsalmic ....yummo!!!

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  72. My current favorite is sweet potato fries. I can't seem to get enough!

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  73. Wow, you make those tomatoes look really good, and I don't even like tomatoes. However I do like potatoes! I like 'em fried, baked or roasted; not mashed however. Potatoes have to be the best think in the world! Mmmm

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  74. I love sides, forget the meat and give me the sides. These tomatoes look wonderful. Love mac and cheese, kale, spinach and really love summer garden tomatoes with basil and olive oil.

    Hope you're feeling well, Monica.

    Mel

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  75. Hmm... garlic rolls, french bread, seasoned herb bread... bread!! :) Theres so much you can do to that makes it a side for any type of dish.

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  76. Right now broccoli or spinach, but always wanting mac n cheese :)

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  77. My favorite side dish: potato gratin or gratin dauphinois as frenchs called it. It's potatoes and cream, wow! These little tomatoes looks good.

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  78. I know it could be a main dish, but for me there's nothing like gnoccis with pesto or marinara sauce as a "side dish"!!!!!

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  79. I'm a carb kind of gal, so my favorite side dishes are definitely carbs! I love breads... but I think my ultimate favorite is mashed potatoes (or twice baked potatoes if I'm really feeling energetic!) I just LOVE potatoes! I Would LOVE this cookbook! email address: v_ballgurl4@hotmail.com

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  80. My favorite side dish is parmesean bread crumb coated potato wedges (dunked in butter to hold the coating...yum!). Its a dish my mom makes only on Christmas Eve.

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  81. I love garlic mashed potatoes - that could be my main dish and nothing else!

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  82. I like baked cauliflower cheese! This tomato receipe is really good. Thank you for sharing the cookbooks!


    mystica123athotmaildotcom

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  83. Love some of the variety of ways this book is laid out--it sounds helpful and easy to use...not to mention yummy!

    Favorite side dish is roasted asparagus....tied with a good ol' mac and cheese!

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  84. Fav side dish...i love a good salad...ceasar, pasta salad.

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  85. My favorite side dish is potatoes, any way, it doesn't matter.

    I hope you are doing well!

    Rachel (rachescakes)

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  86. When the weather is beautiful like now, my favorite side dish is grilled romaine! Other times, it is twice baked cauliflower. YUM.

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  87. My favorite side dish is anything made with rice or couscous!

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  88. Any type of potato! roasted, baked, mashed, or fried

    yummy!

    annie

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  90. yuummmyyyy .. i'll try it this weekend :D


    Salamah-k@hotmail.com

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  91. I love stuffing or as many refer to it as dressing..It doesn't have to be turkey day for stuffing in our home, yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!from mary at momanddad00@clear.net

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  92. Oh wow these look good I think I will try it out tonight..

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  93. Simple peas and corn tossed with butter :)

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  94. Looks amazing...we are starting to get a few tomatoes on our vine so I'll have to keep these in mind! My favorite side dish is any sort of cheesy potatoes!

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  95. I like almost any fresh vegetable -these tomatoes look positively divine. I also like slaw - ALOT - and made simply with just mayonnaise.

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  96. Simple suppers are good, 'back to basics' meals work everytime. My fave side dish is almost always green beans cooked almost any way. I am loving roasted green bean fries right now. I will eat a whole pound! lol!

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  97. Summer veggies are my favorite, cooked anyway.

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  98. My favorite side dish is anything cheesy - usually a vegetable so I can convince myself it's healthy! :)

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  99. favorite side dish???? seems to vary with the season for me, but right now, I am loving asparagus that is drizzled with a mix of fresh lemon juice, zest, olive oil and parsley! Its so fresh tasting!

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  100. I think my favorite side is green beans. Cannot get enough of them! Would love to win an easy recipe cookbook. BTW I'm 20 weeks pregnant myself, I enjoy reading about your pregnancy. Best, Julia

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  101. spicy/cajun roasted potatoes! YUMMY!

    mchl_jmp67@yahoo.com

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  102. My favorite side dish is probably twice-baked potatoes. Those tomatoes look pretty darn good too!

    sharonjo at gwtc dot net

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  103. my favorite side dish are twice baked potatoes.
    melinda@bre.ms

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  104. My favorite side dish is carrott casserole. A delicous combination of carrots, onions, ritz crackers, mayo and parmesean cheese. I only buy cookbooks with pictures for every recipe. I would love to win this. Rchl_orlando at yahoo dot com. Thank you for the chance to win this- Rachel

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  105. Simple doesn't need to be bland but full of flavour. I happened to just make my favourite dish...macarono and cheese!!

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  106. Carbs. Either potatoes or pasta. Yum

    Barbara

    Stelladogo@msn.com

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  107. oooo...good question. mushroom risotto, I think. Or really yummy grilled veggies.
    I love your photography with the ingredients and the arrows. Makes it seem all so easy to make!

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  108. Love sweet potato fries with anything! Can I have some now?

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  109. I think these look delicious! Of course if it has panko bread crumbs, I generally like it! It sounds like a great book and the yummy cover recipe looks good too. As for my favorite side dish...good old mashed potatoes and gravy (I just don't have them that often at home)!

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  110. Seriously yummy looking!

    Favorite side is probably either mashed potatoes (really good ones, especially with garlic) or in the veggie category my favorite broccoli cheese casserole. But there are many favorite sides depending on weather/season/attitude. I'm thinking of winter ones now as I TRY to wait patiently for warmer weather...come on beautiful spring, where are you?

    Heather@pagesbyheather.com

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  111. I hate having to pick favorites when it comes to food :p

    Asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, simple stuff but mashed potatoes are definitely on top!

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  112. Yummy! One of my favorite side dishes is fresh green beans with bacon. I can't wait until the weather gets better so I can grow some beans!
    b.

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  113. Definitely on the to make this summer list!

    Mine are totally seasonal. Winter I love root veggies, spring is asparagus and summer is anything fresh off the vine, peas, beans, corn, fall is roasted squash.

    I have to go eat something now

    jeannabikes@hotmail.com

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  114. my favorite side is anything that is potato related.

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  115. Potatoes, any kind. I'm just catching up on blog reading - I hope you are feeling better - going to continue reading to see what is going on. Happy Mother's Day.

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  116. These look amazing!
    My favorite side dishes are usually starches- mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, creamy rice, fried rice...yum!

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  117. I will be sure to try this recipe! It looks amazing.

    Side dish. There are so many! Honestly, with anything you can put potatoes with it. Mashed, baked, broiled, scalloped, fried. Mhmm. POTATOES!

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  118. I am saving this recipe for when my garden is producing oodles of tomatoes (I'm chuckling right now because I'm a terrible gardener). I'm still going to make it though, even if I have to buy tomatoes! :)

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  119. Thought I'm the only one that love anything Potatoes and was pleasantly surprised to see so many others love anything Potatoes too = )

    I love anything Potatoes and even more if it's with Cheese... Yum = )

    Thank you for the giveaway

    Blessings
    Christine

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  120. Those sound soooo GOOD!!! My favorite side dish is Homemade Scalloped Potatoes. My mom makes them for almost every family gathering and I really just can't get enough!!!

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  121. I absolutely love creamed spinach as a side dish. i so hope i win this giveway!

    hayley.dickens@gmail.com

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  122. I'm not sure what recipes are included in the book, but the cover alone has my mouth watering! I think my favorite side dish has to be mac and cheese. Creamy, smooth, and cheesy! Thanks for this giveaway!

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  123. I have 2 favorite side dishes...
    A 7 layer salad or cheesy/crunchy potato casserole.

    thomas(dot)nancy5 (at)gmail(dot)com

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  124. I am a potato kind of girl. They are my favorite side dish. Though I am dying to try these tomatoes!

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  125. Squash casserole is my favorite side dish! Thanks for the giveaway! You can contact me at brenda.cobble@yahoo.com

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  126. Oh my! Those tomatoes look amazing! And double decker cobbler??? Yes, please!!!

    Does bread count as a side dish?? LOL!!! I don't tend to like veggies too much...but if you roast green beans with a little olive oil, salt & pepper...that is amazing to me!

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  127. HHHMMM...that's a tough one. It depends on what the main dish is. Since it is spring/summer season I'll go with potato salad...my dads recipe is my FAVORITE!!! I'm still trying to perfect it. Hope I win...thanks for sharing!

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Thank you for your supportive comments. I appreciate each and every one of them!