Category Archives: Sides
Fennel Apple and Endive Salad
I am always looking for salad ideas in the summer to serve with grilled meats. This is a great one…
- 1 fennel bulb, core taken out, cleaned and sliced thin
- 1 medium Pink Lady apple, core taken out, sliced thin
- 1 green endive, cut in half and sliced thin
- 1 red endive, cut in half and sliced thin
Transfer all the ingredients to a salad bowl.
Orange Dressing
- Juice of 4 clementines
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Add all the ingredients to an airtight container and mix really well until all the dressing is emulsified. Pour on to the vegetables and toss well. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
Potato and Pepper Home Fries
I wanted to post this recipe for the longest time. I don’t end up making these home fries very often but they are so delicious… they deserve to be on this blog! Try this next time you are in the mood for eggs…
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 6 to 7 green onions, whites and greens chopped and separated
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 1 yellow or any color pepper, chopped
- Salt
Add the chopped potatoes to a medium saucepan. Top with water and bring to a boil. Drain and let dry.
Heat a cast iron pan with the olive oil. Add the potatoes and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the whites of the green onions, garlic and yellow pepper and sauté for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and the greens of the green onion. Check for seasonings and serve with brunch or breakfast.
Mexican Style Quinoa
I usually like to make some delicious Mexican rice with tacos. This time I decided to substitute quinoa. It came out delicious- no one commented on detecting any difference…
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin, powdered
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- ½ yellow/orange/red pepper, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ½ cup tomato puree
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
Heat a medium sized saucepan with the olive oil. Add the cumin and chipotle powder. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the shallot, ½ pepper and garlic. Saute for a minute on medium heat. Add the tomato puree and sauté for 1 minute. Add the quinoa, broth and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer till the liquid is cooked off on the surface. Cover with lid and lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with tacos.
Indian Style Polenta
Polenta is a very easy, healthy and quick starch to make. Like rice, it is very versatile and anything and everything can be added to make it yummier. I have made quite a few different kinds in the past.
I made this one Indian style to serve with the fish curry. I started with mustard seeds and curry leaves. I also added a couple of different kinds of lentils for a nice crunch and I also included peanuts.
My original idea was to cook the polenta in coconut milk and chicken broth but then I realized I was out of coconut milk. Instead I cooked it with my normal mixture of milk and chicken broth- both the liquids ensure yummy flavor in the dish.. and this dish was extremely yummy.
The only person who doesn’t like polenta in the house is my daughter. I made her some rice on the side. She does not enjoy the texture of polenta… but I love it…
- 1 cup fine polenta
- 1½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 to 5 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoons white moong dal
- 1 tablespoons channa dal
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, moong dal, channa dal and peanuts. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for a minute. Add the broth and milk with the salt. Bring to a boil and add the polenta. Follow package instructions to cook the polenta. Taste for seasonings and serve with the fish curry.
Pinto Beans
These are delicious, vegetarian refried beans. Usually they are available in restaurants filled with fat- don’t get me wrong.. they are delicious but not the healthiest. You can also get them pre-made in a can. Honestly, I have never tasted the ones in the can, so I can’t comment- but you can’t beat the homemade variety.
I don’t make it exactly from scratch as I use the cooked pinto beans out of a can. This allows me to cook the dish in no time at all without compromising on flavor. This particular one I spiced with roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I also added garlic and cherry tomatoes.
It is a delicious, healthy side dish you can make in a matter of minutes. It was a great complement to the steak tacos. Try it with tacos or any thing grilled for the summer…
- 1 can of (15 ounces) pinto beans
- ¼ cup vegetable or chicken broth
Place the beans in a saucepan and add the broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Mash the beans in the pan with a potato masher. Leave it a bit chunky if you like. Keep aside.
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan. Add the cumin seeds, tomatoes, onion and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes- till onions are soft. Add the mashed beans. Mix well and sprinkle salt and paprika. Mix well and top with cilantro and serve.