Sharing Plate – Your Cooking Coach |

I am very proud of this recipe. I combined a bunch of peppers, garlic and onion and roasted them till they became soft and deliciously nutty. I then blended the veggies with cream and milk- I basically made a cream sauce to be used to make scalloped potatoes. I bought a reasonably priced mandolin. Usually they are quite expensive and not worth the money. They are handy to have around- as they make slicing the potatoes a cinch. I was done in no time. The whole dish took me hardly any time to make.

I would recommend making the cream sauce ahead of time if you are planning a big Thanksgiving dinner. You could even freeze the sauce and take it out a day ahead and assemble the potatoes the morning of and then bake them right before eating. They are simply delicious…
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This dish can be served on its own- not just as a  side… it is that substantial and delicious. I decided a while ago to experiment with polenta- to me it is like a blank canvas.. one can add anything to it to enhance the flavor.

For this one, I sauteed raisins and pine nuts in some olive oil. I then added thawed, chopped spinach and cooked it down for a bit. It was then time to add the a mixture of chicken broth and milk and the delicious polenta. I cooked it and seasoned it with salt and cheese- that was it. It took no time to make the dish but it was amazing with the shrimp dish.

Try it next time you are confused about making a side dish…
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I made this side dish with the fish I posted yesterday. I usually make brown rice for my family to keep things healthy. I have tried to make the rice as delicious as possible. I cook it with chicken broth and a tad bit of butter- it makes a big difference.

In this case, I didn’t have a lot of time of cook dinner- a problem most people have. So, I checked my freezer where I always keep packs of frozen brown rice from Trader Joes. It is great to have and use in a pinch. I decided to mimic the same flavors I used in the fish. I started with a shallot and some garlic. I added roasted cumin seeds and smoked paprika. I then added the broccolini and the rice and checked for seasonings. Lemon juice finished off the dish really well. It is great side dish to make with fish or any other meat..
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I still continue to make burgers even though summer is officially over. It is great way to make a healthy meal, especially if one uses ground turkey or vegetables to create the burgers.

I love eating fries but have been very good at keeping away from them… well, maybe not in Dublin.. but otherwise I have been quite good. So, this recipe is really good.

The potatoes are boiled and marinated in a green chutney- which is similar to the one Indian restaurants serve as a condiment with appetizers. I made it fresh with cilantro, mint and lime juice. It is simple to make and gives it tons of flavor to the dish.

Try this one- you may never go back to the mayo laden potato salad…
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This is the simplest way to make really delicious potato salad. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and kept at room temperature. I love buying fingerling potatoes- firstly,  because I love the way they look; secondly, I don’t need to peel them or even slice them in half if I don’t want to (even though I did slice them for this recipe). These potatoes work really well with burgers or any other barbecued meats.

I simply cooked them in some water. I drained them and immediately drizzled olive oil, lemon juice and sprinkled salt all over them. It is important to add the flavoring while the potatoes are still warm. I then grilled them on the hot grill to get some delicious looking golden brown spots.  Once they cooled down, I added the cilantro. That was it- very simple, yet very delicious. Great recipe for the long weekend…
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