Tag: side dish
Quick Vegetarian Refried Beans
This is a quick, healthy side dish I came up with while I was cooking the rest of the meal for my friends. I had the enchiladas and rice. I was serving homemade salsa and guacamole with chips before dinner but something was still bothering me. I felt I didn’t have a balanced meal as yet. That is when beans came to mind.
As I started looking for recipe ideas for the refried beans, I realized most recipes called for frying the beans in pork fat or bacon. Normally I would add pancetta or bacon to the mix because as far as I am concerned, everything is better with bacon- but in this case I needed to make the dish vegetarian.
I started by cooking canned pinto beans in water and mashing them but left still them a bit chunky. As I was sauteing them with the onions and garlic, I kept thinking of a flavoring that would mimic the smokey flavor of bacon. Smoked paprika came to mind. That’s it- I thought. It was delicious paired with the creamy pinto beans, the onions and the garlic. In fact I would make this dish the same way again- why add extra calories with the bacon when I can achieve a similar flavor with the paprika?
I topped the dish with cilantro and queso fresco and the meal was well balanced, healthy and delicious!
Try these refried beans and you will never use the canned ones again!
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Roasted Broccoli with Blood Orange and Tamari Glaze
This side dish was served with the ma po tofu I whipped up for my husband the other day. I am always looking to serve broccoli in different ways- especially because it is the most popular vegetable with kids. It is also quite versatile. I can chop it up small and use it for fried rice or I can just broil it simply with extra virgin olive oil and salt.
I find most parents boil the broccoli for their kids. I find roasting vegetables brings out the natural sweetness in them and makes them yummier. We invested in a small toaster/convection counter top oven a few years ago. It is super handy. I use it for breakfast to make toast; for lunch to bake a quick fish fillet and for dinner to roast vegetables. Since it has a convection button as well- things cook much faster. It is very convenient and I don’t have to heat my big oven for a small job. The broccoli tastes delicious roasted in the oven.
For this dinner, since I was making a tofu and turkey stir fry, I needed a side of vegetables. Blood oranges are in season and are in abundance at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. I had a whole bunch sitting on my kitchen counter and I decided to use that as a base for this quick side dish. I mixed fresh blood orange juice (which is the most delicious thing I have ever had- a sip takes me back to last summer in Umbria), tamari and a bit of honey and of course some garlic. I reduced the sauce a bit to transform it into a glaze. I roasted the broccoli half way and then poured the glaze on top. You can substitute regular oranges in this dish. I would top the broccoli with some orange zest and it will be delicious.
The broccoli was delicious and a bit different. What I liked about it was that it was easy and quick yet flavorful and most importantly got a thumbs up from my daughter.
Next time you want to cook broccoli for dinner roast it the oven and pour a blood orange and tamari glaze.
Blood Orange Glaze
- Juice 3 to 4 blood oranges- should yield 1/3 to ½ cup juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
Bring the blood orange juice, honey, tamari and garlic cloves to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 6 to 7 minutes till the juice thickens and reduces to a ¼ cup. Taste for seasonings and keep aside.
- 3 cups broccoli florets, frozen or fresh
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Roast the broccoli mixed with the olive oil and salt in a 350 degrees oven for 10 minutes or till it becomes soft. Take out of oven and pour the glaze over the broccoli, mix well and place back in the oven. Roast for another 10 minutes. Serve as a side dish with any entrée.
Homemade Baked Apple Sauce
This is first time I have ever made apple sauce. I never understood why someone would make iy- what is the point? You either eat them raw or use them in a dessert or maybe even cook them on the side with pork or duck.
Then I started writing this blog and apple season came along. Well, I had to come up with a few apple recipes- and I did.. I made the apple cranberry bread, which by the way is delicious. I was thinking what else to make when an apple ice cream came to mind. I was of course going to make my healthy gelato- but what else should I was I going to add to it??
That is when apple sauce came to mind. I looked for different recipes and that is when I came across Ina Garten’s apple sauce recipe- I just love her recipes- don’t you want to invited to her house for a fabulous meal?
I adapted her recipe and came up with this. After the big saucepan came out of the oven and I tasted the results- I understood why people make their own apple sauce. It was absolutely delicious! Fresh, yummy and just the right sweetness and tartness. The wheels were turning in my head- all the things I can do with this- dessert topping, with a pork loin, on top of pancakes- sky is the limit… I can’t wait…
Try this recipe- it’s really good. I will be testing the apple sauce gelato tomorrow and posting the recipe soon- stay tuned.
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Delicious Side-Dish Recipe: Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
While I was thinking up the fresh homemade raviolis– I was also trying to figure out what to serve for a vegetable. I had a bunch of broccoli rabe in the fridge- my absolute favorite vegetable. I love it- I think it’s the earthy bitter taste that I adore. I decided to cook it my favorite way- with chicken sausage- and what do you know, I had those in the freezer! Perfect side dish for the ravioli dish since it did not have any meat or vegetables. I am always looking to cook this green in different ways- I recently made Indian lentils with chopped broccoli rabe- it was delicious! I loved combining two of my favorite cuisines- Indian and Italian. I also made a broccoli rabe and spinach pesto- I had this dish at our favorite local pizzeria and HAD to make it at home- really yum! I will be posting the recipe soon on the blog.
I feel my daughter is beginning to enjoy the slightly bitter taste of broccoli rabe- which makes me really happy. I remember when I first gave it to her a few years ago- she was not happy to eat it at all. Now, she will eat it with the sausage which I think makes it more delectable.
She had no problem eating this side dish at all- I am sure the yummy raviolis had something to do with it! The combination was great- the creamy raviolis with the light tomato sauce went really well with the earthy broccoli rabe and savory chicken sausage. The yummy Merlot complimented both the dishes really well and made us extremely happy!!
Tomato and Roasted Vegetable Salad
- 1 orange, red and yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into squares
- 2 zucchini, cut into one inch diagonal pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound different varieties of grape tomatoes cut in half
- 2 tablespoons homemade or store bought pesto
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the peppers and zucchini on a cookie sheet.
Add the olive oil with the salt and pepper. Mix well and bake for 30 minutes. In the meantime in a serving bowl, add the tomatoes and the pesto. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper.
Spice Roasted Potatoes
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Put the potatoes on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the parsley. Toss the potatoes to coat. Roast in the oven, until golden and crispy on the outside, tender and cooked through on the inside, about 30 minutes.
Couscous with Peas and Mint
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint
- Salt to taste
Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil.
Add the couscous and peas and turn the heat off and cover the pan and let the couscous cook for 5-10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the mint.