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Tag: side dishes

Pancetta and Green Onion Fried Rice

This rice recipe complements the chicken adobo from yesterday really well…

  • 2 cups jasmine rice, cooked al dente, cooled and kept aside
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • ½ cup pancetta, chopped
  • 6 to 8 garlic cloves, grated
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like pan with the oil. Add the pancetta and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and green onions. Saute on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the cooked rice and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add salt and cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve with the adobo chicken.

Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This second quinoa recipe has sweet potatoes- any vegetable can be substituted that is in season- like asparagus, etc…

I love, love roasting sweet potatoes with smoked paprika! I added them to some delicious quinoa. It was a delicious, healthy side dish I served with the yummy lamb chops!

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with olive oil and add the quinoa and salt and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes till the quinoa is cooked through. Add the lemon juice and fluff with a fork. Keep aside.

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into inch squares
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil, salt and smoked paprika. Mix well and bake till the sweet potatoes are soft and golden brown. Take out and add to the fluffed quinoa. Add the cilantro and check for seasonings before serving.

Quick Broccoli with Orange Zest

Broccoli with Orange Zest and Garlic I made this dish with the citrus chicken. I love making broccoli and sometimes run out of ways of reinventing the vegetable. I sautéed up some sliced garlic to start with. I then added the broccoli. I added some delicious white wine, orange juice and zest.

This dish has incredible flavor thanks to the garlic, wine and orange zest. It is simple to make and it complements the citrus chicken beautifully.

Make this side dish next time you are confused about how to make your broccoli!

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • Zest and juice of one navel orange
  • Salt

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the garlic and orange zest and sauté for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the broccoli florets and sauté on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the white wine, orange juice and salt. Mix well and cover with lid on a low heat for 5 minutes or till the florets are slightly tender but not over done. Serve with any protein.

Roasted Smoked Paprika Sweet Potatoes

Smoked Paprika Roast Sweet Potatoes My weakness- are potatoes. I love then in potato chips and fries! I try to stay away from them but when I do indulge, I try to make them in a healthy way. I love make oven fries at home with very little oil. I stick with non-caloric flavors like smoked paprika, garlic powder or herbs.

Sweet potatoes are delicious and super healthy. I love making oven fries with sweet potatoes. I love the sweet flavor with the savory and smoky garlic and smoked paprika- talk about amazing bold flavors… I don’t miss the super unhealthy french fries at all…
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Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach with Bechamel Sauce I love the creamed spinach served at steak houses. The leafy green goes perfectly well with red meat- especially cooked with lots of butter and cream. I guess anything cooked with lots of butter and cream is delicious.

My problem- the red meat already has lots of calories and when you pair a calorie laden dish like creamed spinach- it results in a very heavy meal- oh, and what about the potatoes and the wine… a lot of calories.

So, this is my take on creamed spinach. I usually make it simply by sauteing garlic with spinach. I add a bit of half and half- which has less calories than cream but still adds substantial creaminess to the dish.

I started this dish by making a white or bechamel sauce. I sauteed some flour and olive oil. I added onion and garlic and then some milk. This was a  start to a very aromatic, creamy sauce. I added frozen, chopped spinach and cooked it till the excess moisture is cooked away.

The dish was delicious- with not a lot of calories. It has one tablespoon of olive oil and a third of a cup of half and half. Not bad considering it served 5 people. The taste was not compromised at all- in fact it tasted really good with the lamb and the potatoes.

Try this creamed spinach next time you are looking for a healthy side dish…
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Roasted Potatoes with Cipollini Onions

roast-potatoes-and-cipollini-onionsPotatoes are my favorite food group! Whenever I make a roast, a steak, a sandwich or a burger- I think  of roasted potatoes! I do like mashed potatoes but somehow they never come to mind – so I end up making them only during Thanksgiving. I am always thinking of new ways to prepare roasted potatoes in the oven or on the stove. I have a very nice memory of my Mom making French fries at home. She used to cook them twice to make them extra crispy. I haven’t fried potatoes at home in a long time- roasting them in the oven is a healthier way to eat them- but I do think of those fried ones all the time!
I saw the most pleasurable food show last weekend- the Jamie Oliver show! I absolutely love him- and the way he cooks in his rustic kitchen with fresh ingredients from his garden, is great to watch. He roasted onions and potatoes with lots of balsamic vinegar and herbs. I tried to replicate the recipe but used Cipollini onions- they are smaller and flatter than other onions. The flesh is a slight yellowish color and the skins are thin and papery. These are sweeter onions, having more residual sugar than the ‘regular’ yellow and white onions. The advantage to cipollinis is that they are small and flat and the shape lends them well to roasting. I happened to see them at Whole Foods but you can absolutely substitute any onion for this dish. Adding balsamic vinegar adds great color and a sweet caramel flavor to the potatoes and onions. This was a great side dish with the roast chicken and can be used with a variety of main entrees.

  • 4-5 medium red potatoes, peeled
  • 4-5 cipollini onions, peeled and cut into halves
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Cook the onions for 5 minutes in a pan with water. Take them out, dry them and cut them into quarters. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to a lined cookie sheet. Roast on 350 degrees until potatoes and onions are golden brown, about 30 minutes.