Category Archives: Side Dish

Apple Salad

Desserts, Fruits, Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

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Refreshing is the word that kept springing from my mouth when I first tasted my Apple Salad dish and when I described it to my hubby and son. I have been thinking about light and refreshing dishes quite a bit lately since warmer weather has crept into my life. During warmer weather I don’t feel like making heavy or complicated meals. Summer is the time when I am looking for quick recipes and dishes that don’t make me tired or lazy after eating.

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My Apple Salad recipe is all the things I just mentioned. It is quick to make. It is light and refreshing. Plus, it does not make me feel heavy, bloated or lazy after eating it. On the contrary. I actually feel energized after eating this salad. Apple Salad is packed with protein from the delicious chopped walnuts and golden raisins and has vitamin C from the apples. Another plus is that the raisins contain antioxidants which helps our bodies to fight against cancer and heart disease. Also, the raisins add a hint of sweetness to counter the tartness of the apples.

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Bottom-line… Apple Salad is a low calorie, healthy dish that will leave you feeling refreshed and energetic. Just ask my son. He liked this salad so much that he had it for breakfast and as a snack. If my biggest critic loved my Apple Salad, I think you will too.

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Apple Salad

Ingredients:

2 large granny smith apples diced

2 large re crispy apples diced

1 8oz container marscapone cheese

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup sour cream

4 tbsp milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

juice from ½ of a lemon

Place apples in a large bowl and squeeze lemon juice over apples then toss. This will keep the apples from turning brown. Set asides.

In a deep bowl add marscapone cheese, sour cream, milk and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until seasonings are incorporated into mixture. Stir in orange zest. Pour mixture over apples then add walnuts and raisins. Gently mix until the apples are well coated along with the nuts and raisins. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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Queso Fundido

Appetizers, Dressing/ Sauce/ Dip, Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

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Tortillas are a staple in my kitchen.  Between making chicken burritos, breakfast burritos , tortilla chips and soft tacos as a quick meal I make sure I always have tortillas on hand.  I was searching for a new way to use tortillas when I just happen to come across a delicious looking Mexican dish that included tortillas.  I had never heard of Queso Fundido which means “melted cheese”.  I discovered that Queso Fundido is actually a very popular dish even in the states.

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In most areas Queso Fundido is made as an appetizer but my research showed some folks like to turn it into a sandwich.  Since I was new to making the recipe I thought I had better stick to making it an appetizer.  There were so many different recipes out in the cooking sphere I decided to find a basic recipe then add my own little twist.  The standard ingredients for any Queso Fundido is spicy sausage, tomatoes and cheese.  After that you can add whatever seasonings you like.  Chorizo is the sausage of choice in most recipes because of the level of heat and spice.  If you are not into spicy sausage, you can still make this dish but use a milder Italian sausage.  Nobody will care.  Use whatever makes you happy.  But if you want the Queso Fundido to be authenic, use the chorizo.

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Be prepared for this dish to disappear quickly.  If you have cheese lovers in your house, they will definitely love Queso Fundido.  Serve it up while it is hot and bubbly along with warm tortillas.  Talk about Yummy!

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Queso Fundido

Ingredients:

1 pkg ground chorizo or spicy Italian sausage

6 flour tortillas

1 jalapeno seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

2 plum tomatoes seeded and chopped

2 cups mozzarella or Mexican cheese

¼ cup diced onion or scallions

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cilantro chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp ground cumin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat olive oil in medium sized skillet. Brown chorizo until cooked and slightly crisp. Remove sausage from the pan and drain on paper towels. Add garlic, onions, jalapeno tomatoes and seasonings to the skillet. Stir to mix well. Reduce heat and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until veggies are soft. Add sausage to the mixture and stir to combine.

Spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle ½ of the cheese in the bottom of the dish. Layer ½ of the chorizo and vegetable mixture over cheese. Sprinkle a little more cheese over the chorizo mixture then top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until cheese melts and dish is slightly browned and bubbly. Serve with warmed tortillas.

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Crispy Rice

Rice, Side Dish, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

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Whenever I prepare my Curried Fish dish I try to compliment it with a side dish that has a contrasting texture. I usually use cod when I make Curried Fish which is a very soft flaky fish. Sometimes I will pair the fish with crisp sauteed cabbage or I will prepare Crispy Rice which speaks for itself.

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A slight take on fried rice, my Crispy Rice reminds me of the kind of rice my mom used to make every time she had leftover perlo rice. I know you are saying to yourself “what the heck is perlo rice?”. Well, it is a southern dish my mom made by cooking rice in ham broth or chicken broth. Chicken and rice perlo is a very popular dish in the south but is found in slightly different versions across the world from Persia (pilau) to Turkey (pilav) to Spain (paella). Each country has adopted their own interpretation of this meat and rice dish. I have to be honest about my many attempts to make perlo rice. I have failed on most occasions. I have never been able to perfect perlo rice the way my mom does it. My attempts typically come out mushy (overcooked) or a little too al dente. I actually gave up on making perlo rice and just ask my mom to make it for me whenever I have a taste for it. One day I may try making perlo rice again but for now I am good with asking mom to make it.

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Back to my Crispy Rice. Like my mom I use leftover rice or I will make it early the same day I want to fix it and just refrigerate it for a couple of hours. The cold rice fries better than soft freshly cooked rice. In order to kick up the flavor in my Crispy Rice I add scallions, fresh spinach and crispy bacon. In my opinion, bacon makes most recipes taste great but cubed ham is also good in this dish so try whichever one you like best. I can almost guarantee that when you make Crispy Rice there will not be much leftover if any at all. This one will make the family clean their plates.

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Crispy Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups cold white rice

4 scallions sliced

4 slices crispy bacon chopped

½ bag baby leaf spinach

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp cracked black pepper

cooking spray

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray. Add butter and olive oil to frying pan and heat over medium high heat until butter is melted. Do not let butter burn. Add scallions to the pan and saute for 1 – 2 minutes. Add rice to the pan and break up with a spatula. Stir to coat rice with butter and olive oil. Let rice brown and stir every few minutes for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add bacon and spinach to the pan. Season with black pepper. Stir until spinach begins to wilt. Remove from heat and cover for 2 minutes.

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Rainbow Salad

Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , ,

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Salad is one of those foods that my hubby and I can eat almost everyday for lunch, dinner or both. On most days when I cook I will add a salad as a start to our meal. Actually, I throw together a salad first thing when I get home to keep hubby out of the kitchen while I try to get dinner ready. Hubby always acts like he is starving when he gets home from work so I make a salad to keep him busy and then he won’t hover while I finish preparing dinner. Sneaky right? Yeah, but it works!

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Of course having a salad everyday can be a little boring if you just add the basics of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Personally, I don’t care too much for iceberg lettuce. There is no real nutritional value in iceberg lettuce because it is mostly water. I prefer other types of greens in my salads and I often mix them up just so my salads are not boring.

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Spring inspired me to make a Rainbow Salad because of the bright new colors of budding trees, daffodils and other vegetation I recently noticed waking up from a too long winter. I love the rich purple color of red cabbage. The pop of orange from shredded carrots and the pale green of Napa cabbage. Mixed together with a few other veggies, Rainbow Salad is a treat for your eyes and tasty to your mouth.

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Rainbow Salad

Ingredients:

2 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges

1 small Napa cabbage shredded

½ head red cabbage shredded

½ zucchini sliced

½ cup shredded carrots

¼ cup golden raisins

½ tsp basil

¼ tsp cilantro

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Top with your favorite salad dressing.

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Bean Soup

Main Course, Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorized, Vegetables

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There are signs of spring everywhere as the grass begins to turn greener and the daffodils begin to bloom. Still, there is a chill in the air and even threats of snow from the weatherman as winter tries to hang on. All that means I am not quite finished making soups to warm my body and nourish my soul.

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Bean Soup does both of those things. A very simple soup with only a few ingredients, Bean Soup is packed with delicious flavors from the beans, vegetables and ham hock broth. I really like making this recipe when I want a bowl of soup that will fill me up but won’t me feel heavy like a full meal does.

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This soup practically prepares itself. Once you cook the ham hocks and add the broth to a pot with the other ingredients you can turn it on low and forget about it for 30 to 45 minutes. To jazz up the soup I sometimes add a big buttered biscuit or a wedge of cornbread. No matter what you decide to do, I know you will enjoy this Bean Soup recipe. Spring may be here based on the calendar but winter has yet to say good-bye.

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Bean Soup

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Mixed Baked Beans

Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , , ,

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Summertime is usually the time when folks make baked beans for every picnic, bar-b-que (yes, there is a difference between the two) or outdoor kids birthday party. But, we like to have baked beans year round because they taste so darn good. Plus, baked beans pair well with a lot of different meats like hot dogs, kielbasa, hot sausages and burgers. The list goes on and on.

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Now that I have said how wonderful baked beans can be I think I should add that they sometimes need to be “doctored up”. I came up with Mixed Baked Beans because I wanted to make a slightly different side dish to go with some oven baked spare ribs I was fixing for dinner. I had a shelf full of a variety of beans so I decided to mix them all together to see how it would taste. If I do say so myself, they tasted absolutely delicious. The flavors of the cannellini, black beans and the homestyle baked beans blended together very well and were fantastic with the ribs.

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The next time I tried making Mixed Baked Beans  I added some kielbasa and andouille sausage to the beans to kick up the flavors even more. Imagine all those wonderful flavors mixing together all in one simple dish. Hmmm…. I think I know what we are having for dinner tonight. Mixed Baked Beans with a few added surprises. Excellent!

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Mixed Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can homestyle baked beans
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
½ cup diced onion
½ cup diced green pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
½ tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
½ diced jalapeno pepper

Optional:
2 slices of bacon diced
kielbalsa sausage
andouille sausage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients into the casserole dish. Stir to mix well. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until hot and bubbly.

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Potato Squishes

Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , ,

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My friend Doll and I were discussing food the other day (as we usually do) and she told me about a great potato recipe she saw on the show “The Chew”. Since I am a potato lover my ears perked up when Doll said the recipe started with Yukon Gold Potatoes.

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The recipe turned out to be simple so it was right up my alley. The most intriguing part of the recipe called for squishing the potatoes after boiling them until they were fork tender. Potatoes? Squishing? Sold! I knew this was recipe I wanted to make into my own. With just a few additions to the recipe Doll conveyed to me I created Potato Squishes.

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As I said earlier, this is a very simple recipe that will go great with any beef, pork fish or fowl entree. My first adventure into making Potato Squishes was to pair them with steak. Like my daughter often says “shut the front door”! What goes better with steak than potatoes? Nothing! My family was a bunch of happy campers when I served up a nice tender steak, salad and the newly created Potato Squishes.

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Doll – you are my new foodie hero. Thank you the idea and for sharing such wonderful recipes.

Potato Squishes

Ingredients:
10 – 12 baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp diced chives (optional)
1 tbsp salt
½ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese
water (enough to cover the potatoes)

Place potatoes in a large pot with water and salt. Boil potatoes until they are fork tender but do not over cook. Remove potatoes from the pot and place on a flat surface. Gently squish the potatoes with the palm of your hand until they are slightly flattened.

Heat olive oil in a medium size non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Place potatoes in the frying pan and brown on one side. Flip the potatoes over and sprinkle with cheese. Lower heat to medium and cover until cheese melts. Place a dollop of cream cheese on top of the melted cheese then sprinkle with chives.

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Collard Greens

Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

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No matter what kind of greens you are preparing the key to making delicious greens is the seasoning. I don’t mean just salt and pepper. I mean down home kind of seasonings. Ham hocks, smoked turkey parts or fat back. Take your pick. I have used them all at some point in time to season both my greens and different kinds of beans.

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Collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens and kale each have their own unique flavor. To me, kale has a very mild flavor that is sweeter than other types of greens. Plus, kale is a very tender green that has become popular as a substitute for salads or is prepared as a crispy snack. Turnip, mustard and collard greens on the other hand have a much stronger taste than kale. In the case of turnip and mustard greens I think they are on the bitter side so I often mix them with cabbage or with collard greens to balance the flavor. I love to pair collard greens with pork or if I am making a real southern Sunday dinner, I will make collard greens, fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. Throw in some skillet cornbread and my family is in heaven.

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Every year until he passed away my dad would plant a garden in the backyard and on one side of the house. He enjoyed planting tomatoes, peppers, okra, beans and collard greens. The collard greens were for my mom and me since he really did not like them but he would grow them just for us. I don’t know how he did it but each year he grew some of the prettiest collard greens I ever saw. I always envied the nice large leaves and when I bought my first house my dad gave me a couple of plants to try in my backyard. The collard greens never quite turned out like his and were often a little puny so I would go over to my parent’s house and pick a few from their garden to supplement my pot of greens.

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One trick my mom taught me when cooking Collard Greens was to strip the greens from the stem then layer a few into a pile. Next, you roll them up like a cigar and then slice them into ribbons. For whatever reason, my greens seem more tender when cut them up this way. I also add a little sliced onion and my mom’s secret ingredient to my pot of greens. One or two (depending on how spicy you want the greens) hot peppers. Do Not mix the peppers into the greens and break them up. You also don’t want to lose the peppers in the greens when you stir them up . The person that finds the pepper will have a nice hot surprise. Back in the day I use to be that person whenever my mom forgot to take the pepper out. Now, it is my daughter that finds the pepper on the few occasions I forget to take it out. Remember to just lay the pepper on top of the greens and be careful when stirring them.

Ummm …… talk about good southern cooking!

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Collard Greens

Ingredients:
2 bunches collard greens
2 ham hocks or 2 smoked turkey legs
1 hot pepper
4 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup diced onions
1 tbsp bacon fat
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Adobo (optional)

Place ham hocks or smoked turkey legs into a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water with ½ cup of diced onion. Cook for 35 – 40 minutes. Cool down pressure cooker by running under cold water so that pressure is released. Remove meat. Drain broth and set aside. If you are not comfortable using a pressure cooker, place the ham hocks or smoked turkey legs in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours on medium high heat until meat is tender. Remove meat and drain broth.

Remove stems from collard greens. Layer collards in a stack of 4 – 5 leaves then roll up like a cigar. Slice collard greens into ribbons. Set aside.

Heat bacon fat in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions and saute for 1 minute. Add meat, broth, water and collard greens to the pot then sprinkle with seasonings. Lay hot pepper on top of the greens. Reduce heat to medium and let greens cook for 1 ½ hours until they are tender. Stir occasionally but be careful not to break up the hot pepper. Add more water if necessary. Remove the hot pepper prior to serving.

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Pearls and Black Eyed Peas

Pasta and Grains, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , , ,

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A few weeks ago my hubby and I visited Washington, DC to get away and enjoy each others company. Because we really just wanted to relax and not do a lot of sightseeing we stayed close to the hotel. We also took most of our meals at the hotel. Fortunately, the main restaurant served some delicious food and gave me a few ideas for new recipes.

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One night I chose to have grilled salmon (my favorite fish) with a side of black eyed peas and Israeli couscous. I was interested in tasting the Israeli couscous because I had just purchased a box of it from Trader Joe’s and I wasn’t sure of how to prepare it. Plus, I liked the look of the box. I sometimes chose new foods to try based on how they look. I think it is a true statement that we eat with our eyes and presentation is important when serving a meal.

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The black eyed peas and Israeli couscous was absolutely wonderful. It was full of flavor and I liked the texture of the pearl sized couscous. Israeli couscous is larger in size than regular couscous and resembles tapioca pearls. The side dish also included lots of other vegetables like zucchini, corn, onions and mushrooms. As soon as I tasted the black eyed peas and couscous I knew I had found a new recipe to try using my box of Israeli couscous.

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Although I truly enjoyed the hotel’s version, I decided to put my own twist to the dish and used a few different ingredients that complimented the black eyed peas and couscous. Black eyed peas, Israeli couscous, roasted red peppers and mushrooms. Yummy! Once you have a bite you will be making this side dish over and over again.

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Pearls and Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen black eyed peas
1 large or 2 small smoked turkey legs (optional)
2 cups cooked pearl (Israeli) couscous (prepare according to package)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced shitake or baby bella mushrooms
½ cup onions diced
½ cup green peppers diced
½ cup roasted red peppers diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp cayenne

If using smoked turkey in the dish, cook turkey in 6 cups of water until until meat is tender. If you are comfortable using a pressure cooker, it will speed up the process. Strain and reserve broth to use with black eyed peas in lieu of chicken broth. Slightly shred turkey.

Heat olive oil in a medium sized frying pan over medium high heat then add mushrooms, green peppers and roasted red peppers. Sprinkle with a little salt and cayenne pepper. Saute until mushrooms are browned and green peppers are soft.

Place black eyed peas in a large pot with 2 cups chicken broth or reserved smoked turkey broth. Add onions and remaining seasonings. Cook black eyed peas for 20 – 25 minutes until soft. Drain black eyed peas.

In a large bowl gently mix couscous, veggies and black eyed peas. Add a little broth to moisten if necessary.

Enjoy!

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Shrimp Summer Rolls

Appetizers, Seafood/ Fish, Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , , , ,

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My family and I love Asian cuisine and the spicier the better for my hubby and youngest son. I have limited experience making Asian style foods but thought I would try my hand at making Shrimp Summer Rolls. We often eat Vietnamese spring rolls whenever we go to the Cheesecake Factory and recently found handmade spring rolls at one of our local grocers that sells fresh sushi daily.

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I wasn’t sure what kind of wrap to use for the spring rolls but discovered Blue Dragon Rice Pancakes which are used for summer rolls. Turns out spring rolls are not too hard to make. Although the rice pancakes are delicate, they roll easily. Once I rolled a couple of spring rolls I really got the hang of it. The test of whether or not I had done a good job of making Shrimp Summer Rolls was in the taste. In my opinion and fortunately the opinion of my family they tasted as good as the fresh summer rolls we get at the local grocer.

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Since this was my first attempt at making Shrimp Summer Rolls I took that as a very nice compliment. My next goal is to make fresh Shrimp Summer Rolls as good as the Cheesecake Factory. Now that is saying something! In the meantime, I can at least say my Shrimp Summer Rolls are pretty tasty. Next time I think I will try frying the summer rolls. Stay tuned.

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Shrimp Summer Rolls

Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 pkg Chinese noodles
1 pkg rice pancakes
1 pint snap peas
1 cup shredded carrots
2 heads butter lettuce
3 cups cold water
1 tbsp sriracha sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp oyster sauce
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
juice from ½ lemon

Prepare Chinese noodles according to package. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a medium size non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp, sriracha sauce and lemon juice. Season with a little salt and pepper. Stir shrimp until they turn pink. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside in a small bowl. Add carrots, snap peas and a little more salt and pepper (add cayenne pepper if you really like heat) to the frying pan. Stir and let cook for 1 minute. Add oyster sauce and mix with veggies until they are well coated. Reduce to low heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Dampen a clean dish cloth. Add water to a large bowl. Place 1 rice pancake in the cold water until it softens and becomes pliable (about 10 – 15 seconds). Lay rice pancake on the dish cloth and add two pieces of butter lettuce to the pancake. Place a small amount of Chinese noodles in the center of the lettuce. Top with a little bit of the snap peas and carrots mixture then layer three shrimp on the veggies. Fold one end of the rice pancake towards the center over the shrimp then fold the sides towards the center as well. Gently roll up the pancake like a cigar. The pancake will seem delicate but should roll easily. Tuck in the sides as you roll the pancake if necessary. Chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately.

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