Recently in Side Dishes - Veggies Category

Chicken Shawarma with Fattoush Salad

Yummy and VERY easy. I didn't put the tomatoes on our pitas, because we were already having a lot of tomatoes in the salad, in fact, Girl dumped her bowl of salad ONTO her pita and ate it that way.

For the fattoush, I adapted a recipe for "chopped vegetable salad" that was in the same issue of Cooking Light, but changed it around so much that it really wasn't the same, so here's my version:

Fattoush

2 cups chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
(The original recipe also called for some chopped green bell pepper, but I didn't have any on hand. It would have been a nice addition, so I'll add some next time. Maybe some garlic, too?)

Gently fold all above ingredients to combine. In a small, separate bowl, whisk together:

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pour over salad and toss gently to combine.

Toss in 2 cups coarsely crushed pita chips (recommended: Stacy's brand, from Costco) and 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of ground sumac powder (If you can find it. Try Kalustyan's, if you're determined to find some.) and toss salad gently again to combine. Sprinkle a little more sumac on top. Serve immediately, before the pita chips get soggy. If you're not serving it right away, reserve the pita chips separately until ready to serve.

Girl asked for these apples recently, saying that she hadn't had them in "a million years." They are easy and very nutritious. They're PERFECT with pork, but would also be great with chicken or even with breakfast.

Although being able to make a good roast chicken is supposed to be the sign of a great cook (or maybe BECAUSE of this), I have been intimidated by roasting a whole chicken. The kids are usually a little frightened of meat that actually LOOKS like meat and prefer, boneless, skinless little portions of protein. In spite of all this, I decided to give roast chicken a try. I made this chicken by fusing together two roast chicken recipes:
the first one was included on the back of Colorado Spice Company's Tarragon Chicken Rub and the second one is Ruth Reichl's Roast Chicken recipe from her book Garlic and Sapphires (all three of her books are fabulous and you should read them NOW, if you haven't already).

Basically, I followed the rub directions, but doubled the olive oil, because I was roasting two chickens, instead of one (as specified in the recipe), and then added the lemon and followed the time and temperature instructions in the Ruth Reichl recipe. My oven has a thermometer (as most ovens now do) that can be inserted into meat and then plugged into the side of the oven that will alert you when the interior of the meat has reached a certain, programmable temperature. I LOOOOVE this feature because I'm lazy and forgetful because it's very helpful and convenient. The chicken turned out beautiful and juicy (although my camera flash makes it looks bland and pale). I will definitely be roasting chicken this way again.

For the potato pancakes, I used this recipe from epicurious. They were delicious, but when they tell you to press the moisture out of the potatoes, they aren't kidding. Don't try to save time on that step; you'll regret it. We served them with sour cream on the side.

The hollandaise was left over from Boy's special birthday breakfast and was delicious over some simple steamed asparagus.

We ate this dinner last night with my little brother and his wife, who announced to Boy and Girl (Hubby and I already knew) that they were going to have a new baby cousin in May! Little Brother has started a "New Dad" blog that you can check out here:
Little Brother's "The New Dad" blog

It will be VERY exciting to have another little sprout around next year and Little Bro and his wife (who is a teacher) will make wonderful parents. We are VERY excited and plan to spoil this child rotten.

Mmmmm...

Yet another pair of great Cooking Light recipes...
Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard BBQ Sauce
and Fresh Lemon Rice.

These were both delicious and a big hit with everyone.

If there's anything that makes your kitchen smell better than bacon and onions cooking together, I don't know what it is...

...unless, maybe it's Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. This was really delicious and VERY easy.

Wow! This was YUMMY!

This recipe is a little labor-intensive for a simple veggie side dish, but the outcome is worth the effort, I promise. When Boy and Girl tasted this, they actually said "Wow", and they don't even normally like zucchini. The squash takes on a nice, salty-sweet caramelized flavor, almost like roasted potates.

It all started because I was bringing dinner last night to a sweet friend (who is undergoing chemotherapy) and her family. I made a marinated, grilled London Broil (*see note below) and some pesto rice and planned to steam some broccoli to go with it. Once at the store, however, I noticed that the broccoli did NOT look good (it's not really broccoli season, after all), so I decided to switch gears and go with zucchini, instead (it looked really pretty AND it was on sale). I was worried, though, that the zucchini would turn to flavorless mush if cooked and reheated, so I decided to cut the slices thickly and give them a good browning to give them some flavor and texture.

Here's how:

1) Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Slice each piece crosswise into thick (about 1/2 inch thick or a little more) semi-circles.

2) Heat 1 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet until melted and slightly foamy.

3) Add some zucchini slices (about one zucchini's worth) to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. This is important; if there are too many in the pan, they will steam, rather than brown.

4) Sprinkle the topside of the slices with a little bit of Baby Bam.

5) Keep a close eye on the slices and turn them over with a pair of tongs as soon as they are nicely browned on the bottom.

6) Allow the slices to brown on the bottom side and remove them from the pan when they're nicely browned on both sides, but still firm. If the slices are getting too soft, then your pan isn't hot enough. If the butter is smoking or burning, your pan is too hot (the butter should turn a nice, nutty golden brown).

7) Add more butter to the pan, if necessary. Repeat with remaining slices, working in small batches until all your squash is done.

* I also sent Gorgonzola mayonnaise (1/2 cup mayo, 3 Tbsp crumbled Gorgonzola, 1 tsp fresh lemon thyme leaves, blended well) to with the leftover beef to make sandwiches the next day. This particular family happens to also love my peppermint brownies (scroll down), so I sent some of those and some Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon-Cream Filling (which were AMAZING - see the next post for more info), as well.

Jerk-Grilled Chicken

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning (scroll down for the seasoning recipe)
boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded slightly to flatten (to help them cook uniformly)
(I used about 1/4 cup of the seasoning for 5 large chicken breasts.)

Spray your grill/grill pan with Pam (or brush with oil). Rub the seasoning all over the chicken breasts and then let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes (15?) while you heat up the grill. Grill over pretty low heat until the inside of the chicken is done, but still juicy, and the outside is nicely browned. Hubby cooked ours last night and he did a PERFECT job. Slice the chicken into about 8 pieces per breast. Depending upon the size of the breasts (and the hunger of your guests), you can get 1 1/2 to 2 servings per breast.

Pineapple Salsa

I can't link to it, or give you the exact recipe, because it's from Fine Cooking's "subscribers only" website, but it's basically diced pineapple, bell pepper (I used an orange one), radishes and minced cilantro, seasoned with a little salt and pepper and a dash of lime juice.

Gallo Pinto Coconut Rice

I used long-grain brown rice, with mostly coconut milk (and a little chicken stock) for the cooking liquid. When it was almost done, I stirred in some canned (drained and rinsed) black beans. Season with salt and pepper. When we were in Costa Rica a couple of years ago, we were served Gallo Pinto (rice and black beans) at every meal and we loved it. Every place does it a little bit differently, sometimes with tomato and/or onion, sometimes with cilantro, sometimes shaped into little timbales, but always delicious. I think that "gallo pinto" actually means "spotted rooster." Funny. Btw, "pico de gallo", another of our favorite foods, actually means "rooster's beak."

Crunchy Roasted Corn,
adapted from a recipe from Great Country Farms

6 ears fresh, raw, corn on the cob
3/4 cup mayonnaise
about 1 tsp. BBQ seasoning
2 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 cups dry, plain (unseasoned) bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with Pam (or brush with oil).

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasoning. One at a time, brush each ear of corn liberally with the mayonnaise mixture and then roll in the breadcrumbs to coat and lay each one on the baking sheet.

Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes until lightly browned and crisp. Last night, I baked ours for 35 minutes, but it really would have been better if they had gone a few minutes more, so I would recommend cooking yours until they are darker than mine is in the photo.

Nota Bene: You can use your choice of seasoning/flavoring, instead of the BBQ seasoning. Some good options:

a little cumin (one of our favorites on corn on the cob)

Baby Bam

Finely chopped chives and a little salt

Finely chopped fresh jalapeno and cilantro

seasoned salt (or No-salt seasoning)

Italian seasoning or, just omit the seasoning altogether and use Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

This is a summer staple at our house. Like gazpacho, we wait all year for beautiful, ripe, juicy local tomatoes so that we can make this recipe. My best friend, E, gave me the recipe for the original version of this dish, but I have adapted it quite a bit, so I'll just give you my version here. This absolutely must be made with fresh, ripe (but not over-ripe or TOO juicy) tomatoes. This dish is worth a visit to a farm or farmer's market to get them.

Fresh Tomato Pie
(We have a tendency to call this 'Mater Pie, since my farmer mother-in-law calls potatoes "taters" and tomatoes "maters", but that looks really funny to me now that Boy and Girl are learning Latin.)

1/2 package refrigerated pie crust
(one of the two crusts that come in the package)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade
about 5 fresh, ripe but firm, medium-sized tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
(discard stem and bottom ends or chop up and reserve for another use)
about 2 Tbsp olive oil (or an olive oil spray)
kosher salt (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp?) and freshly ground pepper (about 1/4 tsp?)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Fit piecrust into a 9 inch glass pie plate. Fold edges over top edge of pie plate (make a decorative edge, if desired - there are some ideas on the pie crust package). Prick dough all over (sides and bottom) with a fork. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes.

Remove crust from oven and spray it lightly with the olive oil (or brush on a light coating). Sprinkle about 1 cup of the cheese onto the crust. Arrange a layer of tomato slices on top of the cheese, cutting some rounds into pieces, if necessary, to fill in any "gaps" and form one solid layer. Sprinkle lightly with half of the salt and half of the pepper. Spray (or brush) with another tiny bit of olive oil. Top with 1 Tbsp. of the basil and then another 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat one more layer of tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil, 1 Tbsp of basil and then the remaining cheese. Top with 1 more Tbsp of basil and set the remaining 1 Tbsp aside for later. Place pie on a cookie sheet on a lower rack in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pie from the oven when the tomatoes are bubbling up and the crust and cheese topping are nicely browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving, using paper towels to VERY gently blot up any excess juice that bubbles to the surface while the pie is standing. Before serving, sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp of basil.

After removing the first slice, I will usually tilt the pie (put a dishtowel under one end of the dish) so that the excess juices (there will be lots of them) will drip into the empty space, and then I'll put a folded paper towel there to collect them. The crust will easily get soggy if it's allowed to sit in the excess tomato juices. The leftovers of this pie will MAYBE keep for one day in the refrigerator, but it is VASTLY better if it's eaten while it's still warm. It's great as a brunch or lunch dish and can even stand up as a light summer entree, if you pair it with a light salad or green vegetable.

My other mother-in-law (it's a long story...) adds a layer of caramelized onions when she makes this pie. It is definitely a recipe that could be adapted in lots of different ways (corn/cilantro/black bean, fresh oregano/feta, etc.).

Beware - it is NOT necessary to grease the pie pan before placing the dough in it. If you forget this and grease it, anyway, the dough will slide down and this will happen:

All is not lost, however. You can gently lift the gooey dough out of the pie pan and onto a foil-lined baking sheet, sprinkle it lightly with salt, pepper, grated Parmesan, garlic powder and Italian Herb Seasoning and bake it at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes and then slice it into strips for a garlic-cheesy toast stick that is a great with a bowl of soup.

Thank goodness those pie crusts come two in a package!

We got some long beans from Hubby's parents' farm this week and decided to try this recipe from Epicurious. Quite tasty. I didn't have Thai chiles, so I used a tiny bit of jalapeno. I also added a bit of finely chopped ginger and didn't chop the peanuts, but just left all of them whole; they got nice and toasty-brown in the pan. We will definitely be making these again.

This recipe is one of Boy and Girl's absolute favorites. I like to add a little bit of Emeril's "Baby Bam" seasoning (my "go-to" spice for just about everything). Hubby won't touch okra with a 20 foot pole, but the kids and I LOVE it. You can follow the instructions precisely (the part about letting it sit for 10 minutes is important) to make individually-breaded okra chunks, or you can just mix all of the ingredients together and form them into fritters. You may need to add a little extra buttermilk, flour. or cornmeal to get the right consistency for them to hold together Before frying, I usually roll them in a little extra cornmeal after they're formed into croquettes. Don't make them too big or the outside will get too browned before the inside is cooked all the way through. YUM.

This is another epicurious recipe. It can be found here. We love beets, anyway, but I was trying to find a different way to cook them. I usually just boil them in chicken stock and serve them over the top of the cooked beet greens. The kids really like them that way - simple, easy, yummy, but it gets old after a while. This ravioli recipe got great reviews on epicurious. I did as one reviewer suggested and added about 1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest to the filling before stuffing the ravioli. We really like the beet greens, too, so I decided to serve them with the cooked ravioli. The color of these is a little alarming: one reviewer said that she served them at a Halloween party, for a spooky effect. They would be beautiful if made with golden beets, too.

The verdict: they were good, but not appreciably better than just plain (roasted or boiled) fresh beets. Girl liked them OK, but Boy said that he would rather just have beets next time, which would be considerably less work. Hubby wasn't wild about the poppy seeds. I think they would have been better with a tangy, vinegar-ish sauce of some sort to balance the sweetness of the beets. So, I guess, these would be good for adults or company, but I guess if you have kids that are already happily eating their veggies.....if it ain't broke, don't fix it.