Category Archives: Side Dish

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Appetizer, In the Kitchen, Side Dish October 4, 2021 1 Comment

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
  4. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Bruised Cabbage-and-Herb Salad

In the Kitchen, Side Dish May 29, 2020 Leave a comment

This is a recipe I saw on Food and Wine Magazine, I thought it looks good and saved it. Today I finally had the chance to make it and it’s really delicious. The mint and the herb combo really give the salad bright flavor, and the lime juice addd another layer zesty layer to this refreshing dish. For those who loves Green Papaya Salad, this is very similar and it’s a good replacement since it’s not always easy to find green papaya in this country.

Active Time: 15 MIN
Total Time: 30 MIN
Yield: Serves : 4

Ingredients

  • 3 thin slices (about the size of a quarter) peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 fresh Thai chile or 1/2 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 6 cups packed shredded green cabbage (from 1 medium head)
  • 1 cup loosely packed soft fresh herbs (such as Thai basil, cilantro, and mint)
  • 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
  • Fried shallots, for serving

Steps

Using a big spoon, mash ginger, garlic, chile, and sugar to a fine paste, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cabbage and herbs; and use a potato masher to pound until cabbage is slightly softened and crushed and flavor of herbs is released, about 30 seconds. Add fish sauce and lime juice, and toss with pestle and a spoon until evenly combined. Let mixture stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Serve salad topped with peanuts and fried shallots.

Classic Corn Chowder

Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish March 26, 2020 Leave a comment

This is a simple yet hearty soup. We made a small batch just enough for the two of us for lunch during this funky quarantine time, and it’s really delicious and satisfying.

Here is the recipe we used that serves 2-4, depending if you’re having it as a main or side dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • 2 slices of bacon or ham
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1-2 teaspoons of flour
  • 2 medium size boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 cups fresh corn kernels (we used canned ones because it is what we have)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • Dash of paprika
  • Sour cream, for serving (optional)

How to Make It

Step 1

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderately low heat. Add diced bacon or ham, stir till it’s cooked through. Add  onion, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour till it’s evenly mixed with the vegetables. Stir in the potatoes, 1 cups of the corn, the bay leaf, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

 

Step 2

In a blender or food processor, puree the remaining 1 cups corn with the milk. Stir the puree into the soup along with the black pepper. Simmer until the soup thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. sprinkle in the paprika. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, if using.

Classic Potato Gratin

In the Kitchen, Side Dish February 15, 2020 Leave a comment

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled
  • 3 cups whipping or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 3/4 cup finely shredded Gruyère, Emmental, or Comté

Preparation

  • Heat the oven to 400°F. Using a very sharp knife or a mandoline, carefully cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices (no thicker).
  • Put the potatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until the cream is boiling, stirring occasionally (very gently with a rubber spatula so you don’t break up the slices).
  • When the cream boils, pour the mixture into a 2-1/2- or 3-qt. baking dish. If you don’t want a tender but garlicky surprise mouthful, remove and discard the garlic cloves. Shake the dish a bit to let the slices settle and then sprinkle the surface with the cheese.

Mom’s Black Olive Salsa

In the Kitchen, Side Dish, Snack October 27, 2012 Leave a comment

It’s the Saturday before the Halloween, we have made some party plans for the evening, but there’s nothing going on in the afternoon. We thought it’d be perfect if we keep it low-key and just invite a couple of neighbors over and watch some college football. We bought some delicious seasonal pumpkin beer the day before, all we needed is a little snack for people to munch on during the game. Chris’s mom has this amazing recipe for black olive salsa, it looks simple, but it has the perfect amount of crunch and saltiness to go with the chips; it’s packed with flavors, and it’s pretty on the eyes, too! This is the perfect occasion for us to recreate this salsa to impress our neighbors!

Mom’s Black Olive Salsa

Serves: 8 / Prep & Cook Time: about 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6 to 8 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 3 tb of cilantro
  • ½ head of garlic (5 or 6 garlic cloves)
  • 1 can (6 or 7 ounces) of black olives
  • ¼ cup of olives oil
  • 1 small jar of (hot, medium or mild based on your preference) Picante sauce
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • salt (coarse if available) and pepper

Directions:

Dice the tomatoes, removing seeds where possible (it’s not necessary to remove all of the seeds), and place in a large bowl.  Next, finely dice the red onion and cilantro, then add to the tomatoes. Chop the garlic into small chucks and add to the bowl. At this point, pour the olive oil over the mix and lightly salt with ground coarse salt and add a pinch of garlic powder.

While this bowl of deliciousness marries, drain the black olives, chop and add. Pour in the Picante sauce and mix everything together, salt and pepper to taste.

We prefer to cover and cool in the refrigerator for maybe 20 minutes or so before serving.  Serve with tortilla chips of choice.

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