Tag: Side dishes

Posted on

Brussels Sprouts in Garlic Butter

From http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/brussels-sprouts-in-garlic-butter-21761#activity-feed.  Very easy and really good.

  • 15 Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat of a knife
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  1. Melt butter and olive oil in a medium skillet (over medium-high heat) until butter is foamy.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, add smashed garlic and cook until lightly browned.
  3. Remove garlic and discard.
  4. Add sprouts cut side down, cover, and cook without stirring on medium-low heat 10-15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife (I was using big sprouts, so it took about 20 minutes, but check every few minutes.). The cut side of the sprouts should get nice and browned, with a nutty, buttery flavor enhanced by garlic.
  5. Top with freshly grated parmesan and salt & pepper to taste.
Posted on

Pressure-Cooker Parmesan Risotto

Cook’s Illustrated, published January 1, 2013.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
A dish that typically requires near-constant stirring, risotto is probably low on most lists of side dish options. But not for home cooks with a pressure cooker. After sautéing aromatics and toasting the rice for a few minutes, we stirred in wine, then broth. Then, instead of stirring for up to 30 minutes, we simply locked on the lid and let the magic happen. Six minutes under pressure delivered risotto that was almost done. From that point, we simmered the risotto for a few minutes, stirring for just 6 minutes, until it was perfectly creamy. A little Parmesan was the only finishing touch needed for this simple recipe, although you may also garnish with parsley and shaved Parmesan, if desired.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for serving
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. BUILD FLAVOR: Melt butter in pressure-cooker pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and toast lightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 3 1/4 cups broth. Using wooden spoon, scrape up any rice sticking to bottom of pot.

2. HIGH PRESSURE FOR 6 MINUTES: Lock pressure-cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 6 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.

3. QUICK RELEASE PRESSURE: Remove pot from heat. Quick release pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

4. BEFORE SERVING: Continue to cook risotto over medium heat, stirring constantly, until rice is tender and liquid has thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pep- per to taste. Before serving, add remaining 3/4 cup broth as needed to loosen risotto consistency.

Posted on

Parmesan Crusted Zucchini

Best use of zucchini I’ve found yet. Recipe from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2007/09/parmesan-encrusted-zucchini-recipe.html, adapted from Vegetables Every Day. Four servings.

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, about 8-10 inches long
olive oil, for misting zucchini (and for mixing with butter if desired)
1 tsp. Italian Herb Blend (or your favorite seasoning blend)
1-2 T butter, melted
3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, more or less to taste

Instructions:
Preheat the broiler and adjust the rack so your pan will be about 6 inches away from the heat.  Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray.

Wash zucchini skins and pat dry, cut off stem and blossom end of each zucchini, and cut zucchini into lengthwise strips; then cut away the inner seedy white part of each piece.  Cut the zucchini pieces into strips about 3 inches long.

Arrange zucchini on broiler pan in rows, close together, skin side down.  Mist or brush the zucchini with a tiny amount of olive oil and season the zucchini with the Italian Herb Blend (or your favorite seasoning blend).  Broil zucchini about 6 minutes, or until it’s starting to feel barely tender when you pierce it with a fork.  (If your broiler is powerful I’d start checking after about 4 minutes.  Remember the zucchini will cook more when you melt the cheese.)

When the zucchini is barely tender, remove the pan from under the broiler, brush zucchini with melted butter (or whatever combination of butter and olive oil you’re using, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the zucchini, trying to get most of the zucchini covered.

Put zucchini under broiler and cook until cheese is completely melted and well-browned, about 6-8 minutes, or a little more or less, depending on how hot your broiler is and how close the pan is to the heat source. Serve hot or warm. There won’t be any leftovers, so you don’t need to worry about whether this will keep in the refrigerator.

Posted on

Kale and Potato Gratin

Adapted from http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-kale-and-potato-gratin-63094. This is really great leftover for breakfast with a poached egg on top.

  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (I used baking russets, which worked very well)
  • 1 large bunch kale
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Get a pot of water boiling large enough to accommodate the potatoes.

Meanwhile, slice the potatoes 1/4-inch-thick. Set aside. Remove and discard the spines from the kale then tear the leaves into smallish pieces. Wash, rinse, and spin dry the kale.

When the water is boiling, add a dash of salt and gently drop in the potatoes, cooking for about 4 to 5 minutes, until tender, but not cooked through. Drain immediately.

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the kale and massage the olive oil into the leaves, being sure to coat each leaf surface. In a small bowl, mix the Panko crumbs with the 1/2 tsp. oil. Stir in the Parmesan.

Layer the kale and potatoes alternately with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and Parmesan in a 9″x13” rectangular glass baking dish.Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until top is crispy.

Posted on

Crash Hot Potatoes

From The Pioneer Woman Cooks website, which has nice photos: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

  • 12 whole new potatoes (or other small round potatoes)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  •  Kosher salt to taste
  •  Black pepper to taste
  •  Rosemary (or other herbs of choice) to taste

Preparation instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a greased potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Posted on

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots

Posted on WW Power Foods message board by becca-belle (Rebecca van Uum).

Ingredients:

  • 3 slices Oscar Mayer Bacon, Center Cut, diced
  • 2 medium uncooked shallot(s), chopped
  • 1 pound(s) uncooked brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced (about 8 cups)
  • 1/4 cup(s) chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 5 minutes; remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon to drain.

Add shallots; cook, stirring often, until almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, broth, salt and pepper to taste to skillet; increase heat to medium-high and cook, tossing frequently, until sprouts are crisp-tender and golden in spots, about 8 minutes. Stir in vinegar and bacon; remove from heat.

Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Posted on

Pineapple Goo (AKA Escalloped Pineapple)

This is Shirley Dare’s (my dear, late mother-in-law’s) exact recipe from her mother, Alta Brown. I usually make it in an 8″x11″ pan for more exposed, crunchy surface. Shirley typically served it as a side dish at holiday meals, but it works better as a dessert, IMHO.

  • 3 to 4 c. cubed bread; let bread dry out overnight
  • 1 c. pineapple tidbits or chunks (canned)
  • 1 c. white sugar
  • 1/2 c. butter, melted (must use butter)
  • Dash salt

Combine. Put in 8″ or 9″ greased pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Posted on

Sautéed Kale with Smoked Paprika

 

  • 1 lb fresh kale, carefully rinsed, stems and center ribs cut away and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (also sold as Pimenton), sweet or hot
  • Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
  • Salt

Bring a large pot (4 qts) of water to a boil. Add a Tablespoon of salt to the water. Add the chopped kale. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and crushed red pepper. Add the kale and sauté for several more minutes. Sprinkle on more salt and smoked paprika to taste. Serves 4 Adapted from a Deborah Madison recipe in Bon Appetit magazine (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sauteed_kale_with_smoked_paprika/).

Posted on

Roasted butternut squash with onions and cranberries

The cranberries become less tart when roasted and add a lovely color and flavor to the squash and onions. The ingredients are flexible, both in amounts and in types of vegetables. Beets, carrots, and other root vegetables are also great this way.

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 3/4″ pieces
2 onions, sliced
1 to 1.5 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together. Roast at 400 degrees F in large roasting pan for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes.

Posted on

Potato Gratin

The starch in the potatoes, the flavorful stock, and the grated cheese form a thick, creamy sauce that binds the tender potato slices under a crusty top.

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
3 large clove garlic, minced
4 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 ½ c. low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9×13 baking dish.

Slice the potatoes paper-thin (I use a mandolin). Do not soak in water; slice just before using.

Layer one-third of potato slices in the baking dish, overlapping as necessary. Sprinkle with half the garlic, one-third of the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Pour one-third of the stock over the potatoes. Repeat to form two more layers, using remaining garlic in second layer. With a broad spatula, press the top layer down into the liquid.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1½ hours, until the potatoes are tender, the liquid has cooked down to a thick sauce, and the top is brown and crusty.

Note: can be made the morning of or the day before and reheated in 375 F oven.

Adapted from Slim Cuisine by Sue Kreitzman, 1991