FOR (BUSY) PEOPLE WHO LOVE GOOD FOOD
Category: sides
There was one lonely parsnip in my vegetable drawer, and I needed a quick side dish. I threw together this recipe, and it was a colorful alternative to mashed potato.
This is an incredibly easy and fast side dish. I used more cheese than the original recipe called for, and next time I would mix the cheese in with the vegetables. I would also season the breadcrumbs to add a little more flavor. But overall, I’ll keep this recipe mostly for it’s convenience.
1 (16 oz.) bag broccoli and cauliflower
1/3 c. dry breadcrumbs
3 oz. finely shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 T butter or margarine, melted
1 T Dijon mustard
Combine breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese; stir breadcrumb mixture well, and set aside. Steam the broccoli and cauliflower, covered, 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain vegetables, and place in a 1 1/2-quart casserole coated with vegetable cooking spray. Combine the butter or margarine and mustard in a small bowl; drizzle over broccoli and cauliflower, and toss well. Sprinkle vegetables with the breadcrumb mixture, and bake at 425° for 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
-Adapted from Cooking Light
This isn’t exactly a recipe, but I wanted to share my favorite way to cook barley as a simple side dish. I prefer to use Knorr Vegetable Bouillon to make the broth, but you can certainly use your favorite. Pearl barley can usually be found in the grocery store near the dried beans. I have not located hulled barley in the conventional grocery store, but because the grain is less processed, it would take more time to cook.
3 c. broth (vegetable, chicken, or beef)
1 c. barley
Combine barley and broth in a pot, and simmer covered for about 40 minutes, until the broth is almost absorbed and the barley is cooked.
I had not tried brussels sprouts in years so I wasn’t sure if I liked them or not. It’s amazing how many different foods I have learned to enjoy as an adult. Initially inspired by this recipe from Tina at CarrotsnCake, I found another recipe which recommended balsamic vinegar so I added about 2 T. They browned so nicely, and it turns out I do like brussels sprouts. There are other vegetables which I like better, but variety is a good thing.
I am not often inspired by fresh produce in the winter, but I decided to try one of the winter greens and bought a large bunch of kale. I knew that kale was packed with good nutrition, and it was good for my budget too at 41 cents for the whole bunch. There are a lot of soup recipes which use kale, but since I already had soup simmering on the stove, I wanted to try something else.
I really enjoyed this recipe, and it had a lot of flavor. Even though the kale cooked for some time, it still had a nice chewy texture. There was a lot of broth leftover in the end, so next time I would add more kale. Or, you could serve this over potatoes or rice, and the broth would flavor the entire dish. Try it out!
This was an interesting new side dish which I made to accompany the Chicken Saagwala. It was good, but next time I might substitute chopped carrot for the celery, since I prefer carrots and they would add some more color.
Saute onion and celery in non-stick pan coated with cooking spray for about 3 to 5 minutes on low heat. Add orange juice and continue cooking until liquid is almost evaporated. Stir in mint leaves and curry powder, and blend to combine flavors. Stir in the rice and peas and heat through.
-Recipe adapted from Cooks.com; Photo courtesy of Dave Goldberg
Cholent is a stew simmered for a long time and served by Jewish families for Shabbat. I love to cook new things and learn new words at the same time. This recipe happens to be vegan, but cholent may also contain meat and/or eggs.
There was no extra liquid when this was done and I would not call it a stew. However, it was tasty enough after I added salt and pepper to taste. While I am frequently satisfied with vegetarian meals, the texture and flavor seemed a bit lacking in this dish, and my test tasters agreed.
1 c. dried navy beans
1 T olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 T ginger, minced
4 1/2 c. cups vegetable stock
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
4 large portabella mushrooms, or several baby bella mushrooms
1 c. barley
Soak the beans overnight. In the morning drain off the water. Rinse the barley under cold water. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions through the parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock and take it off the heat.
Put half the onion and stock mixture into the crock pot. Add half the beans. Spread the potatoes on top to make an even layer. Put the mushrooms on top so that it covers the potatoes, cutting the mushrooms to fit if needed. Spread the barley on top of the mushrooms and the rest of the beans on top of the barley. Add the rest of the onion/stock mix on top.
Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours or until the beans are tender.
-Adapted from “125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes”
Turnip seems to have a bad reputation, but I hope this recipe straight from my Irish grandmother will help change that. Mashed turnip is a classic Thanksgiving dish for my family, but we also enjoy it with corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.
2 large or 3 small turnips or rutabagas
1 stick butter
2 T sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Peel turnip and cut into large cubes. Boil for 30-60 minutes until fork tender. Drain.
Add remaining ingredients to turnip in a bowl and mash by hand. You can whip with an electric beater if desired. This can be made ahead, put in oven proof casserole and reheated before serving.
Thanksgiving is almost here, and I’ll be posting my favorite holiday recipes! This is the stuffing that my grandmother used to make, and we still use this recipe every Thanksgiving.
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. sausage meat (out of casing)
4 eggs
10 slices bread soaked in water (day old Italian is best)
1/4 c.Parmesan cheese
2-3 T garlic salt
2-3 T parsley
2-3 T basil
salt and pepper to taste
Saute meat crumbling into small pieces. Drain some of the grease but leave a little for flavor. Add other ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until cold before stuffing turkey.
I use canned beans frequently, but I would like to start using dried beans more often since they are less expensive and take up less room in my cabinet. The package indicated that the beans should be sorted and rinsed, and good thing I followed these instructions as I found one small rock and a twig.
This recipe was fairly easy, and the greens were not at all bitter. I would describe the dish as healthy warm comfort food for a cold day. I served this over the polenta triangles which I posted yesterday.
3 c. dried black-eyed peas
6 c. water
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t salt
6-8 c. chopped collard greens
2 medium leeks, cleaned and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Place black-eyed peas and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to simmer, and cover but leave a small air vent. Add the garlic after 15 minutes. Continue cooking gently until the peas are tender, a total of about 30-35 minutes, adding more water if needed. Stir in salt, greens, and leeks. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season to taste with black pepper.
-Mollie Katzen “Still Life with Menu Cookbook”
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