Category Archives: Sides

by | March 31, 2015 · 8:13 am

Smoked Gouda Scalloped Potatoes

Spring is in the air and Easter is right around the corner! Looking for the perfect side dish to go with your ham? Look no further. These smoked gouda scalloped potatoes are the perfect compliment to that holiday ham. The smokiness of the cheese combines perfectly with the potatoes to create a savory side dish that will get all of your relatives talking. Or not talking. Because they will be too busy eating. And grabbing seconds.
smoked gouda scalloped potatoes
Smoked Gouda Scalloped Potatoes
Serves 8
2 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
8 oz baby spinach, chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP flour
1 C whole milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
8 oz smoked Gouda, rind trimmed and shredded
4 oz shredded Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Whisk flour until combined. Slowly whisk in milk. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes. Slowly add Gouda, whisking as it melts. Set aside.
In a saute pan, heat olive oil. Add spinach and heat until wilted. Remove from heat.
In a shallow 3 quart baking dish, layer first half of potatoes. Layer sautéed spinach and half the Gouda sauce. Spread to cover potatoes. Layer the rest of the potatoes and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and set oven to low broil. Broil until crust turns brown and crispy, 1-3 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before eating.
smoked gouda potatoes
Looking for other Easter side dishes? Check out these #SensationalSides from our friends at the Food Network and around the web!
A blessed Easter to one and all!
stef

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by | September 15, 2014 · 8:17 pm

Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad

A few months ago I was at an event at RPM Italian in Chicago, one of the city’s latest “it” places. One of the dishes on deck for the night was this amazing Shredded Brussels Sprout salad. Unlike the roasty, bacon-y Thanksgiving style brussels sprouts (delicious as they can be) or the overcooked-underseasoned sprouts of so many people’s recollection (blech), this raw and creamy salad was like a revelation in sprouts.

So I began stalking the internet for hints of how to recreate the recipe, or get close to it, and found this recipe. While I’m not sure that it’s totally accurate to RPM’s real recipe, a few modifications and creative liberties made it taste pretty close and equally enjoyable. It’s shredded texture trickery even had brussels sprout haters digging in.

brussels-salad3

Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad
1 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and chopped to a fine shred
3/4 C matchstick carrots, chopped into tiny pieces
5 peppadew peppers, patted dry and minced (optional)
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
1 C croutons, roughly chopped
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp peppadew juice (optional)
salt
cracked black pepper

Chop brussels sprouts and place in a large bowl. First, trim the ends from the sprouts, then make very thin slices across the width of the sprout so that they resemble confetti. Once you have several in a pile, run your knife roughly through the sprouts to break up any rings. Add parmesan cheese to the bowl.

Finely chop carrots and peppers, if using, and add to bowl. Toss to combine. Roughly chop croutons and set aside.

Combine avocado, garlic, lemon juice, and peppadew juice in a small food processor. Drizzle in olive oil and keep pulsing. Add salt and pepper to taste and pulse again until creamy. Taste and reseason as needed.

Just before serving, toss avocado mixture with salad and mix gently. Add croutons and gently toss.

NOTE: The salad will keep as leftovers or for a second serving but only if you keep the avocado dressing and the salad separate until each serving.

brussels-salad2

brussels-salad

katie

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by | August 10, 2014 · 10:24 pm

Summer Veggie Salad with Wheat Berries

Between my garden and my CSA box, I can barely keep up with the veggies that are making their way to my countertop. Yet I wait all year for this stuff and can’t bear to let it go to waste or give too much of it away. So I’ve lately been making “cram as much as you can together” type salads to use up the veggies when they’re fresh and taste the best. This is one of those such salads. It’s crunchy, savory, a little sweet, a little nutty and basically tastes like summer should.

This is also one of those recipes that almost doesn’t classify as a recipe because you could easily tweak it to fit the veggies that are overwhelming your counter. Peppers? Sure. Cucumbers? They work too. No wheat berries? So what. While the combo outlined here is rock solid, the options are many.

market-salad2

Summer Veggie Salad with Wheat Berries
2 cobs of corn, kernels shaved off (or 1 1/2 C corn)
1 medium zucchini, cubed
10-15 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 oz feta, crumbled
1/2 C wheat berries, cooked
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp stone ground mustard
salt to taste

Cook wheat berries according to package instructions or cook 1/2 C wheat berries in 1 1/2 C water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until wheat berries are tender yet toothsome. Drain wheat berries and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Chop zucchini and add to bowl. Shave corn kernels off the cobs. Place in a small bowl with a splash or two of water. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes to steam cook. Drain and let cool to room temperature. Add to zucchini and wheat berries. Add in halved tomatoes, chopped basil and crumbled feta. Stir gently to mix.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar and mustard. Pour over salad and gently toss to coat. Season with salt to taste and toss once more.

market-salad
katie

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by | August 1, 2014 · 4:16 pm

Chipolte Peach Salsa

Chipolte Peach Salsa

Salsa is this great nation’s number one condiment. I’m a dedicated contributor to keeping that statistic alive. I’ve dabbled in many a fresh salsa recipe but never took the plunge to make the cooked and jarred type. Thanks to the lovely folks at Washington State Stone Fruit Growers, I was able to create this sweet and smokey Chipolte Peach Salsa that has been getting rave reviews across the area.

washington peaches

I want to make a special note that making this salsa is not hard! I’ve always thought this to be a daunting task, but it was pretty painless. This salsa can be jarred and kept for a long time or refrigerated and kept for 3-4 weeks. To get all the tips on canning and preserving, visit www.sweetpreservation.com.

Chipolte Peach Salsa
Makes approx. 10 cups
12 fresh, ripe peaches
8 large tomatoes
2 green peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP chipolte powder
1 TBSP salt

To peel the peaches and tomatoes, start with a large stock pot of boiling water. Place tomatoes in the water for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin starts to split. Immediately place tomatoes in ice bath to cool. Once cool to touch, the skins will slide right off. Cut into large chunks.

Using the same pot of water, do the same with the peaches. These will likely only need about 1 minute until the skin starts to peel away. Place in ice water bath, peel and cut into chunks.

In a large stock pot, add tomatoes, peaches, green pepper, onion, garlic and apple cider vinegar. Heat on medium-high heat and stir. Add paprika, chipolte powder and salt. Stir and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Using an immersion blend, blend ingredients together to your preferred texture. (I like it a little chunky). Spoon into jars and following preserving instructions.

Chipolte Peach Salsa recipe

This salsa is great as the standard chip dip or taco topper, but it is also a delicious sauce for a sweet, savory and spicy dinner. I’ve used it in the crock pot for pulled pork, pork loin and beef roast. Just pour a few cups over the top of your meat and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Happy canning!

stef

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by | July 23, 2014 · 9:21 pm

Roasted Corn off the Cob Salsa

Greetings from St. Louis! And no, I am not blogging while on vacation. The rumors are true. I apologize for the lack of posts the past couple of months, but my family and I have been busy packing up and shipping down south to the St. Louis area, we rented a house from Twiddy rentals for three weeks. My husband is taking on a one-year stint down here, so we are another stop on our ‘tour of the midwest’ marriage. We aren’t sure where life will lead us after this but we are ready to explore all things from the heartland and enjoy some warmer temps while we are at it. I’m not ready to give up my cheese and sausage just yet, but am excited to explore the culinary nuances down here on the Mississippi. While I plan to bring you some local delicacies – toasted ravioli anyone? – today I am focusing on corn.

We are actually living on the Southern Illinois side of St. Louis. While we are still in a heavily populated area, it is the most “rural” place this city girl/suburbanite has ever lived. Many of you small town, farm folks would probably laugh at me if you saw what I was talking about. In any case, today, instead if BBQ Pork Steaks or Gooey Butter Cake, I am bringing you a recipe with fresh corn. Why? Because this is what my backyard looks like.

Corn Field Backyard

No, I didn’t pick this corn from the field, but did buy it local and it is delicious. Taking the time to cut a little corn off the cob is well worth the few extra minutes. This Roasted Corn off the Cob Salsa is a great topper for tacos, fish or chicken or is great for dipping or just eating by the spoonful. And with this handy little tip for cutting the corn, life has never been easier.

Cutting Corn on bundt pan

Simply place the ear of corn at the top of a bundt pan and slide downward. The kernels will fall into the pan below, instead of exploding all over your counter!

 

Roasted Corn off the Cob Salsa

Roasted Corn off the Cob Salsa
Makes approx. 2 Cups

3 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut off
1/3 C chopped green pepper
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 C chopped avocado
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil. Add corn. Spread evenly, sprinkle with cumin and roast for 8-10 minutes, until corn is a nice golden color. Remove from heat and place in bowl. Mix with green pepper, scallions, avocado and add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Corn Salsa

 

I hope you enjoy and I look forward to bringing you some fresh, new recipes and ideas!

It’s Summer Soiree over at the Food Network! Check out these other great fresh summer corn recipes from friends around the web:

The Lemon Bowl: Corn on the Cob with Lemon Basil
Feed Me Phoebe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Honey-Basil Butter
The Heritage Cook: Mexican Elote Corn Casserole (Gluten-Free)
The Cultural Dish: New England Seafood Boil
Dishing With Divya: Corn on the Cob with Roasted Garlic Herb Butter
Virtually Homemade: Grilled Corn with Tomato Basil “Butter” (Vegan)
Devour: 4 Cobs, 4 Ways
Daily*Dishin: Quick Thyme Corn Cobbettes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Farmers Market Salad with Grilled Corn
Red or Green: Grilled Corn on the Cob
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Buttery Corn on the Cob
Weelicious: Cheesy Corn on the Cob
Domesticate Me: Charred Corn with Bacon, Chiles and Cheese (aka Mexican Street Corn Salad)
Swing Eats: Corn Pasta with Fresh Summer Corn, Tomatoes and Chives
Taste With The Eyes: Grilled Corn, Soy Mirin Glaze and Wasabi Goat Butter
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Corn and Lemon Thyme Ice Cream + Homemade Creamed Corn
FN Dish: Off-the-Chart Corn on the Cob Recipes

stef

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by | August 26, 2013 · 9:00 pm

Carrot Cashew Salad with Feta

This year I’ve had my first successful batch of grown-from-seed carrots consistently popping up in my garden and they have been so fun to dig up and play around with in the kitchen. The multi-colored variety makes salads particularly charming, especially when paired up with fellow garden dwellers of mint and jalapeno.

I had originally found this recipe in a Food Network Magazine but took my own twist on it based on some other flavors I love with carrots. You get a great mix of tangy, sweet, and salty flavors with just enough heat to keep you going back for more. This salad also makes for a yummy and filling leftover lunch when paired with a little leftover grilled meat or a chunk of baguette.
carrots

carrot-salad1

Carrot Cashew Salad with Feta
adapted from Food Network
carrots
2-3 oz crumbled feta
1-2 Tbsp mint
1/3 C + 2 Tbsp lightly salted cashew pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup water

Slice or shave carrots into very thin pieces and place in a bowl. A vegetable peeler or mandolin can create consistent thickness. Add mint leaves, feta and 2 Tbsp of cashew pieces. Meanwhile, puree cashews in a small food processor with oil and jalapeno. Puree in lime juice and water until almost smooth.  Pour dressing over carrots and toss lightly. Season with salt to taste.

carrot-salad2

katie

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by | August 15, 2013 · 8:12 am

Almond Peach Butter

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Sweet Preservation.com and the Washington State Fruit Commission, a large, gorgeous box of fuzzy, juicy peaches showed up at our doorstep. These peaches had us drooling and ready to can. We decided to use these Northwestern grown beauties to create an Almond Peach Butter. Pure in its peach form, a peach butter does not, in fact, include butter. Peaches are cooked down to a smooth form and lightly sweetened, preserving the delicate flavors of the fruit.

Washington State Peaches

This butter is a great concoction to can. For canning and preserving tips, click to our Preserving and Canning 101 link. If you do not have the resources, space or time to can, you can shrink this recipe down and toss the butter in a jar or container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Almond Peach Butter

Almond Peach Butter
Makes about 5-6 cups

14-16 medium-large sized peaches (about 4 lbs)
1 C water
1 3/4 C sugar
2 TBSP pure almond extract

Wash, peel and cut peaches into chunks. Put in large stock pot and add water. Heat until peaches are very soft, about 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or a food processor or blender if you don’t have an immersion blender), blend the peaches to a smooth consistency.

Add sugar and almond extract and simmer for 50-60 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. When the mixture is done, it will remain rounded on top of the spoon for a minute. You can also drizzle a line of the peach butter across the top of the pot. The line of mixture should keep it’s form. You can choose the thickness depending upon your liking.

If you are canning, immediately divide the peach butter amongst the jars and follow your canning instructions. If you are not preserving, allow to cool before placing in a jar or container and refrigerate.

Almond Peach Butter via Haute Apple Pie

This Almond Peach Butter is delicious on toast, an english muffin or a scone. It is a great addition to oatmeal, making it taste like a little bowl of peach cobbler. It is also a great J for a PBJ. We are also experimenting with sandwich spread, bars and other treats!

theLadies

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by | July 23, 2013 · 8:00 am

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

Yes, sweet and sour has been a theme lately. Can you blame me? Cucumbers are starting to pop up in gardens and farmer’s markets around town and this twist on my Grandma’s classic is the perfect refreshing side dish to a burger, brat or last week’s Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork.

Cutting the cucumbers as thinly as possible is the trick to making the texture of this salad work. If you’ve got fresh dill from the garden, it will kick these cucumbers up an extra notch.
Sweet and Sour Cucumbers

Sweet and Sour Cucumbers
2 large cucumbers, very thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
1/4 C white vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp chopped dill
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

After thinly slicing cucumbers, place in bowl and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Squeeze and drain excess water from cucumbers. In a separate small bowl, mix vinegar and sugar. Pour over cucumbers. Stir to coat. Add dill and pepper, toss to coat.

Chill or serve immediately. Drain most of the excess liquid before serving.

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

Our foodie friends over at the Food Network are also celebrating cucumbers this week! Check out some of these mouth-watering Summer Fest recipes.

Feed Me Phoebe: Fennel Tzatziki with Mint
The Lemon Bowl: Japanese Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Burmese Cucumber Watermelon Composed Salad
Domesticate Me: California Salad with Roasted Chicken and Avocado Dressing
Taste With The Eyes: Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi with Shrimp and Minari
Devour: Cucumber and Mint Lemonade 
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spicy Cucumber, Carrot and Onion Refrigerator Pickles
Red or Green: Spicy Cucumber Gazpacho
Virtually Homemade: Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta
Food for 7 Stages of Life: Neer Mor — Zested South Indian Buttermilk with Cucumber
Weelicious: Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches
Blue Apron Blog: Barley Salad with Heirloom Cucumbers & Golden Beets
The Sensitive Epicure: Pimm’s Cups and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
FN Dish: Pickles Past the Jar

Happy Summer Eating!

stef

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by | July 14, 2013 · 10:09 pm

Easy Herbed Green Beans

In my attempts to broaden my gardening horizons I tried my hand at starting pole beans from seed, lured in by the appeal of an Italian heirloom variety called Trionfo Violetto.  Last year my seedlings got hijacked by some greedy rabbit or squirrel but this year, I have four strong plants. The first round of my purple beans was finally ready this week and they are a thing of beauty. Something about eating richly colored purple beans is just that much sexier than everyday green beans, don’t you think?

purple green-beans

Since my first picking had enough for a little over one serving, I happily snatched up some extra green and yellow beans at the weekend farmer’s market, already imagining the gorgeous Mardi Gras-like mix that would appear on our plates.

This recipe is so simple that it feels like a sham to even call it a recipe but may be my favorite way to eat green beans. The combo of freshly picked beans and bright herbs tastes like “garden” in all the best ways and why mess with that?

multicolored green beans

Herbed Green Beans
serves 2-3 but volume is easily increased
1/2 lb green beans
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh herbs (basil, mint, parsley & chives), chopped
freshly cracked black pepper
kosher salt

Wash and trim ends from green beans. Add beans to saute pan and drizzle with olive oil. Saute on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until beans are tender and just beginning to blister. While sautéing, season with salt and pepper. When beans have 1-2 minutes left, add chopped herbs. Serve warm.

green beans with herbs

katie

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by | May 20, 2013 · 8:38 am

Avocado Cashew Chicken Salad

I have an obsession with two ingredients. Greek yogurt and avocado. I use plain greek yogurt in pretty much everything I make (my husband can attest) and have become a fan of pretty much any dish paired with avocado. I love a good chicken salad, especially as the weather begins to warm up (finally!). This chicken salad combines my two favorite add-ins to make a creamy, healthy dressing for the chicken. Eat this chicken salad on a croissant, atop a bed of fresh greens or all by itself! This is a great dish to bring to a picnic, although you cannot make it too far ahead of time or the avocado with turn a brownish hue. So add the dressing right before serving!

Avocado Cashew Chicken Salad

Avocado Cashew Chicken Salad
1 lb. cooked and shredded skinless, boneless chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken), cooled
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/4 cashews, chopped
1 avocado
1/3 C plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Combine chicken, celery, green pepper, cranberries and cashews in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mash avocado. A fork should suffice for a ripe avocado, but you may want to process it if it is a bit firm. Add yogurt, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Add to chicken mixture and fold together until all ingredients are covered. (Make sure to cool the chicken as to not melt the yogurt).

I hope you are all enjoying the entrance of spring and hints of summer as much as we are!

stef

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