Side Dishes

Grilled Asparagus

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These look so much better than mine!
Image by Tina Phillips/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I bought 2 lbs. of fresh asparagus this weekend to have with some leftover brisket–hmmm…need to post that recipe one day–anyway, it looked kind of sketchy but I got the best two bunches I could at Walmart.  I planned on grilling them on my George Foreman grill but knew they would just roll off and there were too many spears, so then I remembered that I bought a stove top grill last year and had not used it but once.  Well, here was a perfect opportunity to try it again.  It worked perfectly!  And OhMyGosh…that asparagus was awesome.  Here is what I did…

Ingredients:
Fresh asparagus spears
Olive Oil
Sea salt
Garlic Salt
1.  Wash and trim ends of asparagus stalks. 
2.  Place in a gallon-size plastic reclosable bag along with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few shakes of garlic salt. 
3.   Close the bag and “moosh” the asparagus around in the bag and get it well-coated with the oil mixture.
4.   Place on a preheated stove top grill and sprinkle with the salt.  Grill until the asparagus is just flexible but not mushy.  You want it to have a little crunch when you bite into it.  You can also just saute the asparagus in a non-stick skillet if you don’t want the grilled effect, but really…grilled is sooooo good…
Source: Original

Fried Rice

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This is my fried rice recipe. It is still a work in progress. But, I thought I’d share it now since it was especially yummy this go round. I think the trick was cooking my rice in beef broth. We love this stuff. Its easy and filling!

3 cups rice, cooked and cooled
1-2 cups of beef broth

3-4 slices of bacon
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp. onion, chopped fine
1/3 c. carrots, chopped into pea size pieces
1/3 c. frozen peas
1/2 cup ham, chopped pea size pieces
(or package of chopped ham for salads and use half)
1-2 eggs, (your preference)
low sodium soy sauce, to taste
1-2 scallions, chopped
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

Cook rice according to directions of package. BUT, use beef broth for part (or all) of the liquid when cooking the rice. Set aside, and leave the lid off of the pot. You want the rice to cool! You could even dump it into a baking dish and spread it out so it cools quicker.

Prepare all ingredients and have them ready to add to the pan.

Cook bacon in a BIG pan. Remove the bacon and set aside. Lower temperature and add the garlic and onion. Saute. Then add the rice to the pan. (if you need to, add a bit of extra bacon grease so it doesn’t stick) Stir the rice, incorporating the garlic and onion. Add in the carrots, peas, and ham. Stir. Push all ingredients to one side of the pan, making room to scramble your egg. Add egg to the space provided and stir quickly. When done, stir all the rice mixture together. Add some salt, pepper to taste and stir. Add in a sprinkling of garlic powder, and onion powder and stir. (just sprinkle them over the top…but easy! not too much!) Also, add in some soy sauce to taste. You can continue to stir this in the pan on low until the carrots and peas are to your liking. We like them with a bite to them. Serve with a bit of scallions on top! Delicous!

This is even better as leftovers!

Basics: Mashed Potatoes

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This is an incredibly basic dish to prepare, but as I talk more and more to friends of mine, I’m shocked how many of them don’t know how make mashed potatoes from scratch. I admit – I usually always have a box of instant mashed potatoes in my pantry, but man oh man, real mashed potatoes taste so much better! They are so easy too!

Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes, peeled (2 pounds)
1/3 – 1/2 C. milk
2 Tbsp. – 1/4 C. butter (REAL butter!)
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper

Directions:
1. Place diced potatoes in a 2-qt. sauce pan, add enough water just to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan and shake pan over low heat to dry the potatoes. (this will give you fluffier potatoes)
2. Mash potatoes in pan (if it’s a non-stick pan, and plan to use a hand mixer, transfer to a mixing bowl). Mash until no lumps remain. Add milk in a little bit at a time. Continue to mash potatoes until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Add butter, salt, and pepper. Mash vigorously until light and fluffy.

Seriously, how easy is that! Take the pledge to make mashed potatoes from scratch! You’ll be glad you did.

Spring Green Risotto

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Whenever I heard “risotto” I always figured it meant “super complicated fancy food”.  But when I saw Ina Garten make it on Barefoot Contessa, I knew it was as easy as it looked.  It just takes a little babysitting on the stove.  And it is SO worth it!  Such an amazing comfort food.  It’s one of my favorite dishes EVER! We eat it as a meal, but you could have smaller portions and use it as a side.  The key ingredient, in my opinion, is homemade chicken stock.  It just improves this dish so much, giving it a depth of flavor unequaled in any store-bought stock, broth, or bouillon cube!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
3 cups chopped leeks (about 2 leeks, using white and green parts)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 quarts simmering chicken stock (homemade if you can at all help it!)
1 pound thin asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 1/2″ lengths
10 ounces frozen peas
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving if desired)
3 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

1.  Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the leeks and saute for 5-6 minutes until tender.  Add the rice and stir till all the rice has been coated with oil/butter.
2.  Add a ladle of chicken stock and simmer over medium to low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the stock has been absorbed.  Continue adding chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be nearly absorbed before adding more.
3.  When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the asparagus, peas, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, until rice is tender but still firm (another 10-15 minutes).
4.  Whisk lemon juice and mascarpone cheese together in a small bowl.  When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture, Parmesan cheese, and chives.  Allow to set aside a few minutes before serving.

Source:  adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe

Sausage and Rice Skillet

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Inspired by one of my mother-in-law’s recipes with Sausage and Minnesota grown wild rice…I came up with this little ditty that took me a total of 30 minutes to put together.  We like these throw-it-all-in-the-skillet deals.  Makes clean-up a cinch!  

Ingredients:
1 lb regular ground sausage (I used Jimmy Dean…it is the best)
1/4 c chopped onion or 1T dried onion (I’m a HUGE fan of dried onion)
1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 package of Birds Eye Steamfresh Brown and Wild rice with Broccoli and Carrots, prepared
8oz can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped (added for a little optional crunch)
1/2 c beef broth
pepper to taste

  1. Brown the sausage with onion, add soup, steamed rice and water chestnuts.  
  2. Add beef broth a little at a time for a creamier consistency.  
  3. Add pepper to taste
  4. Heat through and serve!  

Bow Ties with Pesto, Feta, and Grape Tomatoes

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This is in honor of one of my favorite grocery stores (Kroger) that has since closed in our area. This recipe came from a conversation with a “guest chef” at a Kroger while we were in Ohio. (Do you spend too much time in a grocery store if the guest chef knows you?) It has been adapted by one of our daughters and is a favorite “go to” recipe for a side or a Main dish.

Ingredients:

1# Bow Tie Pasta (farfalle) 4 oz Angelino’s Pesto (or other brand with Basil)

3-4 oz (to taste) flavored crumbled feta cheese (we use the one with sun dried tomatoes)

1/2 pint Grape Tomatoes or 2 medium Roma tomatoes chopped

8 Fresh Basil leaves chopped or 1/2 tsp dried basil

Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper if desired

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Stir in the bow ties and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes.

2. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it stops steaming.

3. Put the pasta into a large serving bowl and stir in the pesto until pasta is coated.

4. Toss in feta, basil and tomatoes.

5. Season with salt and pepper if desired

Main Dish Ingredients:

2 Cups diced or shredded chicken or beef
1 cup shelled Edamame
3/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Source: Adapted from a Kroger’s Chef’s recipe

Broccoli Casserole

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You might be surprised that this recipe inclues ONLY three ingredients. It’s simple, but what makes it so good is the cheese. The Deli Duluxe from Kraft is a little more expensive compared to other brands, but totally worth it. If you have any left over, it makes a great grilled cheese!

Ingredients:
1 package frozen broccoli florets
6-8 slices of cheese (I use Kraft Deli Deluxe American)
10-12 Ritz crackers

1. Steam broccoli in a pan of water until no longer frozen, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain water.
3. With the burner on the lowest setting, begin adding cheese one slice at a time. Stir until cheese is melted and fully incorporated.
4. Pour broccoli and cheese mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish (I coat with a thin layer of cooking spray).
5. Crumble crackers over the top.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble around the edge.

Amish Macaroni Salad

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My kids always want a container of the Amish Mac Salad before leaving Walmart. So, I decided to find a recipe so that I could make some at home. It was easy and DELICOUS!

2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red bell pepper,seeded & chopped
2 TBSP dill pickle relish
2 c creamy sald dressing (Miracle Whip)
3 TBSP prepared yellow mustard
3/4 c white sugar
2 1/4 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp celery seed, optional

Cook elbow macaroni according to directions and drain really well! Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together eggs, onion, celer, red pepper, & relish.
In a small bowl, stir together the sald dressing, mustard, sugar, white vinegar, salt and celery seed (optional).
Pour over vegetables, and stir in macaroni until well blended.
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. (Chilling the salad is very important! This thickens the dressing, and the noodels soak some of the dressing up too!)

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Absolute Mexican Cornbread

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I once found a recipe for Mexican cornbread in the very first “real” cookbook I ever received: “The I Don’t Know How to Cook Book” my mother gave me before going off to college. It was delicious. For some reason when I wanted it again I couldn’t find the book (even though I had the recipe marked just a few days ago) so I looked it up online; this recipe, I dare say, may be the exact same…

Ingredients:
1 C butter, melted
1 C white sugar
4 eggs
1 (15-oz) can cream-style corn
1/2 (4-oz) can chopped green chile peppers, drained {I used the whole can. And it is my personal opinion that Old El Paso is the best brand for this product.}
1/2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C yellow cornmeal
4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chilies, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. {I wasn’t able to find shredded Monterey Jack cheese in its own bag but thankfully Borden has a mixture of cheddar and Monterey Jack, which makes this recipe that much easier!}
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.
Yields however many servings you can get according to how you cut it–out of a 9×13 baking dish.
This cornbread is a great side dish for Mexican Chicken Stew!
Source: Submitted to Allrecipes.com by Judy Spence

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

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I LOVE mashed potatoes. This recipe is pretty much amazing in my book. I hope you enjoy!

5 pounds potatoes, washed, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp. Butter
8 oz. Cream cheese
8 oz. Sour cream
2 tsp. Garlic Salt
Chopped Chives, optional

Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes until tender. Place into mixer add butter, and mash potatoes. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and garlic salt. Beat until fluffy. Pour into greased 9×13 casserole dish top with chives if wanted. Cover with foil.

You can either place in the fridge – it’ll stay great for up to 3 days or you can cook them right away.

Cook covered, at 350 for 30-45 minutes (based on if it’s chilled or warm).