Super Sides

You can't have a main dish without a side dish or two. Everyone does the old mashed or baked potatoes or rice and some kind of blah veggie. I have tried to make things more interesting mainly because I am worried that my kids are going to start getting picky. As it turns out, they are more picky about their meat dishes than the are about veggies and other sides. So, here are a few of our favorite side dishes.

This first one is great for grill season but you could make it just as easily indoors but skipping the grilling and just boiling the potatoes.

French Style Grilled Potato Salad

2 1/2 pounds small new potatoes (red and yellow), scrubbed
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
8 cornichon, finely diced
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chervil, for garnish

Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes and let cool and slice in half.

Heat the grill to medium.

In a large bowl toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and grill until lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and continue grilling until just cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.

While the potatoes are grilling, whisk together the vinegar, mustards, and 1/4 cup oil in a large bowl, add the red onion, cornichon and capers and stir to combine.


Remove the potatoes from the grill and immediately add to the bowl with the other ingredients and gently stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped chervil.

My notes: I have found it's easier to cut the potatoes BEFORE you boil them rather than after. Cornichon can be found in the bulk food section of most Whole Foods and other specialty stores but I've used baby dills in their place and I have also left them out altogether. I also leave out the chervil.

This next side dish is one that I make to with chicken kabobs marinated in the barbecue sauce I blogged about here. It has become very popular in our house.


Couscous Salad with Chickpeas

1 cup uncooked whole-wheat couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
Dash of sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Place couscous, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in boiling water; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine oil, juice, garlic, and sugar.

Add oil mixture, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mint, and next 4 ingredients (through tomato). Sprinkle with cheese.

My notes: I usually add a tad bit more oil and lemon juice to keep it from drying out. I've also used finely chopped onion in place of green onions.

This next side dish is one I absolutely LOVE. I LOVE roasting veggies. They taste so much better that way. This can easily be done with broccoli too!

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

My notes: I usually leave the garlic out and double up on the Parmesan. I also put it back in the oven with the cheese on it for about 5 more minutes.

Well, that wraps up my super sides. I hope you try some or all of these and like them as much as we do!

The Thrill of the Grill

Grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook. No pans, great flavor and tons of variety. Living in FL, I can pretty much grill year round and I LOVE it. I already blogged my favorite flank steak recipe here and a great swordfish one here. A lot of the time I use 30 minute marinades or seasonings I have on hand for other cuts of steak and for chicken breasts. But one day, my grocery store had skirt steak on sale so I picked some up. Then I went searching for a recipe and I found a great one that I have made over and over. It works well with flank steak too.

Grilled Skirt Steak (Churrasco)

2 skirt steaks (about 1 pound each), trimmed of fat and cut in 1/2 crosswise
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Vegetable oil cooking spray
Chimichurri, recipe follows

Chimichurri

4 cups flat-leaf parsley (from about 1 large bunch)
6 cloves garlic
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Rub a generous amount of salt and pepper into both sides of the steaks. Rub the onion powder into the steaks, dividing it evenly. Put the steaks into a baking dish or container that holds them comfortably. Sprinkle the vinegar over the steaks and brush them with the olive oil. Marinate the steaks at room temperature for up to 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Heat a gas grill to medium-high or heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the steaks, turning only once, to desired doneness. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. If desired, slice the steaks thinly against the grain before serving. Drizzle some of the chimichurri over the steaks and pass the rest separately.

In a food processor, pulse the parsley and garlic until finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, for a spicy chimichurri.

This was a HUGE hit with my family as well as with friends I made it for. I recently found a new chimichurri recipe on my Food & Wine magazine and I liked it even better than this one and I think it will be my new go to one.

Citrus Chimichurri

1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled, blanched, minced
1 tsp dried dill
1 small shallot , minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon

In a medium bowl combine dried oregano, parsley, dill, red pepper flakes, shallot, lemon zest and garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and salt and pepper.

Add the wet ingredients to the herb bowl and marinate the ingredients together for a minimum of 2 hours.

Serve over grilled meats.

I made the recipe as is but next time I will use fresh herbs for all but the dill, unless I happen to have some. I grow parsley and oregano and I think it's a much better texture with fresh versus dried.

My last recipe is a marinade courtesy of my sister's mother-in-law. My sister made us chicken kabobs quite a few years back using the marinade and I remember thinking the ingredients were a bit weird but it was SO good. She made it for me again this past May when I was visiting her and I was able to get the actual name of the recipe. After trying unsuccessfully to get it from her one day, I Googled it and found it several places. This recipe is one that is on a MUCH smaller scale than most and I even halve this to make 6 chicken kabobs. I use cubed chicken breast, bell peppers and onions.

Cornell Barbecue Sauce

1/2 c. cooking oil
1 c. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 egg

Combine ingredients and marinate about 6 chicken halves. Use also as a baste.

I use slightly less oil and salt. I also use Egg Beaters and dried marjoram instead of poultry seasoning since I didn't have any. Dried sage would work too.

Happy Grilling!

Sometimes, I'm a CopyCat

You can find copycat recipes all over the Internet. And I Have to admit, I never really thought about trying any. I guess I never really found a dish I liked enough to look up the copycat recipe. But, in the last year, I have tried a couple. Here they are.

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half (I used fat free)
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

This was SOOOO good...even my kids liked it! I'm not a huge broccoli fan but I thought it was great.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

1 Lb. Italian sausage ( I used hot turkey sausage)
2 large Russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4" slices.
1 large onion chopped
1/2 can oscar meyer bacon bits (or crumbled fresh cooked bacon. I used turkey bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped (The restaurant uses kale so that's what I used)
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used 1% milk)

Brown sausage and crumble. Drain and set aside. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot and cook on medicum heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage and bacon and then add salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat and add the kale and cream. Heat through and serve.

Even with my modifications, this tasted EXACTLY like the restaurant version. I was VERY impressed.

I think I need to do this more. If you can make these things almost as good at home, why go out? It's probably cheaper to make it at home too!

I Haven't Fallen Off the Face of the Earth

I’m bbbbbaaaaaccccckkkkkk! Yes, I know, it’s been almost 5 months since last posted. Things got a bit hectic for a while and I found myself just falling back on reliable recipes and not trying anything new. Well, like everyone, we’re cutting back and I’ve been trying new recipes to make up for the fact that we’ve had to cut back on going out to eat. I’ve also tried to get back into buying fish and other seafood, wild caught and sustainable, of course since it is a favorite around here.

Hubby loves swordfish. I could take it or leave it but it is good on the grill so I went looking for new recipes to jazz things up. And I found this one from one of my favorite chefs, Giada DeLaurentiis. The recipe can be found here if you would rather see it that way.

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH LEMON, MINT AND BASIL

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (5 to 6-ounces each) swordfish steaks

Prepare the grill (medium-high heat). Whisk the oil, mint, lemon juice, basil, and garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Season the lemon and olive oil mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.

Brush the swordfish steaks with 2 tablespoons of the lemon and olive oil mixture. Grill the steaks until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side (depending on thickness of steaks). Transfer the steaks to plates. Spoon the remaining sauce over and serve.

This got high marks from the whole family. Of course, my 2 ½ year old thought it was chicken, but who cares! I loved that it gave me a reason to use herbs from my garden.

Well, that’s all for today (since I have both kids home for the summer) but I have a bunch of recipes I have already tried as well as some that I will be trying in the next couple of weeks. I promise I will be posting regularly again.

Healthy Living

Well, I started Weight Watchers yesterday. My love of cooking and food has caught up with me and I need to lose some weight. I have done Weight Watchers before with good results. And I have to say, I love the points program...you don't really feel deprived at all. And they have some darn good recipes. So, I thought I would share some of my favorites here.

I really love this first one. You can put it in tortillas, over rice or I've even put it in quesadillas. And it cooks in the crockpot so it's easy peasy.

Crockpot Sour Cream Salsa Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C salsa (or use as much as you like more salsa might be a little more saucy. I've use Pace Picante too which works well)
1 package of taco seasoning (I use the low sodium one)
1/4 C light sour cream

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Lay the chicken in the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with the taco seasoning and salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (I would do closer to 6 so it doesn't dry out). When ready, remove the chicken and shred it with a fork. Stir in the sour cream and return the chicken to the pot and let the sauce warm up.

This next one is easy too.

One Dish Chicken and Rice Bake

1 can reduced fat, low sodium cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 C water
3/4 C rice (I wonder if you could use brown?)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika

In a 2 quart backing dish, mix soup, water rice, paprika and pepper. Season chicken (go light on the salt) and place it on top of the rice mixture. Sprinkle with additional pepper and paprika is desired. Cover and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done.

Now, I am not Jewish but I had close friends who were growing up and I love, love, love latkes (potato pancakes). This recipe is AWESOME.

Latkes

1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/4 C flour
1 small onion
1/4 tsp each pepper and baking powder
4 large potatoes, peeled
Oil for frying

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, flour, salt, pepper and baking powder together. Shred the onion and the potatoes and add to the egg mixture (shred just before frying to prevent discoloration). In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs. of oil over medium high heat. Drop 4 level 1/4 cup rounds of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Drain on paper towels and keep in in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve. Fry remaining pancakes in batches of 4, adding more oil if needed.

I'll end on a sweet note. This is not a WW recipe, I don't think but I know this recipe pops up everywhere. I got it from a friend. These muffins are SO good.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 box of spice cake mix
1 regular size can of PLAIN pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 C water

Mix ingredients well and bake as directed on the box.

Oh my God, they are so moist. Well, my little one is calling me so that's it for now. I have more recipes ion line, both WW and regular. Until next time happy (and healthy) eating!

Better Late Than Never

I had hoped to be able to get an appetizer post in before the Super Bowl. But as it usually happens in life with little kids, things got hectic and time got away from me. But, I figured better late than never. Maybe you all can use them next year. I know lots of appetizers are bad for you so I am trying to balance things out by throwing a few healthier options in.

This first one is a family favorite. I got the recipe from my MIL who I think got it from my SIL so I have no idea where the original recipe came from.

Dill Dip in a Bread Bowl

1 ½ tbs. Beau Monde Spice Blend (this is made by Spice Island but it can be hard to find. If you can’t find it, celery salt works fine as a substitute. This should be more of a “to taste” addition.)
2 tbs. dried onion flakes
2 tbs. dill weed
½ C mayo
1 ½ C sour cream (I used reduced fat for both the mayo and the sour cream)
1 round loaf of bread with the center removed and chunks reserved

Combine the herbs and spices with the pay and sour cream. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. Spoon into the hollowed out out bread and serve with the reserved bread chunks for sipping.

My note: The original recipe called for a cup each of mayo and sour cream but I thought that was too much mayo so this recipe reflects my modification.

The next recipe I believe came from Stacy’s Pita Chips.

Classic Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (14 oz. can) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ (10 oz. package) frozen spinach, thawed
½ C reduced fat sour cream
¼ C reduced fat mayo
¼ C reduced fat cream cheese
¼ C grated Romano cheese (you could also use parmesan)
¼ tsp. minced garlic

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. In a small baking dish, mix all the ingredients together. Cover dish and bake until heated through and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Serve hot warm or cool.

This is slightly healthier and is served with apple slices.

Toffee Apple Dip

¾ C brown sugar
½ C powdered sugar
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ package of Skor (or Heath) toffee bits
Sliced apples

Mix sugars, cream cheese and vanilla. When smooth, add toffee bits. Serve with apple slices for dipping.

Tip: If you dip apple slices in pineapple juice, it keeps them from turning brown and brings out their natural sweetness.

Another Healthy favorite of mine is tzatziki. I like to use this recipe from Ina Garten and serve it with veggies for dipping.

Easy Tzatziki

2 (7-ounce) containers Greek yogurt (recommended: Fage Total)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the yogurt in a medium bowl. Grate the cucumber on a box grater and squeeze the grated cucumber with your hand to remove some of the liquid. Add it to the yogurt along with the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Serve with toasted pita crisps.

And last but not least, this is my favorite during grilling season. It’s by Bobby Flay and it can be found online here.

Tomato Bread with Prosciutto

8 ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
16 (1/2-inch thick) slices Ciabatta or crusty country-style bread
16 thin slices prosciutto

Preheat grill to high. Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and grill until charred on all sides. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and then place in a food process with the garlic, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and the pine nuts. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the thyme, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Brush each slice of bread with the remaining oil on both sides, season with salt and pepper, and grill until lightly golden brown, about 30 seconds on each side. Remove the bread from the grill, brush 1 side of each slice with the pureed tomato mixture, and top each with a slice of prosciutto. Serve.

Happy Snacking!

I Love Me Some BBQ!

I'm not talking about cooking out I'm talking about Southern style BBQ which is PLENTIFUL down here in FL. But I like to make my own too with my favorite being pulled pork. Yeah, it's not great FOR you but man does it taste good. I searched high and low for a good recipe that had good seasoning and I found this one by Tyler Florence which I use for the seasoning. For the sauce, I based mine off of the Neeley's BBQ Sauce but I add my own twist since I couldn't find my beloved chipotle BBQ sauce I used to buy in CT down here nor could I find anything even close. So here is my take on those recipes.

Pulled Pork

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
Your favorite BBQ sauce

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour BBQ sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some coleslaw. Serve with pickle spears and BBQ sauce on the side.

Neelys BBQ Sauce

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

And here is my addition:

1 or 2 FINELY chopped chipotles in adobo, seeds removed (how much you use can depend on the size of the chipotles and how spicy you like it)

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

I've made this for my friend Wendy and her family so maybe she'll chime in with her review. Hmmm, I think I know what we'll be eating during the Super Bowl!