March 9, 2010
· Filed under Autumn, Meal Planning, Side/Salad, Winter · Tagged sweet potatoes
Posted by Lisa
Chili Spiced Sweet Potatoes
I always thought that I wasn’t a big fan of sweet potatoes, but I had primarily eaten them in a sweetened casserole at Thanksgiving and I’m still not a fan of that type of preparation. Sweet potatoes are so healthy, one serving is a mega-dose of Vitamin and full of fiber. Their flesh is, of course, slightly sweet, but they go well with a savory spice. This particular spice combination added a delicious, but not overpowering flavor. Roasting sweet potatoes is quick preparation, just allow plenty of time for cooking.
Chili Spiced Sweet Potatoes
printable recipe
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1/2″ x 2″ sticks
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400º. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish, 9″ x 13″ is a good size. Place dish in oven. Stir after about 15 minutes, when coconut oil has melted and you can stir to coat the sweet potatoes. Cook for approximately 45 minutes longer, until sweet potatoes have begun to brown. Stir several times during this time. Serve warm. These still taste delicious the next day, but their semi-crispy outside is best right after they are cool enough to eat.
February 28, 2010
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad, Spring, Winter · Tagged beets, dill, potatoes
Posted by Lisa
Dill Roasted Beets and Potatoes
I love beets. I love potatoes. And I love dill. Why did it take me so long to put the three together? Beets and potatoes are both root vegetables, so it seems like a logical combination, but apparently not a common one.
I think dill weed is an under-appreciated herb. Sure, fresh dill heads or dill seeds are well-known since they are in dill pickles, but I’m talking dill weed. Fresh is obviously a much better choice than dried, but there’s no local, fresh dill to be found this time of year, so dried works well, too. Dill weed has a fresh, light, grassy flavor with almost lemony notes.
The combination of the beets and potatoes was a really lovely contrast. The beets are sweet and slippery, while the potatoes are soft and starchy. Combined with the fresh, subtle flavor of dill, this dish was a real hit. As with most roasted vegetable dishes, it’s a snap to prepare, but requires at least an hour of baking.
Dill Roasted Beets and Potatoes
printable recipe
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes*, cut into 1/2″ cubes (use whatever variety you have on hand)
- 1 1/2 pounds beets*, cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (or 2 teaspoons fresh dill weed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- several grinds of pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Preheat oven to 400°.
Gently combine first five ingredients and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a baking dish. A 9″ x 13″ baking dish or 12-14″ cast iron skillet will both work well. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until tender. After you remove from the oven, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix gently. Serve warm.
*I don’t generally peel most root vegetables unless they have very blemished/bruised areas, but this is a personal preference. Feel free to peel the potatoes and beets if you like.
December 31, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad, Winter · Tagged beets, salad
Posted by Lisa
Marinated Beet Salad
This is our second favorite beet preparation, after roasting. The beets are tender and sweet and the dressing is tangy. The beets are dressed when they are still warm, so they soak up a lot of the flavor from the dressing. I typically serve it when it is still slightly warm or at room temperature, but you could prepare it ahead of time and refrigerate it, then bring it back up to room temperature. I’ve also served this topped with crumbled feta or chevre and it’s delightful with either of them.
Marinated Beet Salad
printable recipe
- 2 lb of beets, washed and trimmed
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- a few grinds of pepper
Steam beets until tender. The steam time will vary depending on the size of your beets.
Cool beets until they are cool enough to handle, but still warm. Cut beets in half and then slice into thin slices (or you could quarter them and cut into thin slices, whichever you prefer).
Place beet slices in a large bowl.
Whisk mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl until they are well-blended. Pour the dressing over the beets and gently stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature. If you prepare this ahead of time, store in refrigerator, but allow to come to room temperature before serving.
December 29, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad, Winter · Tagged brussel sprouts
Posted by Lisa
Mustardy Brussel Sprouts
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “We love Brussel sprouts.” They are delicious! We like them prepared most anyway.
I recently saw a recipe on Edible Aria (which is a fabulous food blog, if traditional and interesting food preparations are your kind of thing) for a Brussel sprout dish that used ham, cream and mustard. I didn’t have ham on hand, so I heavily modified the recipe, but his suggestion for preparing the Brussel sprouts was a method that I hadn’t tried before and it was quite easy. He recommends steaming the sprouts first, until they are about halfway cooked and then shocking them with cold water, trimming the outer leaves and ends and finishing the cooking preparation. I found this method was actually easier than trimming and peeling them while they were raw, which is how I always do it. I will still trim and peel them when raw for roasting, but anything other pan preparation will be steamed first, from now on!
This dish is creamy and rich, but also a little snappy with the stone-ground mustard and that prevents this from becoming overwhelmingly rich.
Mustardy Brussel Sprouts
inspired by a recipe on Edible Aria
printable recipe
- 2 pounds of Brussel sprouts
- 2 tablespoons butter, coconut oil, bacon grease or lard
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Wash Brussel sprouts and place in a steamer basket. Steam until bright green and about halfway cooked. Remove sprouts and run under cold water to stop cooking. Trim ends, peel outer leaves and cut any large Brussel sprouts in half for uniform cooking.
In a medium or large sauté pan, melt your fat on high. Add Brussel sprouts and cook on high until they begin to brown. Stir frequently during this time. When sprouts are browned, add cream and lower heat to low. Cover and cook a few minutes. After a few minutes, add mustard, 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Stir to combine. You may also need to add another splash of cream if the sprouts are fairly dry now. Cover and cook until they are fork tender. Serve warm.
December 9, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad · Tagged rutabaga
Posted by Lisa
Rosemary Roasted Rutabaga
Poor rutabagas. They are not sexy vegetables. They can’t even usually be correctly identified by grocery cashiers. Are they rutabagas or turnips? But these humble root vegetables, also called swedes, can be so sweet and delicious. Roasting them really brings out their sweetness and my simple preparation included tossing in some chopped fresh rosemary. This was a hit with most members of my family; my middle daughter had three servings. Preparation is minimal: chop one large (mine was nearly the size of my four-year old’s head) or several smaller rutabagas into 1/2 – 1″ pieces, add one tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary or other herbs (thyme or marjoram would work well), 1 teaspoon of sea salt, a few grinds of fresh pepper and several tablespoons of olive oil, then bake at 400° for about 1 hour, until they are golden and tender.
*I got this idea from a comment Sheila (my MIA co-contributor) made on Facebook, and since she hasn’t been on recently to share her recipe, I had to try my hand at it!
November 15, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad · Tagged carrots, turnips
Posted by Lisa
Asian Turnip Slaw
Salad turnips and carrots are so sweet this time of year. Combined with the gentle acidity of rice wine vinegar and the nuttiness of sesame oil, they made a light and simple salad. My youngest informed me that she could eat the whole bowl of turnips.
Asian Turnip Slaw
printable recipe
- 3 medium salad turnips, halved or quartered, then cut into very thin slices
- 1 large or two medium carrots, halved and cut into very thin slices
- 3-4 scallions, finely chopped
- 3-4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Place turnip and carrots slices in a bowl with chopped scallions. Add 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle and then add more rice wine vinegar if necessary. Serve at room temperature.
November 4, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad · Tagged delicata squash, onions, squash, winter squash
Posted by Lisa
Delicata squash is one of my favorite winter squashes. Some members of the family aren’t big on winter squash, so I’m always looking for interesting ways to prepare them, though roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper would be just fine by me. The skin can be left on delicatas, because it isn’t too tough. It will not get as tender as the flesh, so be prepared for a chewy texture against smooth creamy flesh. If that doesn’t appeal to you, then you should remove the skin. The balsamic vinegar in this preparation adds a nice mellow acidity to the sweetness of the delicata.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Caramelized Onions
printable recipe
- 2 large or 3 medium delicata squashes, cut lengthwise, seeds removed and sliced into 1/2″ thick slices
- 1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4″ slices
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- a few grinds of pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients and toss to coat squash and onion slices. Arrange on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Stir every 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve when squash is tender and onions are caramelized, approximately 45-55 minutes baking time.
October 27, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad · Tagged cauliflower
posted by Lisa
When I was looking for a different way to prepare cauliflower, I ran across this recipe for Spanish Crisp Cauliflower and ended up altering it a bit. I couldn’t find gram flour locally, so I used unbleached, all-purpose flour. I was worried about the amount of paprika that the recipe called for, but it was great. The sweetness of the cauliflower really works with the smokiness of the paprika. I didn’t fry some of the pieces well enough to get them crisp. They were still tasty, but if you leave them frying until they are nice and crisp, the texture is fabulous. With a sprinkle of red wine vinegar, parsley and sea salt it was a real treat. My oldest daughter suggesting using lemon juice next time in place of red wine vinegar and I think that is an excellent suggestion. I may try it, but the red wine vinegar was so good I might just stick with that!
October 19, 2009
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad · Tagged cabbage, mushrooms
Posted by Lisa
Cabbage and Mushroom Gratin
I hear from people pretty frequently that they are uncomfortable preparing fall, winter and spring vegetables like cabbage and winter squashes. They have bad memories of poorly prepared dishes from their childhood or their spouse only likes winter squashes prepared with sweet and spice (or doesn’t like them at all). Braising, sautéeing, and roasting are very simple and delicious ways to prepare locally purchased vegetables, but sometimes you just want something more complex and interesting. I ran across this recipe for Cabbage and Mushroom Gratin in The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever and slightly altered it to my liking. Slow cooked cabbage is so sweet and tender, nutmeg with milk, cream or cheese always reminds me of a favorite creamy, cheesy pasta dish and the browned Parmesan is sharp and a nice crusty contrast to the soft cabbage.
Cabbage and Mushroom Gratin
printable recipe
adapted from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever
- 1 small head cabbage (or 1/2 large head), coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups half and half, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large pan, cook cabbage with 1/2″ of water on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking and browning. Stir and cook until cabbage is crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander. In a medium bowl, combine cooked cabbage with 1 cup of half and half and one teaspoon sea salt. Transfer mixture to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and then sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter and add mushrooms and brown. When mushrooms are browned, add remaining half and half, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until moisture is gone and mushrooms are fairly dry.
After the cabbage has cooked for 25 minutes, remove baking pan from the oven and mix the mushroom mixture in with the cabbage mixture and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and nicely browned.
October 14, 2009
· Filed under Side/Salad · Tagged rice, staple dishes
Posted by Lisa
Mexican Rice
This rice dish is something that I make frequently and have made for years. My husband made it before and after we were married, even after I had taken over most cooking in our home. Many times I tried to get him to give me the recipe, but he just did it from memory and feel, so I had to watch and then experiment. Getting it right on my own took quite a few tries, with many misses. The secret to fluffy rice is to brown the rice until it is golden brown, but not burnt. It goes quickly from just right to too dark. You need to stir it almost constantly after you add the rice.
Golden brown rice grains
I’ve never tried making this with brown rice, I usually use basmati, but plain long-grain white rice works as well. You can scale this recipe up or down easily, but just make sure that you are always using a pan that is wider than it is tall. If the rice gets too deep, it doesn’t cook uniformly. The bottom will be soggy and the top will still be slightly crunchy.
Mexican Rice
printable recipe
- several tablespoons olive oil, coconut oil or tallow
- 1/2 - 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
Combine water and tomato sauce and set aside. Heat your cooking fat of choice in a heavy bottomed pan on medium high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden and tender. Add rice. Stir to coat rice with oil and continue to stir frequently (almost constantly) to prevent rice from burning. Cook it for five minutes or so, or until it is golden brown. Add salt and stir. Add water/tomato sauce mixture. The pan will be very hot at this point and when the cooler water/tomato sauce hits it’s going to emit a lot of steam, so stand back. Stir just enough to combine the liquid with the rice, then don’t stir again. Bring the mixture to a boil and then cover with a tight fitting lid and turn heat down to low. Let rice cook for 20 minutes. Don’t open the lid during this time, it will affect the end result if you do. When 20 minutes has elapsed, peek inside and see if the rice has absorbed all the liquid. If it has, turn the heat off and let it sit for a few more minutes before fluffing it and serving. If it hasn’t absorbed all the water, let it cook a few more minutes and turn the heat off, let it sit and then fluff and serve.
