Roasted Broccoli

 I've never been much of a picky eater, but as a child, I did not like broccoli. It's still not my favorite, but I've grown to appreciate these little trees. And, last week at Costco, while we were standing in front of a giant bag of broccoli, I discovered that Bradford loves it. So, we eat broccoli. 

This is my favorite, fool-proof and simple way to cook broccoli.

INGREDIENTS:

fresh broccoli 

olive oil

salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread broccoli evenly on a baking pan. (For easier clean-up lay a sheet of foil on the pan first.) Drizzle broccoli with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Using tongs or a spoon, mix broccoli until olive oil is evenly distributed.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

*For a different variation: With 2 minutes left of baking, sprinkle broccoli with cheddar cheese.

Corn...the simple way

This summer I learned how to make corn. It's not grilled or roasted. I don't use an oven or a stove. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but this corn is cooked in a rectangular-shaped contraption that sits on my counter. It's called a microwave. I try not to use it often, but sometimes it just makes cooking so much easier. 

This may be an old recipe to many, but for me, it has transformed the way I think about corn. It has made summer cooking so much easier and it has also made for a healthier way to add a starch to each meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ear of corn 

wax paper

a tiny bit of butter

a tiny bit of salt

a tiny bit of pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Wrap the ear of corn into a sheet of wax paper. Twist the ends of the wax paper and tuck under. On a folded paper towel, place ear of corn in the microwave. Cook on high for 2-3 minutes. 

Remove corn from microwave, let cool and remove wax paper. Using a sharp knife, cut corn off the cob. While corn is still warm, add butter, salt and pepper. Mix until butter is melted and serve.

*This recipe may be doubled or tripled as needed. If cooking two ears of corn at one time, change microwave cook time to 5-6 minutes.

Chick Pea Salad

I have a special place in my heart for Mediterranean food as my grandmother often makes it for large family gatherings. (She perfected her skills after living in Baghdad and Beirut for 20+ years.) I love the simple salads and side dishes this food genre has to offer. And I love the nutritional and filling nature of chick peas. And who doesn't love feta cheese? Lots of love here in this dish. :)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans chick peas, drained, rinsed and patted dry

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

olive oil

Juice of one lemon

1/3 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix chick peas, garlic, and mint and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to coat. Lay mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove mixture from oven, and let cool slightly. Transfer chick peas to a serving bowl and add lemon juice, feta cheese and salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes and Carrots

It's so great to have a few side dishes that are really simple to make. This is another one of those dishes that doesn't require exact measurements (as you can see by the lack of amounts in the ingredients list). I like to measure the ingredients in this recipe, as my mother would say, "by gosh and by golly". What a silly phrase. But it just kinda seems to makes sense. You basically just want to sprinkle your way through the herbs listed in the ingredients. Sprinkling will do the trick.

After making this, you'll be one step closer to having another hearty, easy side dish in your arsenal.

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds red potatoes, cut into one-inch pieces

1 cup baby carrots

1/3 cup olive oil

oregano

parsley

garlic

salt 

pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread potatoes and carrots in a baking dish. Coat generously with olive oil. Sprinkle vegetables with oregano, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway.

Add some steak or chicken and enjoy a delicious, hearty meal.

Crash Hot Potatoes

 Do you ever have a hard time coming up with simple, delicious side dishes? When I spend so much time on a meal, I hardly want to put in a ton of extra effort for a side dish. 

Enter Crash Hot Potatoes. 

Ree Drummond used the phrase "Flavorful, Crispy Surface Area" to describe these and that is the perfect phrase. The skins on these babies crisp up to create a taste 1,000s times better than potato chips. The flavoring of olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs is the perfect combination to bring out the natural goodness that is potatoes.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

From The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS:

Small potatoes (I use red potatoes)

olive oil

kosher salt (or regular salt, but kosher is best if you have it)

pepper

fresh chopped herbs (like rosemary, parsley, thyme, chives, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Add potatoes to a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are very tender.

Generously drizzle a sheet pan with olive oil to ensure potatoes don't stick. Place tender potatoes on the cooking sheet, leaving plenty of space in between. 

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes. Rotate the masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with olive oil. 

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and fresh chopped herbs (I used parsley). 

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic and Parmesan

I love mashed potatoes, especially when they are homemade. I love tasting the chunks of real potatoes and feeling the skin mixed in with all the goodness. Holidays are the perfect time of year to perfect your potato mashing skills, but mashed potatoes are so good, they can be enjoyed year-round. This red potato recipe is so simple and keeps measuring to a minimum. Oh yeah, and these taste amazing. I was asked to make this recipe for Thanksgiving this year but seeing as I flew in the morning of, potato mashing duties were deferred to my lovely aunt.

I definitely cooked these up the week after Thanksgiving though. Just can't get enough.

From Food.com

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 pounds red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Put potatoes and garlic in a large pan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Return potatoes to the pan and mash with butter, milk, and salt. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Simple Orzotto

Sometimes the best part of a meal is the side dishes. One of my favorite BBQ restaurants has an option on their menu called the "sidecar". It is basically four of their sides (choose whatever you want, from mac and cheese to okra to blues on the cob to sweet potatoes and more) as your main course meal. Genius. 

Thanks to Kelsey Egan, I have recently discovered orzo as a quick, simple, and versatile side dish that can complement just about any meal. The recipe below offers orzotto in its simplest form, but it can also be dressed up and added to to match the style of your main course. Variations on this recipe (including one with bacon...yum) can be found at the bottom of this post. 

*from Kelsey's Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups orzo (or pearl barley)

1/2 cup dry white wine or red wine

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup grated cheese (I use parmesan)

salt and pepper to taste

herbs or fresh aromatics as desired

DIRECTIONS:

In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent. Add the orzo or barley and toast for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. 

Gradually add the stock, stirring frequently. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes until liquid is almost absorbed and orzo or barley is tender. Remove from heat.

Stir in heavy cream and cheese. Season with salt and pepper or any other desired seasonings and serve. 

VARIATIONS:

Lemon Asparagus Orzotto: add 1/2 cup steamed diced fresh asparagus, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and zest from 1/2 lemon.

Mushroom Orzotto: add 1 cup wild or cultivated mushrooms. Substitute chicken or beef stock with mushroom stock. Add 3/4 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. 

Sweet Corn with Bacon Orzotto: Add 1/2 cup sweet corn, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon. 

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Classic, delicious, chunky mashed potatoes.

For an additional picture, see Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce.

Serves: 4
Total cooking time: 25 minutes

*adapted from Gourmet, November 2004

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about six potatoes, depending on the size)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup whole milk (or a combination of a lower % milk and whipping cream)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare potatoes with potato scrubbing gloves if you have them, or by peeling if you don't have scrubbing gloves. Once potatoes have been scrubbed or peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes. Transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and add 5 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon salt, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes in a colander, then return to pan and cook over moderate heat, shaking pan occasionally, until dry, 1-2 minutes. Heat milk, butter, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Add melted mixture to pan and using a potato masher, mash all ingredients together until just combined.

Enjoy.