Side Dishes – Starch – Page 5

Red Lentil-Rice Cakes with Pico de Gallo

Red Lentil- Rice Cakes with Pico de Gallo

adapted from this recipe in Cooking Light magazine
Red Lentil-Rice Cakes:
5 cups water, divided
1 cup dried small red lentils
1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice
(or 1 and 1/2 cups cooked
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Bring 4 cups water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Place lentils in a large bowl.
Combine remaining 1 cup water and rice in pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool 10 minutes. Add rice to lentils.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, cumin seeds and garlic pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes. Add to rice mixture. Add cheddar cheese and remaining ingredients, stirring until well combined. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Spoon half of rice mixture by 1/3 cupfuls into pan, spreading to form 6 (3-inch) circles; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn cakes over; cook 5 minutes on other side. Remove cakes from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and remaining rice mixture. Serve with pico de gallo.
Pico de Gallo:
2 cups coarsely chopped plum (Roma) tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 small squeeze fresh lime juice
3 pickled jalapeno slices, finely chopped
Gently fold all pico de gallo ingredients together. Add a small amount of salt, to taste. This stuff is GREAT as a chunky salsa to top quesadillas or dip chips into. You can also stir it into mashed avocados to make a mild, fresh guacamole. I could eat this stuff with a spoon if you let me.
Note: There is NO SUCH THING as too much cilantro. Cilantro is awesome.
The lentil cakes were really yummy and could easily be adapted to any flavor combination that suits your fancy. The original recipe has a more “Italian” flavor, with basil, mozzarella and fennel seeds instead of cilantro, cheddar and cumin seeds. You could probably easily go Mediterranean or Indian with these, too. These took a little time and prep, but were not difficult at all. The “5 minutes at medium heat” time was PERFECT: you really don’t even need to peek or watch them much as they’re cooking; just set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away (or work on the rest of your dinner or set the table, or whatever).

I served these with roasted chicken and a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and Baby Bam croutons.

Ina Garten’s Asian Salmon and Crunchy Noodle Salad

Asian Salmon and Crunchy Noodle Salad
These two recipes are from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa show on Food Network. I LOVE watching Ina’s show, but I am actually pretty surprised to admit that this is the first time that I’ve tried one of her recipes. For as many time as I’ve watched her show, that really is kind of unbelievable.

So, the salad was an absolute success. I substituted whole wheat udon noodles for the spaghetti because, well…just because and I substituted black sesame seeds for the white ones because I think they’re prettier. I left out the parsley because it just didn’t seem “right” to me. If I had had some cilantro in the house, I would have added that, but I (strangely, for me) didn’t have any in the house, so I just left the chopped herb garnish off. Cilantro would have been really nice. This salad could easily adapt to whatever Asian (-ish) veggies you might have on hand: broccoli, water chestnuts, bok choy, snow peas, edamame, etc. It was delicious, as is, but wouldn’t have to be made exactly the same way. I also cut the amount of vegetable oil to 3/4 cup because 1 cup just seemed like SO much. I don’t like things that are really oily. My dressing may have been a little richer as a result (higher percentage of peanut butter), but it was perfect. Another 1/4 cup of oil would have been too much. If you’re calorie conscious, you could probably get away with leaving off the last 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dressing (add some vinegar and a bit more oil and the remaining dressing would be GREAT on an Asian chicken salad). It was plenty “saucy.”
The salmon? Well…I think I did something wrong. I’m used to thinking of panko as being crunchy and this salmon, after being doused with the (delicious but waaaaaay too salty for my taste) sauce, was just, well…soggy. The flavors were still good and the amount of sauce that soaked into the fish itself was perfect, but the sauce-soggy bread topping was just too wet and salty for me, but Hubby loved it, so make of that what you will. Boy loved it, but he, too, scraped off the breadcrumbs.
So, the salad? A make-again. The salmon? Probably not in its current incarnation, but with some adaptations, maybe.

Sweet Vermouth Chicken, Spinach-Rice Casserole, Flaky Blood Orange Tart

OK, so this isn’t exactly a menu I would put together if I were planning it from scratch, but I still have a TON of that leftover rice around here, so as I was searching through my recipe files *(see photo below), looking for a recipe that called for pre-cooked rice, I came across this … Continue reading “Sweet Vermouth Chicken, Spinach-Rice Casserole, Flaky Blood Orange Tart”

This stuff was a great big hit. Almost all of us had seconds. It was EASY. Not gourmet or even particularly healthy, but easy. It would be a little more complicated if you didn’t already have pre-cooked rice on hand, but not too bad. I used onion powder, instead of onion flakes and also added a little Baby Bam. If I make it again, I would probably use a little fresh, minced onion, sauteed in butter.

I’ve been planning to make this chicken for a while and already had the ingredients on hand. It’s adapted from this Cooking Light recipe.

The tart recipe was a timely find from last January’s Food & Wine magazine. I try to cook seasonally, but am frequently so far behind on reading my cooking periodicals that I end up using recipes from the same month of the previous year. Makes no sense, I know, but I recently did a HUGE clean-out of my recipe files and came across this one. An opportunity to make citrus supremes into a dessert? Perfect timing – see? – it’s January. Again.

Anyway…

We are huge fans of the seasonal Cara Cara oranges that are out right now. I’ve been making them into supremes for the kids’ lunches almost daily (her friends fight over any leftovers); I’ve used them in a rice pudding, I’ve baked them into cookies and Parisian macaroons, I’ve stirred them into cocktails. They are DELICIOUS. The tart calls for a TON of blood oranges and, while Cara Caras aren’t an EXACT substitution for blood oranges, they are close enough.

The tart has to freeze overnight, so we’ll have it tomorrow. Stay tuned for more info, but here are some photos from the tart prep:

My sink, after peeling 9 oranges. Hubby said it looked like some sort of weird “Top Chef” challenge.

When I’m not culling through my old recipe files (collected over the past 20 years or so from newspapers, cooking magazines and online sources), I’m scouring through my cookbooks:

Sauteed Apples

Girl asked for these apples recently, saying that she hadn’t had them in “a million years.” They are easy and very nutritious. They’re PERFECT with pork, but would also be great with chicken or even with breakfast.

Tarragon Roast Chicken, Potato Pancakes and Asparagus with Hollandaise

Although being able to make a good roast chicken is supposed to be the sign of a great cook (or maybe BECAUSE of this), I have been intimidated by roasting a whole chicken. The kids are usually a little frightened of meat that actually LOOKS like meat and prefer, boneless, skinless little portions of protein. In spite of all this, I decided to give roast chicken a try. I made this chicken by fusing together two roast chicken recipes:
the first one was included on the back of Colorado Spice Company’s Tarragon Chicken Rub and the second one is Ruth Reichl’s Roast Chicken recipe from her book Garlic and Sapphires (all three of her books are fabulous and you should read them NOW, if you haven’t already).

Basically, I followed the rub directions, but doubled the olive oil, because I was roasting two chickens, instead of one (as specified in the recipe), and then added the lemon and followed the time and temperature instructions in the Ruth Reichl recipe. My oven has a thermometer (as most ovens now do) that can be inserted into meat and then plugged into the side of the oven that will alert you when the interior of the meat has reached a certain, programmable temperature. I LOOOOVE this feature ~~because I’m lazy and forgetful~~ because it’s very helpful and convenient. The chicken turned out beautiful and juicy (although my camera flash makes it looks bland and pale). I will definitely be roasting chicken this way again.

For the potato pancakes, I used this recipe from epicurious. They were delicious, but when they tell you to press the moisture out of the potatoes, they aren’t kidding. Don’t try to save time on that step; you’ll regret it. We served them with sour cream on the side.

The hollandaise was left over from Boy’s special birthday breakfast and was delicious over some simple steamed asparagus.

We ate this dinner last night with my little brother and his wife, who announced to Boy and Girl (Hubby and I already knew) that they were going to have a new baby cousin in May! Little Brother has started a “New Dad” blog that you can check out here:
Little Brother’s “The New Dad” blog

It will be VERY exciting to have another little sprout around next year and Little Bro and his wife (who is a teacher) will make wonderful parents. We are VERY excited and plan to spoil this child rotten.

Spice-rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Fresh Lemon Rice

Mmmmm… Yet another pair of great Cooking Light recipes… Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Fresh Lemon Rice. These were both delicious and a big hit with everyone. If there’s anything that makes your kitchen smell better than bacon and onions cooking together, I don’t know what it is… …unless, maybe it’s Spice-Rubbed … Continue reading “Spice-rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Fresh Lemon Rice”

Mmmmm…

Yet another pair of great Cooking Light recipes…
Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Mustard BBQ Sauce
and Fresh Lemon Rice.

These were both delicious and a big hit with everyone.

If there’s anything that makes your kitchen smell better than bacon and onions cooking together, I don’t know what it is…

…unless, maybe it’s Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. This was really delicious and VERY easy.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables and Lime Vinaigrette

Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables and Lime Vinaigrette This recipe is from Family Fun magazine. I tore it out a looooooong time ago and have been meaning to try it. We usually do Israeli couscous a little simpler, like this, but this recipe came together really quickly and is pretty tasty. I did make … Continue reading “Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables and Lime Vinaigrette”

Israeli Couscous Salad with Summer Vegetables and Lime Vinaigrette

This recipe is from Family Fun magazine. I tore it out a looooooong time ago and have been meaning to try it. We usually do Israeli couscous a little simpler, like this, but this recipe came together really quickly and is pretty tasty. I did make a few modifications:

I toasted the couscous in a pan with a miniscule amount of olive oil before boiling it. Also, I sauteed the squash and zucchini (in the same pan, with a bit of olive oil, just after toasting the couscous), instead of boiling it, because, boiling? Ewww.

Tasty, easy and a hit with all four of us, but it needs something. I will be making it again and I think I’ll again some lightly sauteed (with the squashes) garlic and/or onion and maybe some frozen (thawed) baby peas and grated carrot. It would make a really nice main dish (great for a potluck!) with some grilled and chilled, chopped chicken. Maybe a little chopped cucumber and/or tomato (halved grape tomatoes?), too?

Yum….

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Wicked good…. Baked Macaroni and Cheese 3/4 lb of your favorite pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained 1 stick butter plus 3 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup flour 2 cups milk 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese a dash of Worcestershire sauce 1 cup dry bread crumbs (I use half regular and half panko) … Continue reading “Baked Macaroni and Cheese”

Wicked good….

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

3/4 lb of your favorite pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 stick butter plus 3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I use half regular and half panko)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

seasoning options:
dash of dry mustard
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of paprika
dash of Baby Bam
dash of my new favorite seasoning (Simply Organic all-purpose seasoning – salt free!)
salt and pepper (white pepper is great, if you have it on hand)
finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley? oregano?)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour and cook until fully incorporated and thickened (2 – 3 minutes?). Stir in milk and continue cooking and whisking until smooth, thick and warmed through. Stir in 2 3/4 cups of the cheddar cheese to blend. Add seasonings as desired. Pour over pasta and stir to thoroughly coat. Pour into lightly greased baking pan. Melt remaining butter and blend with breadcrumbs, remaining 1/4 cup cheedar and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over pasta/cheese in the pan. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread crumbs are toasted and cheese is golden and bubbling.

Kids will ask for seconds, guaranteed.

Corn Pudding Casserole

This is one of those great, old-fashioned “back of the box” kind of comfort food recipes. This is just the perfect yummy, creamy thing to accompany almost any kind of roasted meat or something like BBQ chicken. There are a million different versions of this dish available online, but I like this one the best. … Continue reading “Corn Pudding Casserole”

Corn Pudding

1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix (I use “Jiffy”)
1 egg
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 can (regular size, about 15 oz, I think?) whole kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
a sprinkle of Baby Bam seasoning (1/4 tsp?)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a lightly greased 2 quart casserole. Bake for about 45 minutes (or until pudding is solid and lightly browned).

Stuffed Pasta Shells with two sauces (both vegetarian)

Boy doesn’t care for tomato sauce, so when I was making stuffed shells for dinner tonight, I thought I’d try to come up with an alternate sauce for him. Hubby, Girl and I loved the tomato sauce version and Boy really loved the Parmesan-Pesto version. The two sauces might even be really good if you … Continue reading “Stuffed Pasta Shells with two sauces (both vegetarian)”

Boy doesn’t care for tomato sauce, so when I was making stuffed shells for dinner tonight, I thought I’d try to come up with an alternate sauce for him. Hubby, Girl and I loved the tomato sauce version and Boy really loved the Parmesan-Pesto version. The two sauces might even be really good if you combined them, or baked a batch of shells that are drizzled with a little of each sauce, in the same pan.

Stuffed Pasta Shells with Two Sauces

For shells:
1 12-oz package jumbo pasta shells
1 15-oz tub ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
8 oz frozen spinach, cooked according to package directions
1/2 tsp. Baby Bam seasoning
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta shells in salted water according to package directions. Drain and discard any broken or torn shells.

Squeeze all excess water out of the spinach and place it in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the Baby Bam, mozzarella, eggs, ricotta and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined. Stuff each of the shells with 2 – 3 Tbsp. of the ricotta mixture and place all of them, except 8, in a large baking dish. Place the remaining 8 shells in a smaller baking dish and set aside.

Top the large dish of shells with the pasta sauce and sprinkle with half of the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

For Pesto-Parmesan Cream sauce:
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 and 1/2 cup liquid, either chicken stock or milk
(or a combination of both – I used 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup chicken stock)
1/4 tsp. Baby Bam seasoning
2 to 3 Tbsp. prepared pesto sauce
5 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, divided

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, whisk in the flour until well blended. Cook, whisking continuously, for 1 to 2 minutes or until very thick. Slowly pour in 1 cup of the liquid, continuously whisking, until well combined. Turn heat down to low and whisk in Baby Bam, pesto and 4 Tbsp. of the cheese. Continue to simmer until sauce reaches the desired consistency (somewhere between yogurt and melted ice cream), adding the remaining 1/2 cup liquid, if necessary. You want the sauce to be thick, but still pourable, because it will thicken a little as it bakes. Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 of the sauce over the reserved 8 stuffed shells and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of cheese.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Reserve remaining sauce for another use (pour over cooked pasta and add some grilled chicken?).