Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Side dish’ Category

Creamy baked aubergines

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 10 October 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a really rich and delicious side dish though you could also serve it as a veggie main with some rice. We went for lamb steaks.

Creamy baked aubergines – to serve 2 as a main or 4 as a side

  • 1 very large or 2 small aubergines
  • 1 medium onion
  • olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 400ml whipping or double cream
  • Parmesan

Cut the aubergines into long thin slices. Put the slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave for half an hour or more, until they have gone a bit floppy, then rinse and dry.

Peel and thinly slice the onion, then cook is some olive oil until softened, but not coloured. Peel and slice the garlic and add to the onion as it cooks. Put the onions and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Add a bit more oil to the pan and add the aubergine. Cook until golden, but not brown, on both sides. Drain well on kitchen paper so the dish doesn’t end up too oily.

Lay the aubergine slices in the baking dish on top of the onion, seasoning with salt, pepper and thyme leaves as you go. Pour the cream over the top, scatter over a couple of spoonfuls of grated Parmesan and bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 35-45 minutes, until bubbling and turning brown.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Tender Volume 1, Fourth Estate 2009.)

Read Full Post »

Stir Fried Sweetcorn

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , on 15 August 2012| Leave a Comment »

We could have eaten buckets of this, it was so tasty! Locally grown corn cobs usually hit the shops in September but as the seasons seem to be all out this year, we’ll have to wait and see. To remove the corn form the cobs you need to tear off the husks, then run a knife downwards to remove the kernels – easy!

Stir-fried corn with chilli, ginger, garlic and parsley – to serve 2 as a side dish 

  • fresh corn kernels (one corn cob per person)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp if chopped ginger
  • 1 tsp of chopped chilli
  • a handful of chopped parsley
  • 1-2 tbsp soy sauce

Get your wok nice and hot. Heat the oil, then add the corn and stir-fry along with the ginger and chopped chilli.

When the corn is almost cooked, add the parsley and soy sauce and toss through.

Tastes really good with roast chicken and potatoes!

(Original recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Dinners, Penguin 2004.)

Read Full Post »

Greek Briam (oven-baked vegetables with fresh herbs)

Posted in Food, Greek, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 17 July 2012| 8 Comments »

This has such great flavours that we made it two days in a row – it’s even great cold the next day so don’t be put off by the large quantities. Serve with barbecue lamb or just some feta cheese.

Briam – to serve 8 

  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a bit extra to grease the tin
  • 500g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut lengthways into ½ cm thick slices
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 large courgettes, sliced
  • 1 large aubergine, cut into 1cm thick slices
  • 1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1 large red pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1 large red onion, thickly sliced
  • 15-20g dill sprigs
  • 15-20g flat-leaf parsley sprigs
  • 200ml passata

Preheat the oven to 190ºC.

Oil a large roasting tin (about 26 x 36 cm) well and spread the potatoes on the base in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, then scatter over the garlic and courgettes. Season again, then add a layer each of the aubergine, peppers and onion, seasoning between each layer. Scatter over half the dill and parsley sprigs, cover with tomato slices and then add the rest of the herbs and season again. Pour the sieved tomatoes over the top, followed by the olive oil.

Cover the roasting tin tightly with foil and bake for about 1½ hours or until the vegetables are tender.

If you have a lot of juices in the tin, carefully pour them into a wide pan and boil until reduced and concentrated. Pour back over the vegetables and leave to cool a bit before serving.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

Read Full Post »

Delicious Greek Yogurt Dip

Posted in Food, Greek, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 16 July 2012| 1 Comment »

The best Tzatziki we’ve made with great flavour and a really thick creamy texture. Totally different to the watery shop-bought versions. Serve with lightly toasted pitta breads, for dipping, or Greek lamb kebabs.

Tzatziki – to serve 6 

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 500g natural Greek ewe’s milk yogurt (‘Total’ if you can find it – don’t buy a low-fat version for this)
  • 75g scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar

Peel most of the skin off the cucumber but not all of it. Coarsely grate the cucumber, put into a clean tea towel and squeeze out most of the excess liquid.

Crush the garlic into a smooth paste by adding a large pinch of salt and crushing on a board with the back of a large knife.

Put the yogurt into a bowl and stir in the cucumber, garlic, scallions, dill or mint, olive oil, vinegar and some seasoning.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

Read Full Post »

New Potatoes with Rosemary

Posted in Food, Italian, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 20 June 2012| 3 Comments »

Rosemary flavoured potatoes are available everywhere in Tuscany and we love them!

Patatine Novelle al Rosmario – to serve 4

  • 25g butter
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 1 fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 750g new potatoes

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add the rosemary, garlic and new potatoes, then cover. Cook on a low heat until golden brown. Discard the garlic and rosemary and sprinkle with some sea salt to serve.

(Original recipe from The Silver Spoon, Phaidon Press Ltd. 2005)

Read Full Post »

Jamie’s Favourite Coleslaw

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 5 June 2012| 28 Comments »

This is really fresh and tasty and a million miles better than the gloopy shop bought stuff. It’s also really handy to make if you have a food processor; use the slicing attachment for the cabbage and onion and the julienne attachment for the carrots and apples. Great side dish for a barbecue.

My Favourite Coleslaw – to serve 6

  • ½ a white cabbage, core removed and cut into quarters
  • 1 small red onion, peeled
  • 3 carrots, peeled
  • 2 red apples, washed and cored
  • a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
  • juice of 1-2 lemons
  • some mayonnaise
  • 1 heaped tsp English mustard

Slice the cabbage as finely as possible or slice using a food processor. Then slice the onion in the same way and mix with the cabbage in a large bowl.

Julienne the carrots and apples with a mandolin or food processor or cut into matchsticks. Add to the bowl along with the chopped parsley, a few dollops of mayonnaise and the mustard. You can adjust the quantities of lemon juice and mayonnaise to how you like it. We just added the juice from one lemon and a few good dollops of mayonnaise. Season to taste and toss together.

Et voila!

(Original recipe by Jamie Oliver in, Cook with Jamie, Penguin Books, 2006.)

Read Full Post »

Crispy New Potatoes

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 30 May 2012| 5 Comments »

My Dad keeps talking about these potatoes that I made before which he says I squashed a bit and then put them in the oven to crisp up. I had no recollection of these squashed, crispy potatoes until I came across these. Is this them Dad? If so I’ll make them for you next time I see you.

Crispy New Potatoes – to serve 4

  • 16 smallish new potatoes, leave the skins on
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • paprika

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, drain and then put back on the warm ring to dry off. Spread the potatoes out on a baking tray and squash them a bit using a potato masher. Be careful here as you only want them a bit squashed and not completely smashed (though I smashed one or two and it just made them even more crispy so don’t worry too much).

Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle over a little paprika, salt and pepper. Now roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until nice and crispy.

Read Full Post »

More Courgettes!

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 26 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

We eat tonnes of courgettes over the summer months so it’s good to try some new ways to cook them. This makes a great side dish for a barbecue.

Courgettes with crispy cheese crumbs – to serve 4

  • 6 courgettes, cut into chunky batons
  • pinch dried chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 85g dried or stale breadcrumbs
  • 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
  • 4 tbsp passata

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the courgettes in a baking dish or roasting tin and toss with the chilli, thyme and 1 tbsp oil and seasoning.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Mix the rest of the oil with the garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and some seasoning.

Stir the passata into the courgettes, sprinkle with the cheesey crumbs and bake for another 10-15 minutes until crispy.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Zucchini Fritte

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 24 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a really simple courgette side dish. Don’t worry about cooking the courgettes at the last minute as they taste just as good at room temperature, so cook them a little in advance.

Fried courgettes – to serve 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 courgettes, sliced
  • ½ red chilli, sliced into rings
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • handful parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then fry the courgettes for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown.

Add the chilli and garlic and fry for a further minute. Season with salt, then toss with the parsley and serve.

Read Full Post »

Harissa Sweet Potato Wedges

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 22 May 2012| 7 Comments »

Healthy side-dish with delicious flavour. We had these with a barbecue and they tasted great. Serve with some sour cream and chives if you have it – or mayo!

Harissa sweet potato wedges – to serve 4

  • 1kg sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedgees
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the wedges with the harissa in a bowl and then transfer to a baking tray and cook for 40-45 minutes.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Stoved potatoes

Posted in Food, Potato, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , on 16 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

These are yummy and give a totally different texture to new potatoes. Keep turning them regularly so you get them nice and brown all over.

Stoved potatoes – to serve 6

  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 500g baby new potatoes

Melt the butter in a large frying pan with a lid. Wait until it foams before adding the potatoes. Turn the potatoes and make sure they all get coated in butter and are in a single layer. Sprinkle over some salt.

Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes, shaking the pan regularly, until the potatoes are tender. Leave them in the hot butter until you’re ready to serve them and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Read Full Post »

Green beans with shallots

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 2 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is an easy and absolutely delicious way to serve green beans. It even perked up ones that had flown from very far away as our local shop hasn’t got the new season ones yet…any day now we hope!

Green beans with shallots – to serve 6 as a side dish

  • 400g green beans
  • 25g butter
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped

Cook the green beans in boiling, salted water for a few minutes, until just tender. Drain and cool under cold running water. (You can do this up to a day before and keep them in a plastic bag in the fridge).

Heat the butter in a large frying pan until foaming, add the shallots and cook for 4-5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Throw in the beans and toss to coat, then cook for a final couple of minutes until heated through, then season.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Our Best Gratin Dauphinoise

Posted in Food, Potato, Side dish, Vegetarian on 4 April 2012| 2 Comments »

We’ve made many a dauphinoise but we particularly like this one as the potatoes are cooked in the milk and cream before they go in the oven. This not only ensures that the potatoes are cooked through but also gives it a nice thick sauce as the starch from the potatoes is released into the liquid. You can make this up to the point of baking the day before, cool, cover and keep in the fridge then reheat covered with foil for 15 minutes at 170ºC, fan 150ºC, gas 3. Increase the oven to 190ºC, fan 170ºC, gas 5, remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes.

Gratin Dauphinois – serves 6 as a side dish

  • 340ml whole milk
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 284ml double cream
  • whole nutmeg, for grating (optional)
  • 1.25kg potatoes, peeled, washed and well-drained
  • 175g Gruyère, grated
You also need a 28 x 20 cm ovenproof dish, 6 cm deep.
Preheat the oven to 190ºC, fan 170ºC, gas 5. In a large shallow saucepan bring the milk to the boil with the garlic, add the double cream, stir well and season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg (if you like).

Cut the potatoes into 5mm thick slices, season and add to the liquid. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are just cooked. Turn (rather than stir) the potatoes every 5 minutes or so to ensure they don’t catch on the bottom. Gently fold in half the cheese. Pour the mixture into your gratin dish and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake on the middle oven shelf for about 20-25 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Great match for roast lamb or beef.

Wine Suggestion: If like us you’re serving this with something meaty, you could go for a Pinot Noir which should have enough acidity to balance the richness or a good Syrah from the northern Rhône.

(Original recipe by Alex Mackay for Sainsbury’s Magazine, March 2006.)

Read Full Post »

Light & Spicy Potato Salad

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 25 January 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is scrummy! Like a potato salad but nice and light as it’s mostly low-fat yogurt rather than mayo. We served it with some spicy fish but it would also be great for a barbecue or a party. A dish we’ll definitely be repeating.

Potato salad with curried mayo – to serve 8

  • 1.25 kg salad potatoes, halved if big
  • bunch of scallions
  • 1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbsp Madras curry paste (or whatever you have)
  • 200g low-fat natural yogurt
  • 4 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 4 sticks celery, thickly sliced

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the white bulb end of the scallions and keep the green parts. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop and hop around. Add the chopped scallion and curry paste. Cook, stirring all the time, for a couple of minutes.

Tip the mixture into a big bowl and stir in the yogurt and mayonnaise with lots of salt and black pepper. You can leave the potato skins on or off.

Chop all but 2 of the green onion stems and add to the dressing along with the potatoes and celery and carefully mix it all together.

Pile the potatoes into a serving dish. Cut the leftover scallion stems into long shreds and scatter them over the salad with the mustard seeds.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Read Full Post »

Waldorf Salad

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , on 22 January 2012| Leave a Comment »

Remember this? It made a fab lunch with some bacon and onion bread and lettuce.

Waldorf Salad – a big bowl

  • 1 apple, cut into bite-size chunks
  • 1 large orange, cut into segments
  • 2 sticks celery, chopped
  • a handful of walnuts
  • mayonnaise

Throw all of the above into a big bowl and give it a stir! Serve in a cos lettuce leaf with some nice bread.

Read Full Post »

Fondant Baby Spuds

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , on 20 December 2011| Leave a Comment »

Jules made a fab dish that we’ll definitely do again! She says she was all inspired by Masterchef where they never have time to cook them through properly. Cook these when you’re not in a hurry.

Baby Potato Fondants – to serve 8

  • 1kg baby potatoes
  • 1 whole garlic clove, smashed once
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 200ml dry white wine
  • 50g butter

Put the potatoes, garlic and bay leaves in a large sauté pan with a lid. Add the wine and butter and put the lid on. Simmer for about an hour or until the wine has evaporated and the potatoes are coated in buttery juices.

Turn the heat down to low and sizzle the potatoes in the butter, shaking and turning them until completely cook through and crispy and brown on the outside (like the pic). Serve with a bit of sea salt over the top and whatever else you’ve cooked.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, December 2011.)

Read Full Post »

Parmesan Garlic Bread

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , on 18 December 2011| Leave a Comment »

Totally garlic infused and encrusted … yum! Best served in the foil to tear and share – the cheese goes stringy as you rip it apart. Best not to eat before a first date but good to share on a second!

Parmesan Garlic Bread – to serve 4

  • 100g softened butter
  • 2/3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • a handful of chopped parsley
  • 50g coarsely grated Parmesan
  • a small baguette

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7.

Mash the butter in a bowl until creamy then mix in the garlic, parsley and Parmesan.

Cut slices into the baguette but make sure you don’t slice the whole way through. Put the baguette on a large piece of tinfoil.

Stuff the garlic butter between the slices. Wrap the bread loosely and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Open the foil up to expose the bread and bake for another 5 minutes so it’s crunchy on top and drenched with cheesy garlic butter. Heaven!

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater Real Food, Fourth Estate, 1998.)

Read Full Post »

Irish Champ

Posted in Food, Irish Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 26 November 2011| 7 Comments »

We love  champ, and this recipe adds an extra layer of deliciousness. This idea is from Jamie’s latest book and we especially liked the addition of yellow celery leaves at the end.

King of mash: Irish champ

  • 1kg potatoes
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 leek
  • 150ml milk
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • 50g butter
  • a small handful of watercress (we omitted this as there was none in the shop)
  • a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
  • a small handful of yellow celery leaves

Peel the potatoes and bring a large pan of  salted water to the boil. Cut the potatoes into 2.5cm chunks then add to the pan and boil fast for 12-15 minutes, or until completely tender.

Meanwhile, slice the scallions and leeks as finely as you can. Put them in a saucepan with the milk, bay leaf, butter and plenty of seasoning. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 7-8 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for a few minutes in the hot pot. Mash the potatoes, adding spoonfuls of the milk as you go. Taste and season. Roughly chop the watercress (if using) and stir through the mash (discard any thick stalks).

Just before serving reheat the mash with a lid on over a gentle heat. Stir in the parsley and celery leaves and serve with more butter if you like.

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Great Britain by Jamie Oliver, Penguin, 2011.)

Read Full Post »

Cheat’s Funghi Trifolati

Posted in Food, Italian, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 9 November 2011| 2 Comments »

Because we’re not blessed by abundant fresh Porcini like the Italians we need to be a little inventive to capture the flavours and effect of a genuinely Italian recipe; this one delivers the goods in spades. If you find some fresh porcini grab them with both hands but otherwise try this mixture of wild mushrooms and a handful of dried porcini to boost the flavour.

Funghi Trifolati (Sautéed Mushrooms with Parsley & Garlic) – to serve 4 as a side dish

  • 25g dried porcini
  • 500g fresh mushrooms, use a mixture of wild and cultivated
  • 2 shallots
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 15g unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Put the dried porcini in a bowl, cover with hot water and leave for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean the fresh mushrooms – wiping them with kitchen paper should be sufficient rather than washing them. Cut them into thick slices.

Lift the porcini out of the water and cut into small pieces.

Finely chop the shallots, put them in a large sauté pan and sauté with the olive oil and butter until soft. Add the garlic, half the parsley, a little salt and lots of pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute and then add the porcini. Cook for 5 minutes or so and then throw in the fresh mushrooms and some parsley. Cook over a fairly high heat for about 10 minutes, making sure mushrooms don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. There should be very little liquid left by the end of the cooking.

Sprinkle with the last bit of parsley before serving.

(Original recipe by Anna Del Conte, Gastronomy of Italy, Pavilion Books, 2001.)

Read Full Post »

A Blackberry and Apple Sauce for Pork or Duck

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 8 November 2011| 2 Comments »

We made this sauce as an incidental side to some duck legs and the side trumped the main … so much so that the legs will not be reviewed but this sauce definitely will! The revelation for us is the baking of the apples whole which seems to add something special.

Apple and blackberry sauce – to serve 4 (or more) on the side

  • 4 large Bramley apples
  • 150g blackberries
  • a little icing sugar
Score the skin of the apples round the middle to prevent explosions and put them in a baking dish. Bake at 180ºC/Gas 4 or thereabouts for about 40 minutes or until they have puffed up and the apple is soft and frothy.

Put the blackberries into a small pan with a tbsp of water and bring to the boil. Crush lightly with a fork.

Scrape the apple flesh off the skins into a bowl. Beat the sugar in with a fork and stir in the crushed blackberries.

(Original recipe by Nigel Slater, Tender: Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010).

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »