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Posts Tagged ‘side dish’

A Lighter Potato Salad

Posted in Food, Side dish, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 4 August 2011| Leave a Comment »

Potato salad is one of those recipes that needs a friend. We’ve paired this really well: some barbequed sausages and a bean salad with some hazelnuts – it worked superbly. This is a light version – not too heavy on the mayo.

Potato salad with yogurt dijon dressing  – serves 8

  • 1 kg small new potatoes
  • 2 tbsp natural yogurt
  • 1 tbsp mayo
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • some finely chopped parsley

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until cooked but still firm and not falling apart – around 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

Mix together the yogurt, mayo, mustard and parsley (reserving a little parsley to serve).

Toss the cooled potatoes with the yogurt mixture and some seasoning, sprinkle over the rest of the parsley.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Super sides for last night’s stew

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 23 May 2011| 1 Comment »

We like leftovers and at the same time we don’t cause it means we don’t get to cook anything new for dinner. Our way around this is to cook some tasty side dishes which we often neglect in favour of the main event.

We picked up some new season ‘blue danube’ potatoes, carrot, chard (or Silverbeet as Jono would say), and onions at the market on Sunday and made two tasty treats to brighten up the leftover peposo (see post below).

New potatoes and onions – to serve 2

  • 15g butter
  • 2 onions, halved and sliced fine
  • a big sprig of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive ol
  • 3oog cooked new potatoes, cooled and sliced thick
  • a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine
Heat the butter in a shallow pan and cook the onions on low, with the thyme and bay leaves, for 20 minutes or until very soft.
Turn the heat up to medium and cook for another 5 minutes or so to make the onions golden and sticky.
Add olive oil and add the sliced potatoes. Fry for 10 minutes until golden (they won’t crisp up much because of the onions but they’ll taste good).
Just before serving toss in parsley and season.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Jono’s Silverbeet and Carrots
  • Swiss chard (silverbeet)
  • Carrots
  • Butter
Rinse the chard and remove the stalks. Chop the stalks coarsely and cut the chard into ribbons, as you would cabbage.
Simmer some chopped carrots in a small amount of water and a good knob of butter for about 10 minutes. Add the chard stalks and cook for another 7 minutes. Add the ribbons of chard for the last 3-4 minutes. Season well and drain off any excess liquid.
(Original recipe Jono)

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Chinese side dish: Broccoli with Cashews & Oyster Sauce

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 February 2011| 4 Comments »

Stir-fried broccoli with cashews & oyster sauce – serves 6

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 100g unsalted cashews
  • 2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets (we cut up the stalks too)
  • 3 tbsp oyster sauce, or more if you like

Heat a little bit of the oil in a wok and toast the cashew nuts until they start to turn golden. Tip them out of the pan, then add the rest of the oil.

Stir-fry the broccoli for a couple of minutes until it turns bright green. Add a splash of water, then cover with a lid and steam for about 4 minutes or until the stems are tender – watch that it doesn’t dry out!

Push the broccoli to the side of the pan and pour the oyster sauce into the other side. Bring to the boil and stir into the broccoli. Toss in the cashews and serve with Chinese food (we had spring rolls and prawn toast).

Original recipe from BBC Good Food.

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Sunday steak with two good sides and a nice Italian red

Posted in Food, Italy, Side dish, Vegetarian, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , on 13 February 2011| 1 Comment »

BBQ Steak

We don’t need to tell you how to do this, but we used sirloins which tend to be tastier than fillets and our trusty barbeque – I don’t know how we could live without it!

Root Vegetable Mash (serves 4)

This is really tasty and a nice change from the usual mash. We’re using the leftovers for bangers and mash tomorrow night.

 

  • 2 large baking potatoes, cut into chunks
  • half a turnip, cut into chunks
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 25g butter

 

 

 

Put the potatoes, turnip and carrots in a large pan of salted water and bring to the boil.

Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, then drain and mash.

Add butter and plenty of salt and pepper.

 

Roast field mushrooms (serves 2)

  • 8 field mushrooms
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
  • olive oil
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C.

Put the mushrooms in a small roasting tin and top with garlic and thyme.

Sprinkle over the Worcestershire sauce and a little oil.

Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.

Discard the foil and toss the mushrooms around in their juice. Return to oven for another 20 minutes.

Season and add lemon juice and parsley.

Wine Suggestion: This worked great with this Barbera from Italy: Tenuta Olim Bauda Barbera d’Asti Superiore, Nizza, 2007.

From what is regarded as the best vineyard area for Barbera in Piedmont, Italy (the home of the grape) this wine has good depth and really nice personality.

Aromas and flavours of dark cherries, chocolate, menthol, nuttiness, pencil shavings and tobacco. The medium body works well with the depth of flavours and the lovely freshness of acidity, which is common in Italian wines. A wine of charm and thoroughly enjoyed by us.

Available from The Lighthouse in Whiteabbey Village, Newtownabbey for just over 20 pounds and well worth it.

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Creamy baked Brussels sprouts with stilton

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23 January 2011| 5 Comments »

Each time we see this recipe in Nigel Slater’s Tender Vol. 1 we salivate. We had almost forgotten about Brussels sprouts after having so many over Christmas. Just as well we caught them while still in season cause we definitely weren’t prepared to wait another year to try this. Stick a dish of these down in front of someone who doesn’t like sprouts and we defy them not to like them.

These were perfect with our barbecued striploin steaks (as ever from Tom in O’Toole’s in Glasthule village) though Nigel suggests they could also be served as a main with pasta – Jono has already swiped the leftovers to try with pasta for his lunch tomorrow!

A rich dish of sprouts and cheese for a very cold night (serves 4 as a side dish)

  • 750g Brussels sprouts
  • butter
  • 180g blue cheese – we used Colston Bassett Stilton
  • 1 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 400ml cream
  • 100ml milk
  • a handful of finely grated Parmesan

Prep your sprouts and cut them in half. Bring a large pot of water to a fast boil, salt lightly, and drop in the sprouts. Bring back to the boil and time for 3 minutes. Drain well and place them in a lightly buttered, shallow, ovenproof dish.

Crumble the blue cheese over the sprouts.

Put the mustard in a bowl and stir in cream, milk and a good twist of black pepper. Stir and then pour over your sprouts. Scatter the Parmesan over the top and bake at 180C/gas 4 until lightly coloured and bubbling (about 15-20 minutes).

Yum!!!!

 

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Gigantes Plaki

Posted in Food, Greek, tagged , , , , on 3 January 2011| Leave a Comment »

A classic from Greece that we’ve been wanting to do for ages – really Greek Baked Beans, but much more exciting than the tinned variety we’re used to! We served these with barbecued sausages but they’d go with any grilled meat, or just as they are with some crumbled feta cheese over the top.

Gigantes Plaki – a huge pot full

  • 500g dried butter beans
  • olive oil
  • an onion, finely chopped
  • 3 rashers top quality smoked streaky bacon
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 2 carrots, finely sliced
  • 4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • small bunch flat parsley
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • red wine vinegar

Soak the butterbeans overnight in plenty of cold water.

The next day, drain the beans, put them in the pan and cover again with lots of cold water. Put the pan on a high heat and when it comes to the boil, turn the heat down and leave to simmer gently for about an hour, or until soft and tender (this can take quite a bit longer if your beans are old). Skim off any foam that comes to the top as they cook. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4, put a lug of olive oil into a big casserole on a medium heat and gently fry the onion and bacon, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, then add the carrots, fresh tomatoes, tomato puree and bay leaves. Chop the parsley and stir it in too. Add a splash of red wine vinegar and lots of seasoning. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes.

Add some more seasoning and tip in the drained beans. Stir well, then cover the pan with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour, until the beans are really soft and a lot of the liquid has been absorbed.

That’s it!

Original recipe in Jamie does…

Wine suggestion: A juicy and easy Cotes du Rhone Villages.

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Roasted beetroot with watercress & horseradish apple sauce

Posted in Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 5 December 2010| Leave a Comment »

This is the first of three side dishes which we served with a delicious baked ham (scroll down to see the other dishes and final result).

If you are having guests between now and Christmas we highly recommend this tasty menu (much of which can be prepared in advance). We served this up on a Friday night after work, as part of the Irish Foodies Christmas Cookalong,  and it was entirely hassle free.

We boiled the ham and roasted the beetroot the night before.

Menu to serve 8:

  • Ginger beer & tangerine glazed ham
  • Roasted beetroot with watercress & horseradish apple sauce
  • Chilli & tangerine braised lentils
  • Roasted cauliflower with garlic, bay & lemon

Roasted beetroot with watercress & horseradish apple sauce (to feed 8 as a side dish)

1kg raw unpeeled beetroot

2 apples, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cider or red wine vinegar

6 tbsp freshly grated horseradish

4 tbsp soured cream

watercress

  • Heat oven to 180C (gas 6). Leave the beetroot whole – wash and pat dry.
  • Wrap individually in foil and roast until tender (1-2 hours depending on how big they are). Cool in the foil before peeling.
  • Heat a small frying pan and toss in the apples with the sugar and a tbsp of water. Cover and cook until mushy. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar and whizz in a food processor (or use a hand blender).
  • Stir the horseradish and sour cream into the sauce and season with salt.
  • To serve, cut the beetroot into wedges, put in a bowl and mix with the sauce. Serve on a bed of watercress.

Click here for original recipe from BBC Good Food.

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Chilli & tangerine braised lentils

Posted in Side dish, tagged , , , on 5 December 2010| Leave a Comment »


Chilli & tangerine braised lentils (to serve 8 as a side dish)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery stick, finely chopped

2 red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

450g dried Puy lentils, rinsed

1.2 litres hot ham cooking liquor (see recipe below)

zest and juice of 3 tangerine, plus juice of 3 reserved from ham recipe below

2 tbsp creme fraiche

bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

  • Heat the oil in a big saucepan and add the carrot, onion, celery, chilies and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until starting to soften.
  • Add the rinsed lentils, pour on the hot cooking liquor and two-thirds of the tangerine juice, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add more liquor if the lentils look dry.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the tangerine zest and remaining juice. Season and allow to cool a bit before stirring in creme fraiche and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature (we preferred them warm).

Click here for the original recipe from BBC Good Food.

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Roasted cauliflower with garlic, bay & lemon

Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , on 5 December 2010| Leave a Comment »

To serve 8 people as a side dish.

2 heads cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces

1 garlic bulb, split into cloves, unpeeled

6 bay leaves, stalks removed, finely chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • Heat oven to 180C (gas 6). Toss the cauliflower, garlic, bay leaves, lemon and olive oil together in a big bowl and season generously.
  • Spread between a couple of baking trays and roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway, until al dente and caramelised.

Click here for the original recipe on BBC Good Food.

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Festive Sides: No. 2 & 3

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , on 1 December 2010| Leave a Comment »

Stuffed chicken legs with roasted Jerusalem artichokes and Parmesan broccoli

Confession: we didn’t actually bone and stuff the chicken legs. Our lovely butcher Tom, in O’Toole’s (Glasthule), did the hard work for us tonight! But we did make another couple of seasonal side dishes and we plan to make many more in December when there is so much entertaining to be done.

Jerusalem artichokes are bang in season at the moment and if you roast them with their skins on you will get lovely creamy insides with a chewy exterior that really tastes like nothing else on earth. Give your artichokes a good scrub, cut in half lengthways and toss in some olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Stick them in a tin and roast at 170C (gas 5) for 40-50 minutes until very tender and looking lovely.

To perk up your broccoli, cook it in some salted water until tender, then drain. Melt a slice of butter in a big frying pan and add the broccoli when the butter sizzles. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle in some Parmesan. Stir to cover the broccoli in the butter and cheese and serve with a bit more grated Parmesan over the top.

Enjoy.

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Festive side: No. 1

Posted in Food, Side dish, tagged , , , , on 12 November 2010| Leave a Comment »

Because we had pancetta, chestnuts and parsley that needed to be used in the fridge we thought we’d try out our first festive side of the season.

The result … yum!

  • Cook 500g of brussels sprouts in boiling water for around 5 minute or until cooked.
  • Meanwhile cook 125g pancetta in a little bit of vegetable oil until bronzed and crisp.
  • Add a large knob of butter and 100g cookedchestnuts – squashing the chestnuts to break them up a bit.
  • Add 25ml Marsala and reduce to a syrup.
  • Add the drained Brussel Sprouts, toss and add some parsley and lots of black pepper.
  • Enjoy.

Credit to Nigella – recipe from Feast.

Jono

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