Side dish

Roasted Broccoli Florets with Toasted Breadcrumb Gremolata
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Roasted Broccoli Florets with Toasted Breadcrumb Gremolata

My husband loves the idea of vegetables. He loves to eat them when they are disguised.
I was not sure he would eat these but he cleaned the plate. The roasting brings out a sweet nuttiness and these make a wonderful side dish to anything! This was adapted from the New California Cookbook. Full disclosure: I actually used a brioche hot dog bun for the breadcrumbs and it was fabulous.

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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (optional)
  • 1  broccoli crown, stems removed, tops cut into florets
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot; sauté until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs; toast until golden, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to small bowl. Mix in lemon peel. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss broccoli with remaining 3 tablespoons oil in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread out onto large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until stems are crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle gremolata over and serve.

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Corn Spoon Bread
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Corn Spoon Bread

This is a wonderful and addictive side dish. I served it for Thanksgiving and it was so easy. It would also be wonderful with easter ham. It is made in the crockpot so no need to take up room on the stove or in the oven. Also warms up well (if any is leftover!).

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Ingredients

 

  • 1 package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup 2% milk
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 1 can cream style corn (14 oz)
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Gradually beat in eggs. Beat in the milk, butter, salt, pepper until blended. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour into greased 3 Quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Crockpot Cranberry Butter
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Crockpot Cranberry Butter

 

thanksgiving177.jpgLet the crockpot do all the work for this great side dish! Just in time for Thanksgiving.
I plan to serve this with buttermilk biscuits tomorrow. Just a little twist on an old favorite. It will be good on sandwiches, too! This is tart and sweet, you can also make with apples.
I found this recipe on the blog “the View from the Great Island”.

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Ingredients

  • 2 12-oz bags of cranberries, rinsed
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup apple cider

Instructions

  1. Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and stir to combine well. Turn on high. Let it cook for about 2 hours or until the cranberries are soft.
  2. Remove the cinnamon stick and puree the mixture in a food processor. Do this in two batches. Be careful as the mixture is hot, I cover the top opening of the machine with a dish cloth. Let the machine run for a full minute to puree the cranberries very finely.
  3. Force the cranberry puree through a mesh sieve or strainer. Push forcefully with the back of a spoon to get as much cranberry puree as you can. Discard the solids.
  4. Pour the puree back into the crockpot. Turn the crockpot to high, and leave the lid ajar. Cook until thickened, approximately another 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Put the cranberry butter into clean jars with tight fitting lids and let cool. Store in the refrigerator and consume within a month.
Quinoa with Swiss Chard and Pine Nuts with Honey Peanut Butter Dressing
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Quinoa with Swiss Chard and Pine Nuts with Honey Peanut Butter Dressing

I served this as a side dish with grilled chicken. My husband wants to eat greens but he does not actually LIKE greens… so I find ways to disguise them. This was perfect. I used Rainbow Swiss Chard but you could use spinach, too. This is a great way to use up leftover quinoa.

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Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa, cooked as directed
1/2 a bunch of Swiss Chard or other greens stems removed and roughly chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/3 cup of dried cherries
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (peanuts or cashews are also good)

Dressing

3 Tbs peanut butter powder, combined with 1 1/2 Tbs water*
(or 3 Tbs creamy peanut butter)
1 Tsp honey

Directions

Combine peanut butter and water in a small bowl. You may need more water, should be a smooth paste. Add honey and stir to mix well. Microwave for about 15-30 seconds or until soft and easy to stir.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan. Add the red pepper and sauté until tender. Add the greens and stir until wilted. Add pine nuts and quinoa, stir well.  Add the peanut butter and honey mixture to the mixture and mix well to coat. Remove from heat and serve warm or cold.

 

Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower
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Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower

This mades a great side dish with grilled meat or vegetables.

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Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into chunks
1/8 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup Panko or regular bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp Oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place cauliflower florets into a plastic bag. Pour in olive oil, seal bag and shake to coat. Add parmesan cheese, oregano and bread crumbs. Seal bag and shake to coat.

Place on a foil lined tray and bake for about 20 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender.