Side dishes…veggies, potatoes, grains – Page 5

Beet and Rainbow Chard Pasta

One pot meal, Pasta, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains, Vegetarian

Who doesn’t love a good farmer’s market? We have one that opens up a couple of times a week in the early summer to early fall. It is great! They have a variety of veggies, fruits, breads, honey, etc. Every Sat. morning and Tuesday evening I look forward to seeing what yummy things the farmers have grown. There is this one lady that I always go to. She even remembers me and gives me a few things for free. Last year, she would throw in a couple extra red potatoes, a bulb of garlic, or some other fresh home grown goodness. This Sat. she gave me some extra peas and a wilting head of lettuce =) It was still tasty as a fresh salad with tomatoes and homemade honey mustard dressing for a side. I always go through the market first. I see what each vendor has. Then I go back through again and buy some of my faves. I went back to my lady and bought beets, rainbow chard, and green pod peas. Can’t wait until next week!

p.s This was a mommy meal. My husband was at hockey and the girls gobbled up Sloppy Joes, peas (that they helped shell), and some cheesy pasta.

Beet and Rainbow Chard Pasta

Ingredients
3 beets- bulb and greens- I had 1 white and 2 zebra striped (red and white mixed)
bunch of rainbow chard (or regular chard would be fine)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 servings of angel hair (leftover from last night’s scallop dish)
olive oil
Salt and pepper
a dash of red pepper flakes for a kick

Directions

Wash your beets and greens VERY thoroughly! The first time I made some greens from my farmer’s market I ended up tasting more dirt than expected. A little dirt won’t hurt you, but it does take away from the deliciousness of the dish. The farm to table movement should include less of the dirt from the farm. =)

Take the bulbs of beets and put lots of olive oil, salt, and pepper on them. Wrap them in aluminum foil and cook until tender at 500. It takes a good 30 minutes, maybe more.

Separate the leaves of the beets greens and red stalk. DON’T throw them away! They are delicious!!!
Separate the leaves of the rainbow chard form the stalk. Cut up the stalks of the chard.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive in a large pot- I used my dutch oven
Add half of the green leaves. Cook them down for a few minutes. Add the rest. Add salt and pepper. Mix and cook until wilted. Take them out and add your chopped stalks. Put in a bit more oil and salt and pepper. Mix and cover. I cooked it down for about 15 minutes.

During this time, your beets should be almost done. When they are, carefully peel them and slice them in thin pieces. stack them up and slice them again.

I had some leftover pasta from last night, so I mixed it with all the greens. I added a tad bit more olive oil, lemon juice, and mixed well. Then I added my sliced beets on top! Add some parmesan cheese and a glass of Rose! Perfection!

Easter Sunday Dinner 4/14

Pork, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Happy Sunday, my fellow foodie friends! I hope you had a great weekend spent with your family. We had 2 sets of grandparents here this weekend, so we ate lots of yummy food. There was my pork ragu last night. Pretty awesome guys, really. I marked the recipe last night, so if you haven’t checked it out, you should.

Today was a pretty traditional Easter meal; Honey Baked Ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans, Squash Casserole, corn, and salad. It was pretty awesome. Desert in a separate post. Hope you stick around to check it out. It was so yummy!

My mom brought the ham. If you do not know what a honey baked ham is, I feel sorry for you. Basically, it is a company that makes them. They are all around the south. You can pre-order them for special occasions or just them pretty much any time of year.

Green Beans- Cooked with onion and bacon cooked until tender. Delicious!

Corn- Frozen cooked with butter. Easy, but still yummy.

Squash Casserole-

Boil about 3 pounds of squash thinly sliced with diced onion and a few tablespoons of butter. Cook for about 20 minutes. Cool.
In a separate bowl, mix 2 eggs, 1 cup of bread crumbs, and 3 heaping tablespoons of sour cream. Mix with the cooled squash and put in a greased Pyrex dish. Level off and top with small cubed chunks of butter over; don’t be stingy, ya’ll. This is not healthy squash.
Bake at 350 for around 45 minutes-1 hour. My favorite holiday indulgence!

Potatoes Au Gratin
I have made this before. It is always a hit. The recipe before was for only 4-5, so I doubled it…here is the new ingredients and directions…
Au Gratin Potatoes-
INGREDIENTS
2 cup heavy cream
8 tbsp. butter
2 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large russet potatoes, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 cup grated cheese- I used a combo of colby jack, mild cheddar, and gruyere. What an amazing combo!

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat cream, butter, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, layer a greased 8″ × 12″ baking dish or med. sized cast iron skillet alternately with potatoes and ¾ cup of the cheese.

3. Carefully strain heated cream over assembled potatoes, then sprinkle potatoes with remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until potatoes are tender and gratin is golden and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Allow gratin to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta

Appetizers and snacks, Breads and Muffins, Sandwiches, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains, Vegetarian

Stuck in a lunchtime rut? This week I have had cheese and Triscuits almost everyday for lunch. So today I came up with this easy beauty. Bruschetta- pronounced bro͝oˈsketə/- or sometimes by Americans- bro͝oˈshetta is a toasted Italian bread drenched in olive oil and served typically with garlic or tomatoes. You can really top it with anything you like, but this garlic and tomatoes are the norm. We also make this sometimes with mozzarella, tomato, and basil. No matter how you say it or prepare it, these yummy toasts are quite satisfying for a snack, lunch, appetizer, or side dish for dinner. I served with mine with a side salad.

Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta

Turn oven on broil. Take some sliced baguettes, rub on some garlic. Drizzle on some olive oil. Top with sliced or chopped tomatoes that have been lightly dressed with some Balsamic Vinegar. Cook for just a few minutes. Keep your eye on these guys so they don’t burn. Add to a side of pasta, salad, or just enjoy as a snack!

Hook your Mate Meal

Beef, Date Night, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Hello lovers! I know there are lots of you out there who are in love and happy as a clam. I know some of you who are pretty sure you met your match, but there is no ring or serious commitment quite yet. There are some who even have their sights set on a guy or girl who they want to hook permanently or even just want to hook-up with. Never fear! Food is here! Cook for your main squeeze and you are sure to win their hearts! A nice bottle of wine or a few bottles of your favorite beer couldn’t hurt either!

Now, I know this is a no brainer, but most guys and many girls I know, myself included, love a nice steakhouse meal. I am no stranger on this blog to cooking lots of different cuts of steak. Just last week I made it. Tonight I made it again. We all went to the store today, and Publix had Ribeye on sale. Duh! Of course we bought some. My hubby had a hockey game this afternoon, so I knew it we would have a late dinner. I made med. rare ribeyes, creamed spinach, and au gratin potatoes. I have made variations of all of these on this blog. Here are my pics tonight and how I made them tonight.

Steak- Depends on your cut of steak and how you like them cooked. I like mine just past mooing, so if you like it more done, just cook it longer! =) Just a couple of examples…
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/08/24/life-cycle-of-a-steak/
https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/01/19/porterhouse-steak-slow-cooked-mushrooms-and-onions-and-steak-butter-mashed-potatoes/

Au Gratin Potatoes- serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large russet potatoes, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 cup grated cheese- I used a combo of colby jack, mild cheddar, and gruyere. What an amazing combo!

2. Meanwhile, layer a greased 8″ × 12″ baking dish or med. sized cast iron skillet alternately with potatoes and ¾ cup of the cheese.

Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of bacon grease/butter/veg.oil
1/4 onion chopped
3 cloves crushed and chopped garlic
1 large container or bunch of fresh spinach (I used a large container of baby spinach)-
2 tablespoons of cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a large skillet, heat your pan on med.low heat with bacon grease/butter/veg.oil. Add your onion and garlic to the pan and cook down for about 5 minutes. Add your spinach and cook down about half way. Add your cream cheese. Melt down and add your cream. Mix well and take off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let sit about 5 minutes or so.

Steak with Onion and Mushroom Blue Cheese Sauce, Creamy Spaghetti Pesto, and Roasted Asparagus

Beef, Date Night, Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Girls' Night Out/In, Pasta, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Skip the steak house and cook your family a nice steak dinner at home! My whole family LOVES steak, so when we see them on sale at the store, we always buy them. This time Publix had Porterhouse steaks on sale, so we just had to get them! I have blogged a few times on making steaks, but here are the directions I use for making mine. Of course, it depends on the cut and size of your steak, so if the steak is thinner you want to go less time, etc. I always cook them in my cast iron pan or cast iron grill pan. We like ours med. rare, so if you like it cooked more, obviously add time. You could also finish it off in an oven on 350 for a little extra cooking time.

Steak

The main star was the Porterhouse. For the perfect med.rare you need to follow these instructions. Get your cast iron pan to screaming hot smokiness. Then salt and pepper your steak on both sides. Cook until the first side is nice and crusty, about 6 minutes. Then turn and cook about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and tent in aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes. YUM!

Onion and Mushroom Blue Cheese Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 onion chopped (or shallot)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1 container or package of crumbled blue cheese
salt and pepper

Directions
Cook onions and garlic in butter/oil on med. high heat for 5 minutes. Add your mushrooms and cook for 10 more minutes. Reduce heat to low heat and add your cream. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until it reduces to about half. Stir in blue cheese and melt. Serve with steak (or pork)

Roasted Asparagus

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Snap the tough ends off of the asparagus. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp. One of my favorite vegetables!

Creamy Spaghetti Pesto

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup pine nuts
4 cups greens- I used a mix of parsley and basil
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook your pasta in boiling salted water. Stir Occasionally.
When Al dente, drain, but keep about 2 cups of pasta water.

While your pasta is cooking, pulse your pine nuts and garlic in the food processor until smooth. Add your greens, oil, and Parmesan Cheese. Process until smooth. Season with your salt and pepper.

Add your pesto to your pasta. Stream in your heavy cream a little at a time. Add any starch pasta water as needed. Mix well. Enjoy!