Side dishes…veggies, potatoes, grains – Page 7

Pork Ragu and Cheesy Polenta

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Pork, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

Christmas Eve Dinner was pretty delicious, if I do say so myself! I made pork ragu with a nice big pork butt. I also made Giada’s cheesy polenta recipe. It was pretty spectacular! I had some again for dinner tonight, and I think it would be amazing for breakfast with a runny egg on top, naturally!

I have made the Ragu a few times. Here is one of the recipes I used from before…https://funfoodiefamily.com/2013/09/02/pork-rib-ragu/ I used a pork rib instead of a butt last time. This time I also added a few carrots, celery, and dried herbs to the mix (thyme, marjoram, and oregano). Since I also used a whole bone in butt, I let it cook for a good 6 1/2 hours. This is fool-proof. You can add whatever veggies and combinations of spices and let this baby slow cook all day long. Slow braising meat is one of the easiest and delicious secrets of chefs and home cooks out there!

Here is the Giada’s recipe I used for the Cheesy Polenta
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cheesy-polenta-recipe/index.html
Ingredients
9 cups water
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy pot. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, and parsley. Stir until the butter and cheese have melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.

If you have never had polenta, it is made from a yellow cornmeal. It is very similar to grits, which are a southern United States dish made of white cornmeal and served with lots of butter and salt at breakfast or as a “shrimp and grits.” In my recipe, I left out the parsley, so my middle girl would eat them. I called them polenta, but also said yellow grits, and she ate them right away. If it had parsley, she probably would be more wary. Grits never have anything green in them.

Broccolini

Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains, Vegetarian

I happened on this picture of sauteed broccollini on Pinterest. Becca siad, “Mommy, why is that broccoli so skinny?” Now those of you who don’t know…Broccolini is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. Although often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan, a Chinese broccoli. I like to think of it as; “Model” broccoli. size “0” broccoli, or Skinny-assed broccoli. All joking aside, it is pretty tender and tasty. You can stir fry them or oven roast them in olive oil. I like to chop it up and put it in couscous and sliced almonds. Give them a try!

Veggie Farro

Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains, Vegetarian

I spotted 1/2 of a bag of loan farro in the back of the pantry. It seemed like the perfect time to get it out and add it to a ton of veggies! After a few days of indulging in yummy Thanksgiving food, I have been trying to think of a way to make something to take for lunches beside just salad. This is a perfect light dish that still fills you up! Farro is a delicious grain, kind of like a nuttier thicker brown rice. I love it, and I hope you give this a try!

Veggie Farro

Always use whatever veggies you have in your fridge! I used:

mushrooms, broccoli, peppers (red, yellow, orange), spinach, and 1 shredded shallot. I cooked them in a bit of oil until tender. Salt and pepper to taste. I added a shake of red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick.

I cooked my farro according to the directions to the bag (you can cook them in stock- chicken or veggie, or even white wine- instead of water for more flavor). Then I added them to the veggies. Such a healthy and delicious light meal! Perfect for a day of clean eating!

Cheesy Potato Pancakes

Leftovers/ Freezer Meals, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains

I made WAY to many mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. Here is a great way to use them up in a different way for leftovers.

Yummy Cheesy Potato Pancakes

Heat your cast iron skillet with bacon fat. I tried vegetable oil, but bacon fat works better.

In a large bowl, mix the cold leftover mashed potatoes (4 cups) with eggs (2), 1 tablespoon of onion powder (you could add onions or green onions), garlic powder or shredded garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in your cheese. I used a Mexican blend- cheddar and Monterrey Jack. You can use what you have in the fridge.

Mix in flour; start with 4 Tablespoons, then add more, as needed for a firmer texture.

Form the mixture into about 8-10 patties. If it sticks to your hands, and you can’t roll it into a ball, then add a little more flour. Add 4 balls to skillet, and press down with spatula to flatten into patties. (If you try to flatten before you put in the skillet, you’ll have problems with the patties holding their shape.)

Heat the the patties in the bacon fat until crisp on each side, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Hint- PLEASE resist the temptation to turn until after 4 minutes, or the patties will fall apart. Brutus, my dog, got a couple of my test patties. Cook until crispy brown on both sides. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 potato balls. Serve hot.

Cranberry Orange Sauce with White Wine

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Side dishes...veggies, potatoes, grains, Vegetarian

I love cranberries! Cranberry juice, cranberry cocktails, cranberry relish, homemade cranberry sauce, and even that canned jelly stuff with the can lines. I am making Thanksgiving dinner for 8; It will be the 5 of us plus my parents and brother. I know everyone likes the canned stuff. I have no problem with the canned stuff. But today when I was finishing up my last minute veggie shopping, I grabbed a bag and an orange. Then this happened today. I already ate at least one serving of it…

Cranberry Orange Sauce Recipe- serves 4- or maybe just one =) I adapted this from Rachel Ray… instead of just water, I added some Riesling

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/snack-spread-dip-recipes/Cranberry-Orange-
Ingredients
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup of water——I added 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup white wine (Riesling)
1/2 cup sugar, plus more if desired
Pinch salt
1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed

Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water (or the water and wine mixture) with the orange zest, orange juice, sugar and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 7 minutes. Sweeten with more sugar, if desired. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.

Once cooled, I put mine in a cute medium sized jam jar.