Archive | Side Dishes RSS feed for this section

Scallion-Corn Pancakes

By on June 26, 2009 in Appetizers & Snacks, Recipes, Side Dishes

I’m a member of a group called Cooking Away your CSA, and one of the group members emailed us a recipe for scallion pancakes. To me, scallions make everything better, and I thought corn would be a good addition for another dimension of texture.

This recipe makes ~10 pancakes.

Adapted from Dolores Riccio

Ingredients:

  • Pam spray (if necessary)
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • Kernels from 2 ears of raw sweet corn
  • 1 c. buttermilk (you can make your own by adding 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to a scant cup of milk)
  • 1 c. boiling water
  • 3/4 c. cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

  • Heat a griddle over medium-high heat and spray with Pam if it’s not a non-stick pan.
  • Thinly slice scallion bulbs and about 3 inches of the green part.
  • Whisk the cornmeal with the boiling water, then add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda to the cornmeal mixture.
  • Mix the buttermilk, eggs, and oil together, then whisk into the cornmeal mixture. Fold in the scallions and corn kernels.
  • Drop the mixture onto the hot griddle as pancakes and cook until they are lightly browned on each side (it took me ~3 minutes per side).

Verdict:
You know how some people have a sweet tooth? Well I have a scallion-corn pancake tooth. These have the same comfort food flavor as cornbread, but in breakfast food form, which automatically makes it better. I thought that this would be the perfect vessel for an hors d’oeuvre if you made the pancakes a bit smaller and more like blinis — maybe with a red pepper or black bean relish?

Comments { 0 }

Oven Fried Green Tomatoes

By on June 5, 2009 in Recipes, Side Dishes

Fried green tomatoes are the epitome of southern cuisine, right? I had actually never seen them before they came in our local box this week. They were a bright, light green color and were quite firm.

Adapted from Bakingsheet

Ingredients:

  • 2 large green tomatoes
  • 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I used panko for some crunch.)
  • 3/4 c. cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt (The original recipe uses celery salt.)
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (my addition — you can never have too much salt on tomatoes, in my opinion.)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk (I used a scant 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before using, rather than purchase buttermilk just for this recipe.)
  • Pam spray

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (The original recipe broils these, but I made meatloaf at the same time, so I had to compensate for the temperature difference.)
  • Slice the tomatoes into 1/4″ wide rounds.
  • Combine the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic salt, paprika, pepper and kosher salt on a plate.
  • Combine the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl.
  • Soak the tomato slices in the egg mixture, then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture. Set aside on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Spray the tops of the tomatoes with Pam also.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the tomatoes and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 2 minutes to brown and crisp on top. (Additionally, broil for the entire time for 4 minutes per side.)

Verdict:
I served these with meatloaf for a meal of true comfort food. Inside, these were soft and tangy (with a mildly sweet flavor, too!) and the outside was crunchy and salty. I was surprised at how juicy the inside was, but the breading held up nicely. Though I’m sure deep-frying these would be fantastic, oven frying was a healthy, light solution!

Comments { 1 }

Mango Salsa

By on May 20, 2009 in Appetizers & Snacks, Gluten-free, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan

Mango salsa is refreshing, spicy, and perfect for summertime. I like eating it with grilled fish, alongside burgers, or just plain with some salty blue corn chips.

From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

  • 1 mango, chopped (click here for tips on how to cut up a mango. I actually used 2 mangos to balance out my overexuberance with the jalapeno.)
  • 1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, finely minced (I used some of the ribs and seeds for extra spice. My mouth was on fire. I wouldn’t recommend this for the faint-of-heart.)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 small red onion or the entire bulb of a red spring onion, finely chopped
  • Plenty of kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and diced (I omitted this because I didn’t have any cukes in the house.)

Directions:

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let the flavors marinate for an hour or so before serving.

Verdict:
Yummy! So fresh and a deliciously light accompaniment to our bison burgers. Remember that when cutting up spicy peppers like jalapenos, you might want to wear rubber gloves. It’s no fun when you forget that you chopped up a pepper hours earlier (even after multiple handwashings!) and you rub your eyes. Ow.

Comments { 2 }

Kohlrabi and Greens with Brown Butter

By on April 6, 2009 in Gluten-free, Recipes, Side Dishes

imgp7086For dinner Friday evening, we tried this way with kohlrabi. Tasty and simple, it made a great side.

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Kohlrabi and its Greens with Brown Butter

[adapted from The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook by Amelia Saltsman]

2 pounds kohlrabi with leaves
3 T unsalted butter
salt
 
  • Trim stems and leaves from kohlrabi bulbs, reserving and chopping the best-looking leaves. Peel bulbs, halve, and then cut crosswise into thin slices.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. When it starts to brown, add the kohlrabi slices and leaves and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slices are browned and leaves are wilted, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add a little water, and cover, stirring occasionally, until slices are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add additional water if the pan seems dry.

How have you eaten your Local Box kohlrabi lately?

Comments { 1 }

Cilantro Pesto

By on March 23, 2009 in Appetizers & Snacks, Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan

cilantroIt’s been a lot of cilantro, hasn’t it? My compost heap has joined my family in reaping the benefits on more than one occasion.

It looks like we’re in for a respite from cilantro this week, but if you’re like me, you’ve still got plenty. We’ll be eating some tonight, in fact, in a pesto I made today.

My parents started making basil pesto when I was a kid, and in my book, their pesto is still the best. Since their recipe evolved from one in the Moosewood Cookbook, I turned to the Moosewood Collective when I wanted a recipe for cilantro pesto. This one, from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, is a winner. The lemon and chile are key, and the almonds suit the cilantro flavor nicely. This recipe would multiply well. Goodness knows you don’t have a shortage of cilantro.

Cilantro Pesto

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup whole almonds
1 small fresh chile, or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Whiz everything but the oil in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in the oil and season.

imgp7072Use within a week, or freeze in ice-cube trays, then store frozen in bags or containers. Thaw gently so as not to scare off the flighty flavors. Our favorite way is to set a cube or two in a glass dish over simmering water. (The microwave will steal far too much flavor.) Better yet, remember to take dinner pesto out of the freezer in the morning.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Comments { 3 }