Which Side of the Dish is the Side on?

The “side dish”, what does that exactly mean?  After laying out the main meal, then comes the sides, sort of like an after-thought.  Sort of like, “Hey, we have all these extra cans of green beans about to expire, let’s gussy them up and serve them with dinner!”.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the side dish as, “A food served separately along with the main course.”, and all I can think is, “Duh!”  Not a very good definition to truly explain its inclusion to a meal.  In Mexico, meals include beans and rice; in Japan, rice is served with every meal, including breakfast.  These are traditional culinary staples of these cultures, and are meant to enhance the main item of the meal.

In America though, the side dish plays several roles, and the variety has infinite possibilities.  The best way to explain this is by quoting Quora which is a question-answer site that offers up academic and professional information.  However, online users are allowed to post their own comments and “knowledge”, and you have to take these responses with a grain, or huge shaker, of salt.   

Anyway, Quote, “American food often includes side dishes for a few key reasons:

Variety and balance - Side dishes allow for more variety in a meal and help balance out the main dish. They provide complementary flavors, textures, and nutrients.

Portion control - Sides help control portion sizes of the main course. The side dishes can be smaller portions that supplement the larger main dish.

Cultural tradition - Serving multiple dishes together is a longstanding culinary tradition in American cuisine, influenced by the diverse cultural backgrounds of Americans. It allows for sampling of different flavors.

Accommodating preferences - Sides cater to individual preferences and dietary needs. Guests can customize their plate by choosing which sides to include.

Extending a meal - Additional side dishes help stretch a meal and make it more filling and satisfying, especially for larger gatherings or hearty appetites.

So, in summary, the side dish format in American meals provides flexibility, balance, and a more complete dining experience compared to a single main course alone.”

Here is a test for all those home cooks about to put dinner on the table, “What do you typically serve and why?”.  Since the first settlers stepped foot upon Northern America, cooking and eating what they knew was what they strived for.  First, a protein of some type: poultry, meat (beef or pork), seafood; while the British love their bit o’ beef, Italians and Germans like their pork, while Greeks and Spanish favor seafood.  All depends mainly on the region of the country, what was bred, or what was more easily accessible.  Bread is definitely a food item that could be found at every table, used to sop up any lasting gravy or sauce on the plate.  Fresh garden grown vegetables were a treat, and if stored correctly, fed a family throughout the harsh and barren winter months. 

One vegetable that is most versatile is the potato; it can be steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, fried, and roasted. When added to a casserole, or fancied up into a side dish, well, for a good many of us, we are tasting nirvana.  By the way, sweet potatoes are not potatoes, and true yams are not sweet potatoes.  All three are root vegetables, but have different genealogy.   Potatoes come from the nightshade family, and toxic if eaten when they are green in color.  The sweet potato comes from the morning glory family and can be eaten raw. True yams, while they look like sweet potatoes, are darker in color (dark red or brown), less sweet, starchier, drier, and poisonous if eaten raw.

Now that I have you thinking about side dishes, here is my chance to share a favorite potato recipe with you.  For you, it could be same old-same old, or something completely new, but definitely a plus when added to a meal.

Scalloped vs. Au Gratin potatoes, what is the difference?  They are both baked in casserole dishes, have a creamy sauce and use thinly sliced potatoes.  The sauce for scalloped potatoes can be made with either heavy cream or broth, and there is no topping, on the potatoes, that will bake to a semi-crunchy texture. If anyone has a dairy issue, using broth to create the sauce means this potato side dish can be enjoyed.

Au gratin also has a cream sauce, but with shredded cheese in-between the potato layers.  The topping is either more shredded cheese, or buttered bread crumbs. To balance the taste of the cream sauce with the cheese, use a sharp cheese like Cheddar, white Vermont Cheddar, aged Swiss, or aged goat cheese.

Russet potatoes are typically used for these side dishes, but if potatoes are not your vegetable of choice, try using sliced yellow squash.  Leave the skin on the squash when slicing as it will soften up in the baking process. The thickness, for either vegetable, should be ¼-inch or thinner.  Depending on your knife skills, you can also use a mandoline slicer, or the slicing side of a grater (the openings look like smiles).

 

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

2 and ½ cups shredded sharp cheese, divide into 1 cup, 1 cup and ½ cup portions

6 medium potatoes, skinned removed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced onion

Optional: ¼ cup crushed, dried parsley – sprinkle over potatoes before adding cheese and topping with sauce.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter the inside of a 2-quart baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Stir in cream, increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat; stir in one cup of cheese until melted.  

In the buttered baking dish, begin layering 1/3 potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/3 potatoes, ½ cup cheese, ending with 1/3 potatoes.  Pour the cheese sauce over top, and work it carefully down among the layers with a fork or spatula.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake one hour. Uncover and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and sauce is bubbling and cheese slightly browned.  Let rest about five minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Beef Wellington with a side of Potatoes Au Gratin.

 

If using yellow squash for this recipe, cut the initial baking time down to a half hour covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, next time you decide to make candied sweet potatoes (molasses + brown sugar is way better than using corn syrup), add chopped walnuts to the mix instead of marshmallows.  Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet, and the taste and texture of the walnuts brings this side dish to a whole new level.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delicious Ideas for Vegetable Surplus.

Here we are, almost to the end of August and Labor Day begins the month of September.  Farmers’ markets are laden with surpluses of homegrown vegetables, or baked goods, jams and jellies.  One of our friends dropped off several bags of yellow squash, zucchini and cucumbers which, of course, got me in a creative mood.  

 

Again, we do not have a lot of storage space in our small home, so while I froze shredded zucchini and yellow squash for dessert bread making, the rest was eaten.  First off was a refreshing cucumber salad which can be eaten by itself, or used to make those dainty, English style, cucumber sandwiches served with tea.

 

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. dried dill

¼ tsp. salt

Option: Adding diced or julienned red onion gives added crunch.

Preparation:

Cut ends off cucumbers (discard and put in composting bin), and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices.  Place in medium sized bowl, add mayonnaise, dill and salt; gently fold to not break up cucumber slices.

Makes 2 to 3 cups of salad, depending on how large cucumbers are.

Note: Remove the skin?  That is strictly up to you.  You can remove it all, or use a peeler to remove skin in waves to make it more decorative.

To make cucumber sandwiches, use square white or wheat bread, and cut off edges.  Spoon one layer of salad onto one slice of bread, top with other slice; press down slightly and cut into 4 triangles.  Let rest for about 5 minutes to make sure salad is adhering to the bread.

So, when you are having friends over for a tea party, serve these little sandwiches along with scones and fairy cakes.  Your guests will be quite impressed with your English flair for the fancy.

What about using vegetables in casserole making?  That is where some of the zucchini and yellow squash surplus comes in handy.  This is also where all-time favorite recipes are reinvented into something extraordinary.  Take, for example, Broccoli and Cheese casserole.  This recipe can be so simple by using butter and melted cheese only; to creating a creamy sauce that coats the tongue in a rich blanket of flavors.   While same old, same old is easy to do, try thinking, “Let’s try something different this time!”

 

Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:

16 oz. chopped mushrooms

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. saltless seasoning mixture

3 medium sized zucchini, chopped

3 medium sized yellow squash, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup ranch dressing

2 eggs, beaten

12 oz. package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided in half

1 tsp. ground black pepper

6 oz. package French fried onion strips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large skillet, medium heat, sauté' mushrooms in butter for five minutes. Add seasoning mixture, zucchini, yellow squash; mix together, sauté' for additional minute and remove from heat. While mushrooms are cooking, mix together, in a medium bowl, the mayonnaise, yogurt, ranch dressing, eggs, half the shredded cheese, black pepper and onion strips.

Into a large bowl, put in the vegetable mixture; add the wet mixture from the medium bowl and mix to coat the vegetables evenly. Spoon all into the casserole dish; cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil, sprinkle remaining half of cheese evenly over top and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Want something without having to use dairy products?  Make a vegetable stir fry that is a kaleidoscope of colors, using exotic ingredients that will excite the taste buds.  This is a basic recipe and vegetables can be changed according to tastes, or availability.  Using a Wok is preferred, but if not available, a large nonstick skillet will do.

 

Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. sesame oil (if not available, use peanut)

1 small red onion, slivered

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small zucchini and yellow squash, cut diagonally into ¼ inch slices

1 cup snow peas (if not available, use sugar snap peas)

1 tsp. minced garlic

½ cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup each soy and hoisin sauces

½ tsp. ground ginger

Preparation:

In a Wok, or large nonstick skillet, heat oil on high.  Sauté onions and bell pepper till they just start to soften; about 5 minutes.  Add in zucchini, squash, peas; cook another 5 minutes before adding in garlic, tomatoes, sauces and ginger; mix together thoroughly.

Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings; can be served as is, or with rice or Asian noodles.

Want more protein in this meal, add cut up tofu, chicken, beef or pork while sauteing the onions and bell pepper, then add the rest of the ingredients to complete.  If using a seafood item, usually they cook better within the last five minutes of completion.

Have a vegetable surplus as summer slides into autumn, now you have some delicious options for your dining table.  …and here’s a novel idea, if you happen to have a lot of one type, and neighbors also have only one type, get together and have a cooking party.  It is a pleasant way of, not only learning new recipes, but getting to know each other in a unique way.

Mary Cokeour

First Harvest of August.

August 1^st is known as the first of two harvests, this date chosen primarily for being between the summer solstice and autumn equinox.  Lughnasadh, or Lughnasa, are the Gaelic names of this Middle Ages holiday celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.  Named after the god Lugh, it was celebrated with horse racing, athletic competitions, trading, feasts and, for those within marriageable ages, matchmaking.  Once Christianity had a strong hold upon the people, the holiday was renamed as Lammas (Old English for “loaf mass day”).  The first harvest included wheat, and the first loaf made was brought to church to be blessed. 

Looking outside my window, as I take a break from typing on the keyboard, I see the apricot tree and its bounty of deep orange colored fruit.  Time to harvest, and good thing too, as I have seen many an apricot cake recipe that interests me.

Of course, there was a bounty of Roma tomatoes, juicy red round tomatoes, yellow squash and multi-colored peppers to collect as well.  The tomatoes were divided up with one half being made as homemade salsa, the other half a rich pasta sauce.  The larger of the squash was sliced and frozen; but the smaller ones were saved for a special recipe.  The same will happen to the peppers, sliced and diced, but not all will be frozen.  While cultivating, growing and harvesting is an excellent way to have your favorite vegetables, and fruits, for the winter time, do not cheat yourself from the now.

In my previous article of August 2, 2023, I wrote about how to bake a cake in a microwave.  I did mention that this was an alternative, in case the oven went kaput.  Well, the universe must have read my article, and guess what?  Just so happens the gas oven went kaput, but a new one will be delivered soon from Knowles of Moab.  The old gas range was almost 15 years old, the oven being fixed once already, and this was a sign that it wanted to be put to rest.  However, a dish, that Roy enjoys with freshly harvested vegetables, is a savory quiche, but it needed to be baked in an oven, or did it?  Time to get the ingredients together, take out a microwave safe casserole bowl, and convert a recipe of a baked dish, to a microwaveable one.

As I stated before, this is a savory quiche, but can still be a lovely dish to serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner, lunch, or bring to a social get-together.  It is crustless which means gluten free.  With some vegetarians, they still use milk and egg products, so they will enjoy this recipe.  Vegans?  I am very positive they can convert my recipe to satisfy their taste buds, while keeping to their diet regime.

 

Microwave Crustless Quiche

 Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. of melted butter; or butter flavored nonstick spray

6 baby yellow squash (2 to 3 inches in length), thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (a cayenne pepper will work too)

¼ of small onion, diced

1 small red bell pepper (or 2 mini sized), seeded and diced

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ tsp. dried celery seed

1 tsp. dried, crushed thyme

6 large eggs

1 cup 2% milk

Preparation:

 

Coat the bottom and sides of a deep 3-quart microwave safe dish with melted butter, or the spray.

Mix together vegetables, salt, pepper, celery seed and thyme; spread evenly in coated dish.

 

 

 

 

 

Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over top of vegetables, moving slightly, with a spatula to make sure liquid gets between the vegetables, and flows to the bottom.

 

 

 

Microwave in increments of three minutes for a total of nine minutes. First three minutes, the top will begin to firm up.  Second three minutes, the sides will firm up.  Third three minutes will firm up the center and bottom. Remove bowl from microwave and rest for five minutes.

Carefully tip the bowl, use a spatula for guidance, and allow the quiche to slide onto a serving dish.  Cut into triangles with a sharp knife, and use a pie server to keep that beautiful shape.

Makes 8 servings.

 

 

While working on the bounty of your first harvest, be it freezing, dehydrating or canning, treat yourself, or others, by creating some delicious recipes to enjoy immediately.  Did not have a garden this year?  Make sure to check for notices on local farmers’ markets, as some grow more than they can personally handle.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

Be Creative with Your Second Harvest.

 As the cooling rains fall, the dust is washed away from every surface it touches.  The soil is pounded down while greedily sucking up every moist drop that it can contain.  Cold weather plants plead to live for one more month, while less resistant ones struggle to stay upright.  Yes, the season of autumn has taken the throne, and we must do its bidding.

The plants in our vegetable garden have granted us one more abundance for harvest.  The last picking of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and yellow squash; and their mothering plants transferred to the compost bin.   Unfortunately, not enough for processing for winter storage, but enough to create salsa for this weekend’s anime marathon.  Plus, two meals popping with colors of green, red and yellow; Greek inspired vegetables, and a cheesy, vegetable loaded frittata.  I look at this as a prequel to when the leaves will be displaying their fall vibrant array.

 

Greek Inspired Vegetables

 Ingredients:

1 large zucchini

1 large yellow squash

1/8 cup olive oil

½ cup cherry tomatoes which were cut in half

1 tsp. crushed Greek oregano

½ tsp. ground black pepper

Feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Slice the zucchini and yellow squash diagonally, place on top of foil, in single layers.  Drizzle oil over slice, and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove vegetables to serving platter, top with tomatoes, and sprinkle with oregano and black pepper.  Sprinkle with crumbled Feta cheese, to taste (we like plenty of it!).

This can be served as a meal, serving two; or as a side dish

The next recipe is for a cheesy, veggie loaded frittata.  What is frittata? Frittata is an egg dish similar to an omelet or a crustless quiche.  It can contain ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta, and can be flavored with herbs and/or spices.  A frittata can be baked, but is mainly made in a skillet. When started on a stove top the frittata can be finished off in an oven, under a broiler, or flipped and finished in the pan.  The flipping technique can be daunting, especially if attempting the “up in the air” flip.  The easiest way is to slide the frittata onto a large plate, place another plate over top, flip, and then slide back into the skillet.  Or place the skillet over the plate, and then flip it over, altogether.  Of course, with the second option, you have to be very careful doing it, as the skillet will be burning hot; oh, and remove the plate before finishing the cooking process.

Frittata preparation differs from omelet preparation in that the eggs are beaten with water, milk or cream to incorporate more air, where the eggs for omelets are less airy. The additional air in the frittata mixture allows for a deeper filling and a fluffier result. Additional ingredients are added to the pan after the egg mixture, and before the eggs are fully cooked.

A frittata is usually divided into slices, and while it can be served as a meal by itself, a salad, or other side dish, can be added.

 

Cheesy, Vegetable Loaded Frittata

Ingredients:

6 eggs

3 Tbsp half n’ half

3 Tbsp. butter

½ cup each julienned red bell pepper, green bell pepper; thinly sliced zucchini, and peeled, thinly sliced yellow squash

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. fresh, minced tarragon (used crushed, dried if fresh not available)

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation:

In small bowl, whisk together eggs and half n’ half; set aside.

In a 10-inch, non-stick, skillet, on medium heat, melt butter and sauté all vegetables together, about 5 minutes; remove to bowl.   In same skillet, pour in egg mixture and let eggs cook for 5 minutes; do not stir. Distribute the vegetables, cheese, tarragon, salt and pepper evenly throughout the partially cooked eggs; let cook another 5 minutes.

Slide the frittata onto a plate, cover with another plate and flip over; slide it back into the skillet and let cook another 5 minutes. Slide frittata onto clean serving platter, cut into wedges, either 4 or 6, to serve.

 Makes 4-6 servings.

 Mary Cokenour

Too Much Squash!

Even though the calendar states that we are in the season of spring; snow, ice and cold rain have been dousing our area.  March came in like a lamb; beautiful warm weather, clear skies and the fruit trees blossomed.  March went out like a roaring lion with high winds, snow mixing with rain to make an icy, slushy mess.  Happily I can say, the apricot trees by my fence are still in full bloom; ok, they may have dropped a few, but they're still bursting with flowers.

Again this year I plan on creating a vegetable garden; as much as I've worked on the soil of our property, it stills fights against any attempts at growing plants.  Except for the weeds, they are everywhere and laugh as they spread; they think the weed killer spray is a cute, little shower.  I might just have to buy vegetables elsewhere if I want fresh again; sometimes I buy too much and end up freezing what I can.  Yellow squash and zucchini are perfect examples of abundant vegetables that can be purchased cheaply, if need be, and frozen for later use.

So, a day came when I was preparing a roast beef, didn't want the typical potato side with a steamed vegetable.  Seeing the frozen squash in the freezer, the load of canned whole kernel corn and creamed corn, an idea for a casserole side dish came to mind.

...and here you have, Squash and Corn Casserole.

Squash and Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

3 yellow squash, cut into ¼ inch slices

3 zucchini, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 and ½ cups minced onions
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
2 (15 oz.) cans creamed corn
1 Tbsp. garlic powder

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F; spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Create layers of yellow squash, zucchini and corn; sprinkling black pepper, salt and onions over each layer.

In a large bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup, creamed corn and garlic powder; pour over vegetables in baking dish.

 

Cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake additional 30 minutes.  Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before servings.

 

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Oh So Easy Shrimp, Veggies and Pasta.

The most difficult part about making a pasta recipe is choosing the pasta. Do you want tubular; long and thin; long, flat and thin; curly; wavy; a shape such as a bowtie or shell; yada, yada, yada? There are so many choices in the world of pasta and it basically depends on what shape you feel like looking at on your plate, and forking over into your mouth. For this recipe I chose pappardelle; a broad, flat, long pasta that is shaped into a "nest" when drying; once cooked though, it's snakes alive!

Shrimp and Vegetables over Pappardelle

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 large zucchini, cubed
1 large yellow squash, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) package Pappardelle
water to cook pasta
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups tomato vodka cream sauce**

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat, sauté zucchini, yellow squash and onion till the edges just begin to brown.  While waiting to brown vegetables, heat water in a large pot and cook Pappardelle until al dente.

Add the garlic, salt, pepper and shrimp to the vegetables; mix. 

When the shrimp turns opaque, drain the pasta and place a serving on each plate.   Spoon sauce over the pasta and top with the shrimp and vegetable mixture.

 

 

Makes 6 servings.

** Recipe for Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup diced onion
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup vodka
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté onion until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid reduces by half; stir frequently to keep from sticking or burning.

Add cream, vodka and pepper flakes; bring to a boil; reduce heat to low; add in cheeses and let cook 10 minutes to let sauce thicken.

Makes 4 cups.

Mary Cokenour