Zucchini "Fries"

As soon as I saw these on Two Peas & Their Pod, I decided to make them that night! I had fresh zucchini in my fridge and these looked too great to wait another minute on.

I was NOT disappointed with these! These were amazing - even my husband ate them and said I could make them any time! During the summer I plant zucchini and always have a TON of them on hand from my garden, so I will definitely remember this recipe for the summer!

These are great for a side on many different main courses. Sandwiches, burgers, meat, etc...these fries will go with a lot! I used marinara sauce to dip them in which was great. I absolutely loved these and will absolutely make them again and again!

Ingredients
Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

1 zucchini, cut into sticks
2 eggs
splash of milk (about 2 tbsp)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
marinara sauce for dipping

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line a large baking dish with foil and spray with non stick spray.

Set up a breading station. On one plate, add flour. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with a fork. On another plate add panko and cheese and mix together. Season zucchini sticks with salt and pepper.

One by one, dredge zucchini sticks in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then press into panko until completely coated. Place on baking sheet side by side, until all zucchini sticks are breaded.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown - flip after 10 minutes and serve hot with marinara sauce.

Zucchini

Barley Risotto

One thing I do quite often at the grocery store is buy something that I've never used before. It really helps me try new things and expand what I make each week. So last week I picked up pearled barley. I've had barely in soups before, but never as a side. So when I googled Barley dishes, I found barely risotto! We all know that I am a huge fan of risotto, so I was excited to make this!

I thought this was a great side dish. In fact, I could definitely eat a big plate of just this for dinner! It took a little longer to make then risotto with arborio, but not by much time. I thought this was very flavorful and delicious. In addition, it's a very hearty dish. This is definitely something I'll be making again and again!

Directions
Adapted from Epicurious, Originally from Bon Appétit , November 1997

4 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
salt
pepper
Parmesan cheese
Directions

Bring chicken stock to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley, thyme, bay leaf, sage and 2 ladles full chicken stock; bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most of stock is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add remaining stock one ladle full at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until barley is tender, about 50 minutes.

Mix in parsley to barley mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Mujadrah

I'm pretty sure I'm still not saying this correctly, since I first 'heard' of it browsing through Good Things Catered last week. But I decided to try it since it looked like a healthy side dish. And that it was.

And not only was it healthy it's super filling and comforting. This could easily be a meal in and of itself (which I'm guessing it probably is supposed to be) but it also worked great as a satisfying side.

Lentils, brown rice, caramelized onions...what's not to love?!
Ingredients
Source: Good Things Catered

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tsp salt, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
4 c. water (for some reason I had to use way more then this...the rice and lentils kept absorbing all the water but it wasn't finished cooking. I'd say I used at least 5 cups, but I started with 4 and just kept adding more until it was right.)
1 c. lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 c. long grain brown rice (I used short grain since it was all I had...this worked fine)

optional (non traditional):
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/16 tsp ground allspice

Directions
-Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat.
-Add onions and salt and cook until they are deeply caramelized. (This takes a while but be patient).
-After about 35-60 minutes (usually takes me about 45 minutes) the onions will be a rich amber color and darker in spots.
-Make sure not to burn, it will turn the taste of the entire dish.
-When the onions are ready add the garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Add water and deglaze the pan, scraping up all browned bits.
-Add lentils and bring to a boil.
-Cover pan and cook for 15 minutes.
-Add rice and stir to combine.
-Recover pan and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until rice is done.
-Mix thoroughly, cover and turn heat off.
-Let sit until slightly cooled and thickened, with no liquid left in the pan.
-It is now ready to serve: plate and season with salt and pepper to bring out taste.

Oven Poached Salmon with Lentils

I recently discovered how much I like lentils. Lentil soup, lentil sides. Lentils simply taste great and are good for you. So when I found this recipe I was excited...it combines two of my "new found" favorite health foods...salmon and lentils!

My husband and I both really enjoyed this. The salmon pairs perfectly with the lentils and makes for a hearty, healthy meal. I love oven poaching the salmon...it's so easy and results in a flavorful, tender fish. This entire recipe is also very easy to prepare which makes it great for a weeknight.

Ingredients
Lentils adapted from Simply...Gluten Free
Salmon adapted from Eating Well

1 cup green lentils, rinsed thoroughly
2 cups chicken stock (for lentils)
1 tbsp. chicken stock (for salmon)
5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 small shallot, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced in about ¼ inch dice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
2 – 8 ounce salmon fillets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Put lentils in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock and garlic gloves, season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender and the chicken stock has evaporated. Set aside when done.

While the lentils are cooking, place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the salmon with chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, and just a bit of fresh lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

While salmon is baking and after the lentils are cooked, in a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Then add the carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add the shallot and a pinch or two of salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallots just start to brown

Fish the garlic cloves out of the lentils and mash with a fork. Add to the skillet with the carrots and shallot and mix well. Add the lentils and cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Add lemon juice and stir.

Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate, top with the cooked salmon and serve with some lemon wedges if desired.

Couscous with Butternut Squash and Sage

I found this recipe on foodgawker and thought it would be a great side dish for dinner. I was excited about it because I love the squash/sage combination but didn't really think to put it with couscous. But turns out, it works out SO well! It was a really hearty side dish that was totally healthy (after I doctored the original recipe at least). This is one that my husband and I both liked very much and will certainly be making again.

Ingredients
Adapted from Oui, Chef

1 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock (I use a combo. of both)
1 small butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded and cut into bite size cubes
4-6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange butternut squash on sheet in a single layer, spray with a bit more cooking spray and top with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until squash is very tender.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water or stock to a boil. Add shallot, garlic, couscous and sage. Stir once, cover and set aside for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove cover from saucepan and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add cooked butternut squash. Stir everything together gently and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Julia Child's Brown Braised Onions

I thought these needed a post to themselves. They were amazing in Beef Bourguignon, but they are also just a perfect side dish to I'd say just about any meal. They are just so amazing that I can't even describe how amazing they are. Did I mention they are amazing?! :)

And since this is a Julia Child's recipe, I'll link right to the PDF from the cookbook. Enjoy!

Brown Braised Onions

Twice Baked Potatoes with Tarragon

I made this recipe along with my Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding for Christmas dinner. This recipe paired perfectly with the beef and was such a wonderful diversion from a traditional mashed or baked potato. This is also a wonderful side dish that you can make a few hours ahead. You can get the potatoes ready in advance (filling and all), set them aside for a bit, and then put back in the oven right before you are ready to serve. If you are wanting a "different" potato dish to serve, I urge you to try this.

Ingredients
Source: Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook, page 180

4 medium russet potatoes (I used 5)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
3 Tbsp crème fraiche or sour cream (I used sour cream)
1/3 cup chopped fresh tarragon (I used a bit less then this)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potatoes with a fork and rub with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tbsp water. Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and bake for at least 1 hour or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the potatoes when ready and unwrap. Leave the oven on.

when the potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them lengthwise. Scoop out flesh into a saucepan and set the skins aside. Mash the flesh with butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat over low heat and stir in the Crème fraiche or sour cream. Remove from heat and stir in the tarragon.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip with the mashed potato mixture. Pipe mashed potato mixture into each potato skin until filled evenly to the top. If you don't want to use a pastry bag, you can also fill the potato skins using a spoon. Place the filled potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until golden on top, about 15 minutes. Serve at once.

Candied Carrots

I saw Tyler Florence make this on TV recently and knew I really wanted to try it. I love carrots...especially when they have a nice and spicy sweet glaze on them!

My husband and I totally loved this. It's a great vegetable side dish and would work well with many different kinds of food. His comment was, "The only thing I don't like about these is that you haven't been making them for years." So I guess he liked them!

The only thing I would do different next time is reduce the cumin by just a bit. I definitely liked it in there, I just wish it were more subtle. But overall, this recipe is most certainly a keeper!

Ingredients
Source: Tyler Florence

1 bunch young carrots, with tops
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 orange, halved (I didn't have an orange so I used about an 1/8 - 1/4 cup of orange juice) 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off all but 1-inch of the carrot tops, leaving a little green. Put the carrots in a large shallow pan, add the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat the carrots. Stick them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the carrots are fork-tender.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan around and cook until the butter begins to become brown and nutty. Squeeze in the juice from the orange halves, add the brown sugar and cumin, and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until syrupy.

Remove the carrots from the oven and arrange them on a platter. Drizzle the orange brown butter over the carrots and serve.

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

I chose to make this dish for Christmas dinner this year. My in laws and brother in law came over, and I was really brainstorming for a meal that would be impressive without being too time consuming so I wouldn't have to be a slave to the kitchen. I found this in a cookbook and thought it would be perfect and it truly was.

The beef was incredible...tender, flavorful and delicious. The Yorkshire pudding came out great...perfect texture and flavor and it rose nice and high in the oven like a big popover which made for a lovely presentation.

The introduction to this recipe in my cookbook truly says it best... "This is the perfect recipe for the first holiday feast you host as a married couple. It's impressive, but it's also extremely easy to prepare..."

This was definitely a winner in my book and truly impressed my husband and guests.

(Oh and I apologize for the quality of the photos...people were ready to eat!)

Ingredients
Source: Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook, page 98

For the roast beef:
5 lb beef rip or sirloin tip roast (I used a 6 lb. rib roast, bone in)
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

For the Yorkshire pudding:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
pinch of kosher salt

Directions
One day before serving, season the roast with the salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let the roast sit at room temperature to temper for 1-2 hours before roasting. This will help the meat cook more evenly.

To roast the beef, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place beef in a large roasting pan and place in oven (I placed my beef on a wire rack in the roasting pan so I'd have better access to the pan juices while basting). Roast for 15 minutes and then lower the heat to 375 degrees. Continue roasting, basting the meat frequently with the pan juices, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast away from the bone registers 135 degrees for medium rare (we left it in until it reached about 145 degrees as all of our guests preferred their meat to be medium), about 1 1/4 hours (for a 5lb roast). Also remember that the temperature of the meat will continue to rise outside of the oven. If using a boneless roast, start checking temperature a little earlier. When the roast reaches the desired temperature, transfer it to a carving board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes. This allows time for the juices to distribute evenly throughout the meat and makes carving easier. Reserve the roasting pan with the drippings and keep the oven on. While the roast rests, make the Yorkshire pudding.

To make the Yorkshire pudding, place a 9 inch cast iron frying pan or Pyrex pie dish (I used the pie dish) in the oven to preheat. Meanwhile in a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until well blended. Add the flour a little at a time and continue to whisk constantly until smooth. The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream. Add the salt. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer 2 tbsp of beef fat from the roasting pan into the frying pan. To do this, tilt the roasting pan and spoon off the clear fat from the brown drippings. Pour the batter into the pan with the fat and place the pan in the oven (keeping the oven temperature at 375 degrees). Bake until the pudding is puffy and crisp, about 25 minutes. Cut the pudding into wedges and serve at once with slices of roast beef.

Haricots Verts with Herb Butter

Well it's hard for me to believe that Christmas has come and gone for another year. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday that was filled with family, friends and of course, really good food!

I actually hosted two Christmas dinners this year (one for my parents and one for my in-laws), so in the next few days I will be posting some of the recipes I made.

I for one am VERY happy to not be posting a sweet recipe today. I have really found a love of baking but boy am I getting sick of Christmas Cookies, candies, bars, etc....so I'm glad to say that this recipe for haricots verts was simply wonderful. I trimmed and cleaned the green beans two days before serving, and kept them in a zip top bag with a damp paper towel. I also made the herb butter two days before as well. This worked perfectly, as the beans were fresh and crisp when I served them and the butter of course kept well in the fridge.

Not only did this side dish taste great, it was a lovely accompaniment to my Beef Wellington and really dressed up the plate. This is one that I will most certainly make again.

Ingredients
Source: Epicurious - Orignially from Gourmet, November 2007

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 lb haricots verts or other green beans, trimmed

Directions

Stir together all ingredients except haricots verts with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined well.

Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain. Toss with herb butter.

Notes: Herb butter can be made ahead and chilled, covered, 3 days or frozen, rolled into a cylinder in plastic wrap and kept in a sealed bag, 1 week. Haricots verts can be trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed bag lined with paper towel (I did this two days ahead with no problems).

Buffalo Chicken Bites

My husband loves buffalo chicken bites, but I've never made them for him before! So one night I decided to take a crack at it and found a Rachel Ray recipe that looked good. I was intrigued that it called for pancake mix for the breading portion.

My husband and I both loved these. They were super easy to make and tasted great. I thought they had plenty of heat, but my husband said if I were making them just for him he'd like to add more hot sauce since he likes things more spicy then I do. We've made these twice so far and really love them. A perfect addition to our Friday night pizza!

Ingredients
Source: Rachel Ray

Vegetable oil (11/2 quarts), for frying
2 1/2 cups plain pancake mix
1 1/4 cups water
8 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
11/4 pounds chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt
2 scallions, finely chopped (I omitted)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper (one-third palmful)
1 cup good-quality refrigerated blue cheese dressing, such as Marie’s brand
Store-bought celery sticks (I omitted)

Directions

In a deep skillet, heat 11/2 inches of oil over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, make the batter: In a wide mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the pancake mix, the water and 6 teaspoons of hot sauce. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix in another wide mixing bowl. Arrange the batter and the bowl of pancake mix near the stove. Line a plate with a few paper towels and keep within reach.

Once the oil is heated, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, then toss them in the dry pancake mix, coat evenly and shake off the excess. (The dry pancake mix will help the batter stick to the chicken pieces.) Add some of the chicken to the batter (you’re going to batter and fry in 3 to 4 batches) and toss with your fingers or a fork. Remove the first batch from the batter, shaking off the excess, and carefully add the chicken to the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, flipping once, until deep golden brown. Remove the fried chicken from the oil and drain on the paper towel–lined plate, then season with salt. Repeat until all the popcorn chicken bites are fried.

Stir the chopped scallions and pepper into the blue cheese dressing. Serve the chicken immediately with the dressing on the side. Garnish the platter with the celery sticks.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

As soon as I told my husband we were having "Spaghetti Squash Casserole" for a side dish that night, I instantly knew what he was thinking before he could say a thing.

Spaghetti and squash? in a casserole? Yuck!

I let him stew for a minute to ponder this idea before I told him Spaghetti Squash is a type of squash. I wasn't going to be combining spaghetti and butternut. He instantly looked relieved.

This was my first time using a spaghetti squash and I was definitely impressed. We both liked this casserole as a side dish very much and I loved how easy it was to make. This was a great weeknight side dish that is perfect for this time of year. I'll definitely make this again.

Ingredients
Adapted from All Recipes.com

3 pounds spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms (I omitted as I don't like mushrooms)
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices bread, cubed (I used a few handfuls of plain stuffing bread that I had left over)
salt
pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Cook squash on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until tender. Shred with a fork once cooled slightly, then transfer to a lightly oiled casserole dish, discarding shell. Do not turn off the oven.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions, mushrooms, and basil until onions are translucent and tender. Stir onion mixture and sour cream into the squash until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with bread cubes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through and top is lightly browned and toasted. Enjoy!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I got the idea for this meal last year from a co worker who says this is how she prepares her acorn squash. It sounded like a perfect fall side dish. So I tried it last year and have made it many, many, many times since then (so it's tried and true).

If thanksgiving was one dish, this would be it. The delicious Acorn squash mixed with the comforting flavors on classic stuffing make for a hearty side that everyone will love. This is certainly a treat that is perfect for this time of year!

Ingredients
Inspiration for idea: My Coworker
Source of Classic Stuffing Recipe: Martha Stewart

1 acorn squash, cut in half with seeds removed
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2-3 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
Aprox. 2 cups chicken stock
2-3 big thick slices of homemade french bread (you'll need more bread if you have thin slices) and cut into 1 inch cubes
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Make sure squash will stand up straight (hollowed-side up) without tipping over. If it does, cut off the tip of the bottom until it will stand up. Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, poke a few small holes into the hollowed section of the squash. Place 1/2 tbsp of butter and brown sugar on both halves of squash. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until tender and onions are translucent (about 5-10 minutes). Add sage and stir to combine, cook about 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl add onion/celery mixture, bread, and more chicken stock. I honestly never measure the chicken stock so 1 1/2 cups (after the 1/2 cup already used) is just an approximation. Just add a little bit at a time until the bread has soaked up most of the liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff stuffing into your acorn squash until completely filled up. Put into oven and bake for 1 hour. Check the stuffing after about 20 minutes until the end of cook time. If the stuffing looks like it's getting two brown I simply put an empty sheet pan on the rack above the squash which prevents burning. Serve hot.

Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw

After my neighbor gave us a huge and beautiful head of cabbage from his garden, I had to figure out what to do with it while it was still at it's peak of freshness. I wanted to make Gołąbki, but my husband doesn't like it so much. So he suggested I make coleslaw, which was a great idea! It's one of his favorite side dishes and I had never made it before.

This was a great recipe. It was easy to follow and resulted in a crisp, creamy and flavorful side dish. I didn't think I liked coleslaw to be honest (that watery mush that comes in a plastic container? No thanks), but this was really good! I was surprised at how much I liked it.

This is definitely a recipe I will be making again after next years cabbage harvest!

Ingredients
Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles, Originally from Cooks Illustrated July 2002

CI note: If you are planning to serve the coleslaw immediately, rinse the salted cabbage in a large bowl of ice water, drain it in a colander, pick out any ice cubes, then pat the cabbage dry before dressing.

1 pound cabbage (about ½ medium head), red or green, shredded fine (6 cups)
table salt
1 medium carrot, shredded on box grater
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (I omitted as I didn't have any)
½ teaspoon cider vinegar (I used white vinegar which was fine)
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Toss shredded cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt in colander or large mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage wilts, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Rinse cabbage under cold running water. Press, but do not squeeze, to drain; pat dry with paper towels. Place wilted cabbage and carrot in large bowl.

Stir buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, shallot, parsley, vinegar, sugar, mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper together in small bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to combine; refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Coleslaw can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Dill and Cheddar Cornbread

I had a bunch of beautiful fresh dill from the farmers market that proved to be too much for my batch of Dill Pickles (that's another post!), so I was looking for a way to use it before it went bad. Then I was watching Barefoot Contessa on TV and Ina was making this delicious looking cornbread along with some braised short ribs. I thought this would be the perfect thing to make with my fresh dill.

I really loved this cornbread. I'm a huge fan of dill and that along with the sharp cheddar and moist corn bread was a perfect combination in my book. However, I do feel obliged to mention that my husband just said it was "weird"...so I don't think he loved it as much as I did. I think that he was surprised with the flavor of the dill in such a traditional corn bread. Either way, I can assure you that if you like dill you will love this cornbread! A perfect addition to a Sunday dinner.

Ingredients
Source: Ina Garten

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1 cup minced fresh dill

Directions

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar and the dill, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cauliflower & Mozzarella Bake

I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for interesting looking food. When I have kids some day, I'm sure they will love their plates because I love serving food that is appealing and fun for the eyes.

That's why, when I was at the market last week, I had to have this purple cauliflower. Isn't it pretty?! It was too hard to resist! That being said, I really don't even like cauliflower. But I really haven't had it since I was a kid either, so I thought I'd give it a try.

This recipe was great a letting the cauliflower be the star. I really thought it was very good! The cheese was not overwhelming at all, it just added a nice smoothness to the cauliflower. And of course, you can use this recipe with whatever color cauliflower you want! All in all this was a great veggie side dish!
Ingredients
Source: Cooks.com

1 head cauliflower
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lg. onion, sliced thin
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 c. fine bread crumbs (I used Italian Style)
1/2 c. Panko (I added this)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions

1. Cut off cauliflower flowerettes.

2. Steam until tender (approximately 20 minutes). (I don't have a steamer so I just boiled the flowerettes in a bit of water on the stovetop until they were tender.)

3. Meanwhile saute onions in oil until golden.

4. Pour in fine bread crumbs with the onions. Stir.

5. Layer cauliflower, cheese and onions in a baking dish.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, and top that with Panko bread crumbs.

8. Place under broiler until cheese melts and top turns light brown.

Stuffed Zucchini

With an abundance of fresh zucchini growing in my garden, I am always looking for creative ways to prepare it. This recipe is extremely easy so it is perfect for weeknight cooking. The ricotta dresses up the zucchini without overwhelming the flavor. In addition, I use reduced fat ricotta so it's really not that bad for you. This can easily be served as a vegetable or a side and is wonderfully flavorful!

Ingredients
Source: Williams-Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook, page 157

4 Zucchini (I used 2)
Olive Oil for greasing
1 cup fresh ricotta (I use reduced fat)
1/4 Grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. flour
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper (I omit)
Pinch of grated lemon zest (I omit)
2 tbsp. freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan
Leaves from 1 large spring fresh basil
2 small garlic cloves, minced (I added)

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the whole zucchini and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the zucchini just until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Preheat the broiler (I just set the oven to 400 degrees and use the top rack). Lightly oil a large baking pan or sheet. In a bowl, stir together the ricotta and 1/2 cup Parmesan with the flour, salt and black pepper to taste, the cayenne, lemon zest and minced garlic. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place the zucchini in the prepared baking pan. Season with salt and pepper and fill with the cheese mixture to form soft mounds. Sprinkle with he pecorino romano cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is warm and starts to brown slightly, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the broiler, chop the basil leaves, and sprinkle on top. Serve warm.

Roasted Tomatoes

It's tomato season around here, and with an abundance of fresh tomatoes at every local market, store and garden, different recipes to use them are always welcome. I found this recipe in one of my many Williams-Sonoma cookbooks, and tend to make this with almost every dinner during the summer. It's a fabulous way to use up your tomatoes, and it's a perfectly simple and delicious side dish.

Ingredients
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Main Dishes; Page 101

1 large tomato
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut tomato in half. On both halves, sprinkle an even amount of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Add panko bread crumbs on top of both tomato halves and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for about 6-8 minutes, or until bread crumbs are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Roasted Vegetable Tian

After another great trip to the farmers market, I found myself with an abundance of beautiful fresh veggies to use! So when I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats I thought it would be perfect to try out!

This recipe was truly fabulous. What a great way to present roasted vegetables, and it came out so delicious too! I didn't use the exact ingredients in the recipe, but I feel like that is the great thing about it! You can just use the freshest ingredients you have on hand. This is one that I can see me making over and over again!

Mine didn't come out quite as "pretty" as Annie's, because I used veggies that varied greatly in size and shape. But the taste was there which was all that mattered!
Ingredients
Adapted from Annie's Eats
Originally from Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris

Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar (I added this)
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced (I used one very large onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. medium round potatoes, unpeeled (I chose not use potatoes in this since I was making a side of potatoes au gratin for dinner that night)
3/4 lb. zucchini (I used 2 medium zucchini which ended up being just a bit too much!)
1 1/4 lb. medium tomatoes (I used 2 large tomatoes)
1 medium Eggplant, sliced (I added this)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs (I omitted)
2 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated (I used Parmesan and a bit of shredded mozzarella)
5-6 fresh sage leaves, chopped (I added this)
Aprox. 1 tsp dried rosemary (I added this)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9×13″ baking dish with olive oil. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan, and cook the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only one layer. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs (Or sage and rosemary, if using). Drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil (and balsamic vinegar, if using), if desired. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the grated cheese on top , and bake for 30 minutes more, or until browned. Serve warm.