Creamy White Bean and Vegetable Mash

I found this recipe in the most recent Whole Living magazine in an article about healthy Thanksgiving sides. Anything that uses white beans to up the creaminess ante is good in my book. And not that I was looking for any of these things, but this recipe is vegan, vegetarian and okay for those with special diets or allergies. Its also delicious.

Creamy White Bean and Vegetable Mash
Serves 6

2 T olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1-inch cubes
2 cups cooked white beans (1 16 oz can)
Coarse salt & pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Cook onion, celery and carrot until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add potatoes and white beans and cover with water by 2 inches. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid.

Mash vegetables, adding reserved water to get the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil before serving.

This recipe is as delicious as regular mashed potatoes, but without the extra butter and milk. I dare say its actually more flavorful because of the first step. I used my immersion blender, which I'm sure added to the creamy consistency factor. It tasted like a side dish in a nice restaurant.

For those who care, the nutrition is pretty good too. One serving has 206 calories, 5 g fat (1g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 41 g carbs, 316 mg sodium, 9 g protein, 8 g fiber.

Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad

Found this recipe via Smitten Kitchen, but its originally from Bon Appetit. Yum! So good. Two things I did different: only had white wine vinegar on hand, used one regular cucumber instead of two hothouses.

Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad
6 T distilled white vinegar
4 t coarse kosher salt
2 1-pound English hothouse cucumbers, very thinly sliced
1/2 C plus 3 T chopped fresh dill
3 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10 medium), unpeeled
Additional coarse kosher salt
1 C very thinly sliced white onion
8 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
3/4 C mayonnaise
Small radishes with green tops

Stir vinegar and 4 teaspoons coarse salt in small bowl until salt dissolves. Place cucumbers and 1/2 cup dill in heavy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add vinegar mixture; seal bag. Turn several times to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Pour cucumber mixture into large sieve set over bowl. Drain at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Discard brine.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cool potatoes completely. Peel potatoes; quarter lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle generously with coarse salt and pepper. Add drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes, and remaining 3 tablespoons dill; toss to blend. Let stand 1 hour. Stir mayonnaise into salad. Season generously with salt and pepper, if desired. (Salad can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Mound salad in bowl; garnish with whole radishes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Hashbrown Cakes

Some of my favorite recipes from cooking magazines are the little side bar ideas with just a few ingredients or an article about how to use an everyday ingredient. This recipe is from the April issue of Cooking Light.

Hashbrown Cakes
1 1/2 C shredded ham
1/2 C chopped green onions
2 1/2 T all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 20 oz bag hashbrowns*
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Combine ham, onions, flour, salt and potatoes. Add eggs and mix well. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat with 1 T canola oil. Scoop mixture by 1/4 C spoonfuls into skillet, flatten slightly and cook 5 minutes on each side until browned.

This recipe made enough for two meals. I cooked up a couple of cakes as part of our breakfast, then froze the rest in patties for use another time.

*I hate buying bags of stuff like that when I can just as easily prepare the potatoes myself. I boiled 6 russet potatoes (of varying sizes, not the big huge ones) until they were cooked through. I let them cool a little (I was pressed on time and would have rather they cooled completely, but hey) then shredded them skin on into the bowl.

Toasted Rice

I found this recipe on a little, eensy weensy corner of spread about New Orleans inspired cuisine in one of the recent Food Network magazines. The nutty flavor from toasting the rice prior to cooking really elevated the flavor and kick. I will make again and soon. Total of my time spent cooking and prepping this dish: maybe 8 minutes, tops.

Toasted Rice
4 T butter
2 cups converted long-grain rice (Like Uncle Ben’s)
1 t salt
½ t pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
Green onions
Parsley

Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir in n rice, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the rice is golden, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth and water; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat, 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in chopped scallions and parsley.

Green Green Spring Vegetables

I made this last night, intending to use the haricots verts I'd picked up at Sam's Club which turned out to be moldy. Instead I improvised with just broccoli and asparagus. It is a simple dish, but big on flavor. The shallots really make this shine. Ideal for entertaining since you can do the vegetables earlier in the day and then heat them up right before serving.

Green Green Spring Vegetables from Barefoot Contessa
1/4 pound French string beans (haricots verts), ends removed
Kosher salt
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, ends and strings removed
1/4 pound asparagus, ends removed
1/2 pound broccolini, ends removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon good olive oil
3 large shallots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 minute only. Lift the beans from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Add the snap peas to the same boiling water and cook for 1 minute, until al dente, adding them to the ice water and the beans. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch lengths diagonally and cook in the boiling water for 2 minutes, and add to the ice water. Cut the broccolini in half, boil for 1 minute, and add to the ice water. When all the vegetables in the water are cold, drain well.

When ready to serve, heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan or large pot. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the drained vegetables to the shallots with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper and toss. Cook just until the vegetables are heated through. Serve hot.

Photo from FoodNetwork.com

Saffron Orzo with Asparagus and Prosciutto

When my sister-in-law Colleen hosts a holiday (typically Thanksgiving and Easter), she always makes this delicious side dish from Bon Appetit. Definitely my favorite--so elegant and tasty. It is great reheated as well.

Saffron Orzo with Asparagus and Prosciutto

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips
1 1/4 cups orzo (about 8 ounces)
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon (loosely packed) saffron threads, crushed
1 pound slender asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese shavings

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and sauté until almost crisp, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in same skillet over high heat. Add orzo; stir 1 minute. Add broth and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until orzo begins to soften, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus; cover and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Mix in prosciutto and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Garnish with Parmesan shavings

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

I know not everyone is a fan of brussel sprouts and we don't have them that often, but this recipe is soooo good.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts: cut in half and cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside.

Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing

fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese.

While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Recipe and Photo from here.

Sautéed Baby Squash with Basil and Feta

I have squash and leeks from the crop share and we grow basil and ALWAYS have a lot of feta on hand so I am going to try this tonight as a side with our grilled salmon.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Cooking Light.

Side Dishes

Sooooo, anyone have good summer/spring side dishes? That's the place I sometimes fall down on when it comes to sides that work well when grilling or you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.