Category Archives: side dish

July 26, 2010 · 11:25 am

Crunchy Wasabi-crusted Fish with Red-Cabbage Slaw

It may seem that I am cooking my way through all my copies of Gourmet magazine.  I love that magazine and never dreamed in a million years that today it would no longer exist.  Anyway this recipe is from Gourmet August 2006.  It was featured in the Ten-Minute Mains.  From start to finish it will take you about twenty minutes to prepare.  I know it is hard to believe, but believe it.  It’s true.  We all need this kind of meal.  Fast, easy, great tasting and nutritious all at the same time.  Save yourself time and energy and keep frozen fish on hand.  They are quick to thaw in cold water and the list is endless as to what you can do with them.  This recipe got my interest at the word wasabi.  I’m not a big lover of sushi, but I do like it occasionally.  The best part though is the wasabi and ginger.  This has both! 

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June 16, 2010 · 12:11 pm

Skirt Steak with Green Beans, Corn, and Pesto

 

There is nothing that I love better than a good steak.  When I was perusing through my Gourmet Magazines last weekend I found this one that caught my eye.  I was not only interested in trying it because reading the recipe made me drool, but it is a 10 minute main dish.  Really?  It is quick, but 10 minutes I don’t think so.  The side dish also was different.  Pesto sauce can add a good flavor and I was interested to see what it would do to two of my favorite vegetables corn and beans.  The original recipe calls for haricots verts, but my CSA box provided me with just plain green beans which were larger than haricots verts. 

Skirt steak is new to me.  When shopping I had a good discussion with the butcher about how to cook it as well as cut it.  Gourmet did not say to marinate it and when mentioning this to the butcher he raised his eyebrow and looked puzzled.  He said, ” Mam,  I really don’t think you should cook this without marinating.”  I went with his advice.  It was a very good idea.  He suggested using salsa or an Italian dressing.  I decided to use Cile’s Marinade that I use for flank steak. Skirt steak is similar to flank steak, but much thinner and longer.  Marinades  only penetrate about 1/4 inch or so of the meat making skirt steak perfect for the marinade.  Cut the steak across the grain which will break up the connective tissue making it easier to chew. Cost wise it is about $2.50 a serving which is not too bad.  Another good thing about this steak is that it can be prepared in a skillet.  

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May 28, 2010 · 10:07 am

Rice Pilaf with Spinach and Bacon

Spinach, spinach everywhere!  I have loved the beautiful spinach I am getting in my CSA box each week.  It has been some of the best  that I have ever had, but I cannot prepare this every week.  I have to branch out and try something new,even though sitting down with a bowl of this would be quite rewarding. What did I come up with?  It had to be something quick and a dish that could use some of my other CSA goodies, a gorgeous oyster mushroom and an onion.  Anna’s rice pilaf recipe came to mind.  It’s not her original recipe.  I will share it at a another time.  It is quite delicious.  I used it as a side dish, but it could very well work as a main dish.  I have been known to add a little soy sauce and eat a plateful. 

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Filed under Bacon, easy, Local CSA, Rice, side dish, spinach

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November 18, 2009 · 7:38 am

Deviled Eggs

They are just waiting for you!!

I love deviled eggs.  They are so southern.  They are right up there with fried chicken, pimento cheese, biscuits, and potato salad.  Deviled eggs are just something that you take to a family reunion, to your aunt’s at Thanksgiving, or to a family picnic.  They are easy to make, but so many people don’t know how to cook eggs.  And that could be a big problem in this case! 

  So how do you prepare this almost perfect food wrapped in a shell.  Well, first  you do not BOIL eggs.  Eggs are either soft-cooked or hard-cooked in water.  Never, ever boiled.  Have you ever been to an Easter egg hunt where they used real eggs and you cracked into one and the yolk was green.  That’s what happens when you boil eggs.  A chemical reaction takes place inside the shell that turns the yolk green.  No one wants green eggs.  Unless of course you are Dr. Seuss.

Follow these simple steps and you cannot go wrong:  

Eggs in cold water

 I used large eggs here.  You can use extra-large eggs, but will take a few more minutes to cook.  Don’t use eggs that you just  purchased.  Fresh eggs are very hard to peel.  They don’ t have a big air space therefore it is hard to remove the shell.  Cover them with cool water not hot water which will affect the cooking time.  I usually add an extra egg in case one cracks, then you have an extra yolk to make  a little more filling. 

 Just do bring them to a boil and turn down to simmer.  Set your timer for 15 minutes.  You can take the saucepan off of the heat and set the timer for 30 minutes.  Either method is good.   

  Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process.  Use ice cubes if needed.   Crack the shell under running water.  Start from the large end when removing the shell.  It will be much easier because the air cell is located here.    Split the eggs lengthwise.  This will make a nicer presentation.  Place the yolk in a bowl.    

Cut eggs lengthwise

Mash with a fork

Add about a teaspoon of mustard

Drain olives

I like to add olives or dill relish to my eggs.  This is just my personal preference.  You may add sweet pickles or horseradish or whatever you like to flavor them.  

Mince olives

   
 
 
 

Add olives and mayonnaise to yolks

Be really careful when adding mayonnaise to the yolks.  Just a little will go a long way.  You can always add more but you cannot take out too much. This mixture will not work if it is too thin.  

 

Mix it up!

Fill 'em up!

Ready to put on plate!

This is it!  So easy and so good!  At my house half of these are gone before I can put them on a plate.  Make sure that you make extras.  You will need them I promise. 

 Happy cooking, 

 The Teacher Cooks  

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Filed under easy, Eggs, quick, Recipes, side dish

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November 3, 2009 · 11:16 pm

Twice Baked Potatoes

Yummy Stuffed Potatoes

These are so good!

I love potatoes anyway you cook them.  They have been a favorite of mine since childhood.   I grew up in a very small town in south Georgia where my grandparents had a big farm.  They had what all farms had back then, chickens, horses, cows, and pigs .  They had a smoke house, a sugar cane mill to make syrup and a well.  They grew everything  peanuts, cotton, corn, watermelons, peas, beans, potatoes, okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, turnips,and the list goes on.  And get this they also had a big underground bomb shelter.  Go figure!!

Every Wednesday after school we would visit my grandparents.  Usually I would take a friend.  Bomb shelters make great playhouses.  Whatever my grandmother had cooked for lunch that day we would have  for an afternoon snack (meal).  She always made potatoes, just plain boiled potatoes.  They were so good.  They were seasoned with lots of love and I am sure butter. Okay, enough about why I love potatoes.

This is a great stuffed potato recipe that I have adapted from my friend Cile.  It is a favorite of ours especially when we are grilling.  It is easy and very flavorful.

I have to get on my soapbox here.  PLEASE don’t wrap up potatoes in foil to bake.   When you do that the pulp is slick, gummy and turns a dark color. It also takes forever because you  are steaming them .  Just wash the potatoes good and put them in a 425 degree oven. Most of them including the great big Idahoes will take an hour or a little more.  I’m telling you they will be so fluffy, billowy, soft and a beautiful pristine white when you pop them open. You’re going to say WOW!

Baked potatoes

Place in 425 degree oven for about an hour or more until soft

While they are still hot cut the top 1/4 off of the top of the potato.  Scoop out the cooked potato. Place in a mixing bowl.

Hot Baked Potatoes

Scoop out baked potatoes and place in bowl

Heat about 1/2 of milk and 1/4 stick of butter just until warm.  By the way this recipe can be doubled.

Warm milk and butter

Heat 1/2 cup milk with 1/4 cup butter until warm

Add milk and butter to the potatoes.  You may have to add more or less milk depending on the size of the potatoes.

Next add 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar, 3 slices of bacon cut into bits, and 2 tops of green onions sliced.  I pulled the cheese and the bacon out of the freezer.

Looking good

add 1/2 cup cheese, 3 slices of bacon bits, and green onions

Yum

Mix

All mixed

Ready to stuff the shells

Put the mixture in the shells and bake for about 20 min. if you can wait that long!

Cile’s Twice Baked Potatoes ( This is the doubled recipe)

  • 8 medium baking potatoes
  • 1 cup milk heated
  • 1/2 cup butter heated with milk
  • 1 cup grated sharp cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • 6 slices of bacon bits

Bake potatoes at 425 degrees for about 1 hour or until they are soft.  Cut 1/4 of top from potato and scoop pulp into a mixing bowl.  Heat milk and butter until warm.  Add to pototatoes.  Add remaining ingredients. Mix.  Stuff potato mixture into shells.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 min.

Enjoy!

The Teacher Cooks

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Filed under baked potatoes, Cooking, easy, Grill, healthy, Recipes, side dish, Stuffed Potatoes, Twiced baked potatoes