Category Archives: side dishes

cranberry coleslaw

Cranberry Coleslaw

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june 23, 2017

cranberry coleslaw

Grilling season is in full swing. It’s so much fun to look through foodie magazines and dream of menus for backyard meals and picnics. The easiest menu items are simple grilled entrees—marinate, grill and done. The hard work comes in choosing and preparing sides to please a crowd. Make-ahead is best so that all you need to do at the last minute is grill the entree. I like an array of sides in the form of crunchy or creamy salads. Today’s cranberry coleslaw is both although not excessively creamy and perfect for the vegans in the crowd.  Continue reading →

platter of asparagus with smoky yogurt

Asparagus with Smoky Yogurt

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april 14, 2017

platter of asparagus with smoky yogurt

 

 

When asparagus season rolls around, I simply cannot get enough. Plain is fine by me, either roasted or steamed. Sauces for dipping or drizzling, or vinaigrettes for tossing, are also welcome at the table.

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Crunchy Quinoa Vegetable Salad

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april 1, 2017

crunchy quinoa vegetable salad

 

You probably have your breakfasts covered, even if your choices are routine and familiar. Perhaps dinners are easy, too, since you cook on the weekends for the week ahead. But lunches may have you scratching your head , as you decide what to pack, if you take a lunch, or where to pick up something not too heavy, something that won’t have you napping in the early afternoon. If you are in the habit of buying lunches out, you may fall into the trap of eating too much in volume and not enough in quality. Continue reading →

Green Curry Corn Tomato Salad

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august 27, 2016

green curry corn tomato salad

How lucky we are that corn and tomatoes are in season at the same time, because there is nothing better than an ear of buttered sweet corn next to sun ripened sliced tomatoes on your plate, adorned with nothing but a light sprinkle of your favorite salt.

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Duck Fat Fries

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april 9, 2016

duck fat fries

My buddy and project partner in culinary school was affectionately nicknamed Duck Fat. Not only did Jason love its taste and texture, he found ways to incorporate the creamy white fat into nearly everything. Within reason, of course.

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baked dish of butternut savoy cabbage lasagna

Butternut Savoy Cabbage Lasagna

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february 13, 2016

baked dish of butternut savoy cabbage lasagna

 

Sometimes the best lasagnas are made without pasta. Pick a season, choose something that can be sliced as thin as a noodle, and off you go. Summer brings eggplant and zucchini squash and fall/winter brings butternut squash. For me, lasagna was always about the cheese and sauce, so take out the pasta and I’m a happy diner.

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Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash and Arugula

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january 16, 2016

wild rice salad with butternut squash and arugula

The most versatile salads have several characteristics. They are easy to assemble and have components that may be made ahead of time so that putting all together is a snap. They may be served as a salad course, or as a side dish. They can stand alone, or serve as the base for grilled meats, seafood or tofu. Here is such a salad, made to please a variety of palates and served recently at a holiday dinner in my home.

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Ginger Sesame Brussels Sprout Salad

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december 19, 2015

ginger sesame brussels sprout salad

Brussels sprouts. You either hate them or love them. If you are in the former camp, perhaps you were coerced as a child into eating those mushy green orbs, straight from the freezer bag to the vigorously boiling water. Cooked into submission, they reeked of stale cabbage.

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Parsley Chive Potato Salad

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october 16, 2015

parsley chive potato salad

As the nights grow cool and frost becomes inevitable, I try to think of recipes to use my tender herbs before they become dormant. Late autumn and winter cold leave me only rosemary. Not that that’s a bad thing; seasonality makes me appreciate what I have when I have it available.

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Watermelon with Spicy Tahini Sauce

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june 26, 2015

watermelon with spicy tahini sauce

The ideal scenario for summer outdoor dining and entertaining may be summed up in several steps. Throw something on the grill. Steam some ears of local corn (or grill them, as in grilled corn and sugar snap pea salad). Toss a simple salad. Serve something chilly for dessert – ice cream, gelato or sorbet.

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