We really like this side salad with Latin type dishes, but really it would be great with anything. We had it with Chicken Salsa Verde. The addition of cojita cheese is what really makes it great, but if you want to lighten it even more you could definitely lose it and it would still be a good salad. It is substantial enough that you could have a larger portion for a full meal.
Side Dishes
Steamed Peas Soy/Mirin Vinaigrette
This was a nice side, provided you don’t overcook the pea pods like I did. 😉 Got it from Cooking Light along with the recipe to follow, Soy Citrus Scallops. I’d definitely do this again.
- 1-2 cups snow peas (or sugar snap peas)
- 1 T rice vinegar
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1 t sesame oil
- 1 1/2 t mirin
- salt and pepper
Combing vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, salt and pepper. Steam peas for about 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender and toss with dressing
Herbed Mashed Peas
I really love mashed peas…actually, I just love peas any way. This works well, but watch your lemon juice – it can go from bright to overwhelming/weird aftertaste very quickly.
Hollandaise Sauce
Besides brunch, I always associate Hollandaise with Easter meals. This is an Ina Garten recipe and has been a no-fail recipe for me, and is also super easy. It was delicious over some roasted asparagus for our Easter dinner.
Sichuan Green Beans
I love crispy green beans in restaurants, so thought I would give them a try at home. This came out well, but watch how long you boil your beans – I went a little bit long and they were not crisp! Still absolutely deliciosu though – I could eat them in any form! I served these with Momofuku’s ginger scallion noodles.
Spicy Roasted Brussel Sprouts
I never get tired of brussel sprouts, and my favorite way to prepare them is roasted. This is a nice garlicky, spicy side that goes well with many different dishes – I like to use it to accompany a mild main dish.
- 1-2 lb brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1.5 teaspoon olive oil
- Pinch Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 425. Place sprouts and all other ingredients in a roasting pan and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes or until browned.
Roasted Curried Cauliflower
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 large head cauliflower, cut into large florets
• Nonstick olive-oil cooking spray
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry powder, and salt. Add the cauliflower, tossing to coat thoroughly with spice mixture.
Arrange cauliflower in a single layer on prepared sheet. Roast until florets are browned on bottom and tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 35 minutes. Serve hot. Makes about 4 servings.
Baked French Fries
A year ago I went on a business trip to Brussels (and London after), and I have definitely been thinking a lot about those nine days in Europe this weekend! Beyond the fact that it was a wonderful, fun, life-changing trip, the food was awesome. 😉 So to celebrate this weekend, I made Moules Frites, or mussels and chips, served with some delicious Belgian beer and a baguette to soak up the broth from the moules. Here is the recipe for the fries, which is a tried and true one for me.
Corn Salad
A colorful and fun side salad, this is one I’ve served mostly with Latin or Mexican themed meals. It has a lot of flavor and dresses up chicken and pork especially well, I have found. This would be a good one at a picnic or BBQ. If you can do fresh corn with this, great – about 3 -4 ears. If not, a bag of thawed out frozen corn would be fine too.
Cuban Rice Cooked in Black Beans
This is one of my absolute favorite dishes, great as a main or side. I usually make this with carnitas or fish tacos, and then take the leftovers to lunch for a week. 🙂 I got this recipe eons ago from Epicurious, originally from a book called “Latin Grilling,” and I love it exactly how it is written. A very festive and flavorful way to make rice. You could lighten this up by using some turkey bacon, and I have tried this with brown rice as well as white…brown rice was also excellent. Just required more cooking time of course.
Om nom nom! 