Side Dishes :: 2/4 :: Leslie Durso

Archive for Side Dishes – Page 2

Glazed Carrots

By Leslie · Comments (2) · April 20th, 2011

Family recipes are fantastic, but they don't amount to much unless you continue to make them. This is my Grandmother's recipe for glazed carrots. She would make these all the time, but specifically they were always on the table when we celebrated Easter. They really are the perfect springtime side dish. This recipe is sooo easy and comes together really quickly. I hope you enjoy these and find them as irresistible as I do!

Glazed Carrots

Serves 4-6

What you’ll need:

2 lbs. baby carrots

¼ cup butter (or earth balance to make it vegan)

½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

¼ cup mustard

2 tbsp. chopped chives

What you’ll do:

Place the carrots in large pot with 1 inch water, steam till tender and drain.

In separate small pot, combine butter, sugar and mustard. Cook on low heat stirring until dissolved. Pour mixture over carrots and toss with chives. Serve warm.

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Comments (2)

Categories : Side Dishes, Vegetables: Carrots

Spinach Mushroom Stacks

By Leslie · Comments (2) · January 18th, 2011

What a marriage! Spinach and mushrooms just seem to go together so well right? Well, I love this combo and decided to mix it up a little and the result: awe-some! You are going to love this stack, whether it's a main course of side dish, there is tons of flavor and I find it rather pretty : )

Spinach Mushroom Stack

What you'll need:

1 portobello mushroom

a handful of fresh spinach

1 clove of garlic

1 slice of havarti cheese

What you'll do:

Trim the stem off your mushroom and rinse well. You can grill the mushroom or pan fry it with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. At the same time, saute the garlic and spinach with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. To assemble, place mushroom down, add the slice of cheese and top with a pile of spinach.

That's it!

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Comments (2)

Categories : Side Dishes, Vegetables: Mushrooms, Vegetables: Spinach

Autumn Butternut Squash Quinoa

By Leslie · Comments (6) · November 30th, 2010

I made this dish at Thanksgiving for the vegetarians at the table. It's packed full of protein and super super good for you! (not to mention super yummy!) (and pretty)

If you've never had quinoa before, don't be scared! It's delicious! Quinoa is a small grain with the texture of couscous and it has just as much protein in it as chicken. It can be found at most grocery stores now and health food stores. It'll be by the rice.

Autumn Butternut Squash Quinoa

serves 6

What you'll need:

13 oz. quinoa

vegetable broth

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 purple onion, diced into large pieces

2 cups fresh cranberries, halved

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

a couple handfuls of fresh parsley, chopped

What you'll do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the diced butternut squash, onions, cranberries and garlic on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper (or foil). Toss with olive oil, spread out evenly and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the the butternut squash is fork tender. Remove and set aside.

Prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the package and use vegetable stock when making it. When it's done, fluff with a fork and mix in the squash mixture, the toasted almonds and the parsley. Season to taste.

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Comments (6)

Categories : Quinoa, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetables: Butternut Squash

Cranberry Sauce with Pomegranate Seeds

By Leslie · Comments (3) · November 23rd, 2010

Cranberry sauce is pretty much a staple on every Thanksgiving table, but this year, let's mix it up a little! I love pomegranate seeds in salads and it's the perfect thing to pair with cranberries!

Not to mention, pomegranates are a super food and insanely good for you!

Cranberry Sauce with Pomegranate Seeds

What you'll need:

12 oz. fresh cranberries

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate (Click here to see how to de-seed a pomegranate)

What you'll do:

Place the water and sugar in a medium pot and boil. Add the cranberries and reduce to medium. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. When cool, add in the pomegranate seeds and stir. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

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Comments (3)

Categories : Side Dishes

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

By Leslie · Comments (1) · November 19th, 2010

Let's face it, Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes. And honestly, my favorite kind of mashed potatoes are the traditional ones. I'm all for changing things up and experimenting with this very cookie cutter holiday dinner, but in this case I don't. I LOVE good old fashion smashed potatoes : )

note: I use red potatoes with the skin on, but you are welcome to use white and or skin them. I just don't like mashed Idaho potatoes.

Also, mashed potatoes are fickle. . . the measurements are not exact because sometimes they are wetter or dryer. You just have to add more moisture and flavor as you see fit.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
serves 4

What you'll need:

4 large red potatoes, cleaned

3 tbsp. butter

a heaping tbsp. cream cheese (yes low-fat is fine)

about 1/4 cup buttermilk (plus or minus as you go)

1 tsp. garlic salt

salt to taste

What you'll do:

Wash and boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and put in a large bowl. Add the butter, cream cheese and garlic salt. Using the back of the fork, mash the potatoes. You could use a hand mixer if you like really creamy potatoes, but I prefer mashing with a fork. As you mash, add the buttermilk until you get the right texture. Add salt to taste.

Enjoy warm and garnish with some chopped chives.

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Enjoy with this delicious mushroom gravy

Comments (1)

Categories : Side Dishes, Vegetables: Potatoes

Mushroom Gravy

By Leslie · Comments (6) · November 18th, 2010

So what is Thanksgiving without gravy? Normally I miss out on gravy cause it's usually made with all those turkey drippings. Well, not this year! This gravy is soooo yummy, so easy, so fast and so vegetarian! I can't think of a better thing to make gravy out of than mushrooms so, here it is:

Mushroom Gravy

Serves 4 – 6

What you'll need:

1 small to medium onion, halved and sliced

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp. butter (or earth balance to make it vegan)

1 medium portobello mushroom, chopped

4 oz. wild mushrooms, sliced (these could be crimini, shitake, oyster or whatever you like)

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp. soy sauce

salt to taste

What you'll do:

In a large frying pan, on medium low heat, melt the butter and add in the onions, portobello mushrooms and garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add the wild mushrooms and saute for another couple minutes. Add the flour and mix until dissolved.

Add in the vegetable broth and cornstarch. Stir to dissolve all the cornstarch. Let cook for another couple minutes and add the soy sauce. Taste and season.

Enjoy!

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Comments (6)

Categories : Side Dishes

Cauliflower Mash

By Leslie · Comments (4) · November 17th, 2010

You may be saying, "Yuck" right about now, but trust me, don't. This is one of the tastiest things ever! Not to mention, I dare say it's. . . healthy?! Yup. These would also be a perfect substitute for mashed potatoes. They are gluten free and much better for you.

Cauliflower Mash

Serves 4

What you'll need:

1 head of cauliflower, stem removed

2 tbsp. butter (or vegan substitute)

2 tbsp. cream cheese (yes, I use low-fat)

a big handful of parmesan cheese

2 cloves of garlic, minced (super fine chop)

a big pinch of salt

chives, chopped for garnish

What you'll do:

Steam the cauliflowers in a pot until it's well done. Till you can stick a fork in it, twist and it falls apart. Drain the cauliflower really well and pat them dry. While they are still hot, place in a food processor or blender and puree.

Place back into the pot or straight into a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Garnish with some chives.

If your mash is a little thin, add a tablespoon or two of flour. (ps it won't be gluten free anymore so make sure you pat that cauliflower really dry)

Enjoy!!

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Comments (4)

Categories : Side Dishes, Vegetables: Cauliflower

Mexican Israeli Couscous

By Leslie · Comments (3) · August 23rd, 2010

I don't often plug specific products, but I really love Trader Joe's Harvest Blend. It's a combo of Israeli couscous, baby garbanzo beans, orzo and red quinoa. It's such a nice mix of tastes and textures. It's so easy to transform it into just about anything and it cooks in only 10 minutes!

Ok, enough about that. If you can't get to a Trader Joe's for this recipe, you can use orzo, Israeli couscous, regular couscous, quinoa or even just rice.

Mexican Couscous

What you'll need:

1 lb. of couscous or quinoa

a pad of butter or some olive oil

8oz. of mushrooms, sliced

2 ears of corn, kernels cut off

10oz. black beans

2 stalks of scallions, sliced

a small handful of cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper

What you'll do:

Make the couscous blend according to the directions on the package. In a medium frying pan, melt the pad of butter and saute the mushrooms for minute then add the corn and beans. When the mushrooms are soft, turn off the heat and add in the couscous, scallions, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Toss together and serve warm.

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Comments (3)

Categories : Quinoa, Side Dishes, Vegetables: Mushrooms

Grilled Cabbage

By Leslie · Comments (2) · July 6th, 2010

Hooray for grilling season!!! Who doesn’t love being outside and grilling! I’m going to give you some great ideas this summer for making your cookout the best on the block! Starting with grilled cabbage! This may sound like a strange idea, but trust me, once you try it, it will be your new staple!

Grilled cabbage is so tender and delicious!! You can eat it plain, you can make a salad out of it or you can put it on a burger. Anyway you choose, it’s just plain yummy!

Grilled Cabbage

What you’ll need:

1 head of cabbage cut into 1/8 wedges

olive oil

salt

What you’ll do:

take the 1/8 wedges of cabbage, drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle them with a little salt. Place them on the grill and flip after about 2-3 minutes (depending on how hot your grill is) Remove and serve! That easy!

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Comments (2)

Categories : Side Dishes, Vegetables

Orzo Pasta Salad

By Leslie · Comments (4) · June 22nd, 2010

I love this salad!! It's so easy and always a hit! Give it a try for your next potluck or get together.

Orzo Pasta Salad

What you'll need:

1 lb. orzo (pasta shaped like rice)

2 small jars of marinated artichokes, drained

1 jar of marinated sun dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed

2 big handfuls of pignoli (pine) nuts, toasted

A large handful of chopped basil

A couple handfuls of mini mozzarella balls (you could also use feta, or cubed mozzarella)

Salt and pepper

Champagne vinegar (if you can't find this, you can use white wine vinegar)

Olive oil

What you'll do:

Cook the orzo according to the box instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water to cool the pasta quickly. Pour into a big bowl and add all the ingredients but the cheese. Dress with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss together and add the cheese and gently stir. (you can make this a day ahead too!)

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Comments (4)

Categories : Pasta, Side Dishes, Vegetables: Artichokes, Vegetables: Tomato

Archive for Side Dishes – Page 2

Glazed Carrots

Spinach Mushroom Stacks

Autumn Butternut Squash Quinoa

Cranberry Sauce with Pomegranate Seeds

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Mushroom Gravy

Cauliflower Mash

Mexican Israeli Couscous

Grilled Cabbage

Orzo Pasta Salad

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