Table of Contents:
(V: Vegetarian; EZ: Easy Recipe)
Grilled Potatoes ?
These are such a favorite that I'm sharing two photos of them, one on the grill with steak and the other on the plate...and they're featured in other photos throughout this blog as well. Serve these amazing potatoes with any grilled beef, poultry, pork etc. Thanks to our dear friend and incredible chef, John-Marc Ventimiglia, for this recipe.
Ingredients:
4 large red potatoes (the biggest you can find)
6-8 cloves crushed garlic
Olive oil (enough to coat potatoes)
Balsamic vinegar (enough to coat potatoes)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Herbs to taste, (optional but we suggest basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage...whatever you have on hand...finely chopped)
Directions:
Slice potatoes lengthwise as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch or less. Mix well with all the other ingredients. Grill on medium high for 4 minutes, flip and cook on the other side for another 4 minutes. Keep warm in oven set to 225, preferably on a rack that allows air circulation on all sides. ENJOY!!
Grilled Eggplant and Chickpea Salad ?
This can either be an accompaniment to grilled meats or a main vegetarian dish. If you can't locate Japanese eggplant, use two small globe eggplants cut into 1/2 inch slices. From Bobby Flay's Grill It! cookbook.
Ingredients:
3 medium Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
6 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15½-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained
again
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Preparation
1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Brush the eggplant and bell peppers with the canola oil
on all sides and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill the eggplant for 4 minutes per side on direct medium or until
lightly golden brown and slightly charred.
4. Grill the bell peppers on direct medium until charred on all sides and
soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove the eggplant from the grill and cut each half
crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices.
6. Put the peppers in a bowl, wrap and let sit for 10
minutes.
7. Peel, seed and thinly slice both peppers.
8. Combine the eggplants, red and yellow peppers, chickpeas,
onion and olives in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, chile flakes,
mint and cilantro and stir to combine.
9. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes
before serving or refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days before
serving. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Greek Stuffed Tomatoes ?
This recipe is from a gorgeous cookbook I picked up while in Greece, Cooking to Share. The flavor is slightly sweet and very unique. A great side dish to serve for company.
Couscous and Chanterelles ?
This is a truly spectacular side dish for special occasions, or just a nice dinner for the family. Fresh chanterelles are hard to come by; I usually find them at Costco around Thanksgiving. Otherwise, I use the dried ones I find at the local grocery store. In spite of what the recipe says, it wouldn't be the same with regular mushrooms. From the Creme de Colorado cookbook.
Grilled Sweet Potato Wedges with Spicy Cranberry-Bourbon Glaze ?
With sweet potato fries being all the rage these days, here's a twist for the grill. Cook on direct medium. From Bobby Flay's Grill It! cookbook.
Potato Latkes ?
This blog wouldn't be complete without a recipe or two from my dear mother. I'm posting a photo of her recipe, in her handwriting, for your enjoyment, but will decipher below. Be ready for your house to smell like latkes for days!!
In case you cannot make out what to do from "Grammy's" handwriting....drain the peeled and grated potatoes (I always use a food processor for grating). Combine with the grated onion (again, grate with food processor). Mix together the remaining four ingredients and add to the potato/onions. Drop into hot vegetable or canola oil, and cook until brown on both sides. My daughter is allergic to egg yolks, and this recipe turns out even better using 4-5 egg whites!! Keep warm in the oven until time to serve.
Pancetta-Pesto Peas ?
Growing up in the '60s, I remember my mother opening a can of peas, warming them up on the stove, and tossing the mushy veggies on a plate. Edible, but not very appealing. This new twist on an old "classic" is quite appetizing and appropriate to serve with any meal.
Ingredients:
4 ounces pancetta
1 bag frozen peas
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons pesto
olive oil
Directions:
Cook pancetta in olive oil until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add frozen peas and water to the skillet; cook until peas are just tender. Drain off any remaining water, and add pesto along with the cooked pancetta, and serve.
Classic Risotto ?
This is another dish that Bruce has always enjoyed. Takes a while to cook, but oh so worth it!! We add sauteed mushrooms and barely cooked frozen peas to the basic recipe. From the Fanny Farmer cookbook.
Tabouli ?
This is a recipe I've been making since college days. It's most enjoyable on a warm summer day/evening. I always prefer using fresh mint, if possible.
Ingredients:
1 cup cracked wheat bulgar
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons fresh mint OR 2 tablespoons crumbled dry mint
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 diced tomato
Directions:
Pour boiling water over bulgar in a bowl. Let stand 1-2 hours. Drain well, return to bowl. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Chill at least two hours before serving.
Accordion Potatoes ?
This is a fancy preparation of an old stand-by, baked potatoes. Be sure to use a very sharp knife to cut the slices as thin as possible. A great hit with company!! From Cooking to Share, the cookbook we purchased in Greece.
Sweet Potato Casserole ?
This is a recipe from my mother. The original, which I won't share here, is titled "Sweet Pot Casserole". Mom also neglected to state the obvious, such as "cook the sweet potatoes beforehand". Therefore, when I gave this recipe to a dear friend several years back, she didn't know to cook the sweet potatoes and was wondering why her casserole didn't represent my mother's in the slightest! This is my daughter's favorite Thanksgiving dish (with the potatoes cooked, obviously). Since she can't eat egg yolks, I now use 4 egg whites rather than 2 whole eggs, and it's a little less rich but still yummy! I always double the recipe for the Turkey Day crowd, but if you do this, I suggest multiplying the original topping recipe by 1.5 rather than 2. Enjoy!!
Ingredients:
For the sweet potatoes:
3 cups sweet potatoes (measured after cooking)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-2 inch slices and boil in water until very soft. Remove from water, drain, and peel when cooled down enough to handle. Mash the sweet potatoes in a food processor until smooth, and then measure.
Combine the sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients listed for the sweet potato part of the recipe.
For the topping, melt the butter and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and spread on top of the sweet potato mixture.
Bake in a buttered 9 by 12 inch dish or round casserole at 350 for 30-60 minutes.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts ?
This is a recipe I modified from Kelli's family cookbook. Spices and herbs are up to you, so choose from your numerous options.
Ingredients:
6-8 brussels sprouts per person
Cooking oil
Crushed garlic (optional)
Cooked, crumbled bacon (optional)
Herbs such as thyme, parsley, oregano
Salt, pepper to taste
Hot sauce (optional)
Sesame oil (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)
Soy sauce (optional)
Directions:
Cut bottoms off brussels sprouts and cut in half lengthwise. Steam over high heat until tender.
Heat oil in frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add garlic (if using) and cook one minute. Add brussels sprouts and all other remaining ingredients (except bacon, if using) and cook until charred.
Add bacon (if using), stir well, remove from pan and serve.
Grilled Corn and Tomato Cracked Wheat Salad ?
This is one of our favorite summertime salads when fresh corn is in season From Bobby Flay's Grill It! cookbook. To make perfectly grilled corn, peel and husk the corn. Brush with cooking oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over direct medium heat until browned in spots and tender, 6-8 minutes, turning regularly.
Potato and Yam Gratin ?
This tasty side dis is wonderful with any meat. Perfect for entertaining!! From the Colorado Collage cookbook.
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Potato Salad ?
Everyone has their favorite potato salad recipe, so what I'm offering is just a suggestion. Feel free to change or add ingredients according to your taste
Ingredients:
6 red potatoes
2 or 3 hard boiled eggs
3 stalks celery
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Greek yogurt
Celery seed
Salt
Pepper
Paprika (if desired)
Herbs such as oregano and thyme, if desired
Directions:
Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Do not peel the potatoes as many of the nutrients are in the skin. Boil until barely soft, drain.
Dice the celery and hard boiled eggs (you do need to peel the eggs!). Combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, and all other ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and serve. I use a 50-50 combination of yogurt and mayonnaise, along with a couple tablespoons of mustard, but everyone has their own taste so mix according to yours. I add a healthy amount of celery seeds, a little paprika, salt and pepper, which makes for a very tasty potato salad. Enjoy!
Perfect Asparagus ?
This is a quick, delicious preparation of asparagus that I devised with my son's help. Yum, yum!!
Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus
Balsamic Vinegar
Ice Water
Salt, pepper to taste
Directions:
Snap the bottoms off the asparagus and discard. Steam the remaining stalks over boiling water (see Tips and Tricks) for 3-5 minutes until crisp/tender. Immediately plunge the cooked asparagus into a bowl of ice water, and leave there until chilled. Drain asparagus, place on serving dish, season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
