Category Archives: Side dishes

Spanish Rice

Posted on by

Spanish RiceI am pretty sure this recipe was meant to be a side dish, however I decided to serve it up on Vegetarian night for our main course. Served with a nice green salad it was a lovely meal. This rice has loads of flavor, and was quite easy, and has lots of vegetables which this mommy likes. I don’t think any of us missed the meat at all in this meal. As it only uses the stove top and not the oven this would be a lovely meal for the summer. If you must have meat it would taste great with a BBQ Chicken breast.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (28 ounce)
  • 3/4 cup long grain rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • several dashes hot sauce

1. Heat oil in large skillet, add onion, green pepper and garlic. Sauté until tender.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes until rice has cooked through.

3. Eat and enjoy!

 

Montreal Steak Seasoned Mashed Potatoes

Posted on by

mashed potatoesAnother mashed potato recipe, you ask. True, I already have one on the blog. These however, are different. This I am convinced is the best mashed potato recipe out there. At least the best I have ever made, plus it has the extra bonus that you leave the skins on, which in turn saves you time because you don’t have to peel them. I like mashed potatoes that still have their skins, it tastes, I don’t know , rustic? So next time you are throwing a steak on the Barbie whip up a batch of these for a decadent side dish.

Recipe from Allrecipes

  • 2 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp. bacon bits
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese- I used Cheddar
  • 2 Tbsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender and skins are just starting to peel away. Drain and return to pot. Mash with butter and milk with potato masher.

2. Add remaining ingredients, and whip using a hand mixer until everything has blended together.

3. Eat and enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms

Posted on by

asparagus and mushroomsSpring is here and that means Asparagus season. I planned three meals with asparagus this week and the grand total at the grocery store was 10 bucks. Yup, 10 dollars just for asparagus. It’s a good thing we like it, although I will admit it was a little pricey just for our little old side dish. Well, this one went excellent with the steak we served on Tuesday night, and tonight we get more asparagus. Yay us!

Recipe from Allrecipes

  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
  • 1/2 pound fresh rosemary, quartered
  • 2 springs fresh rosemary, minced
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease large cookie sheet.

2. Toss all ingredients together in mixing bowl and spread out on cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Eat and enjoy!

 

Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Posted on by

Mashed PoatoesSo last night when our company was over, after I finished eating my dinner, I jumped up and scooped some mashed potatoes into a bowl and started taking pictures. Don’t you just love being a food blogger and realizing half way through dinner that you forgot to take pictures. They didn’t bat an eyelash, and knew exactly what I was up too. Gotta love friends like that. I usually like to get all my picture-taking done before the actual guests arrive, but sometimes, I get busy or just plain forget. I really liked this mashed potato recipe though so I wanted to share it with you! The theme of the night was comfort food at it’s finest we had, meatloaf, carrots, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls (provided by guests) and for dessert chocolate cake and ice cream.

Recipe from Kraft What’s Cooking Magazine Spring 09

  • 2 lb red potatoes, (about 8), cut into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup light cream cheese spread
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese

1. Place potatoes in large pot and cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are cooked through. (about 15 minutes). Broth should be mostly absorbed.

2. Mash with potato masher. Add remaining ingredients and blend with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Eat and enjoy!