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Greek Quinoa Salad

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Greek Quinoa Salad

I have to admit that I have had a hard time getting on the quinoa bandwagon.  I think the issue was that I was eating it plain and only seasoned with salt and pepper…boring, bland, blah!  I’ve recently come to the realization that quinoa is much better when you incorporate it with lots of fresh, flavorful ingredients.

With all the recent reports about the high amounts of arsenic in rice, I’ve been attempting to keep our family’s rice intake to a minimum.  Quinoa is certainly a great substitute because it is a great source of protein, iron, and fiber.  Quinoa is also a great sub for pasta as well.

I was originally planning on making a greek orzo salad to go along with Giada’s Tzatziki Salmon recipe last night.  I realized that I had no orzo in the pantry and thought it would the perfect opportunity to sub in some quinoa.  I found a Bobby Flay recipe for Greek Quinoa Salad and adjusted it a bit to my preferences.  I was so pleased with the results!  I think this greek quinoa salad will definitely be making it’s way into our side dish rotation.  I’m so psyched to finally say bring on the quinoa!

Greek Quinoa Salad

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Greek Quinoa Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: salad
Cuisine: Greek
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Skip the rice or pasta and try quinoa for a healthy, but delicious substitute!
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to the package
  • ½ hothouse cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 cup kalamata olives, cut in half or kept whole (whatever is your preference)
  • ½ cup crumbled feta (or use more or less based on your preference)
  • 2 green onions (green parts only), sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
  1. Cook the quinoa according to the package's directions. Once cooked, place quinoa in a medium-sized serving bowl and allow to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, start to make the Greek dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly add in the olive oil and whisk together at the same time so that it emulsifies.
  3. Add the dressing to the cooled quinoa and mix until incorporated. Add in the cucumber, tomatoes, olives, feta, green onions, and parsley and continue to stir until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving

 

Source: Adapated from Bobby Flay

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Sweet Potato Casserole

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Sweet PotatoYam Casserole

Speaking of classic Thanksgiving recipes, this is the classic baked sweet potatoes or yam casserole recipe.  I know there are a lot of new moderns versions of this side, but I love this original marshmallow-covered one too much to give it up.  When we were younger my mom made the mistake of trying to update the sweet potato recipe to a more modern version which was topped with candied walnuts or pecans.  I am sure it would have been delicious, but my sisters and I threw such a fuss that she ended up having to put marshmallows on half.

What can I say?  To me it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without marshmallow-covered candied yams/ sweet potatoes or canned jelled cranberry sauce (sliced at the can ring lines…. Not mashed up!) I call this sweet potatoes, but really I use yams because they are cheaper.  Preparing this dish is so easy, you will never use yams out of a can again!

Yams!

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Sweet Potato Casserole
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 2-3 pounds of yams or sweet potatoes
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2-3 cups marshmallows
Instructions
  1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes up into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10-12 minutes until sweets potatoes are tender.
  2. Drain sweet potatoes
  3. In a large bowl add cooked sweet potatoes, butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Mix together until combined and smooth.
  4. Spread out sweet potatoes in casserole dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees until sides are bubbling. Add marshmallows on the top during the last 5 minutes. To get the toasted marshmallow effect, turn broiler on for the last 2 minutes. Be careful because they can burn easily!
  5. These yams can be made ahead, up until the baking step and then refrigerated or frozen. You will need to add extra time to the baking to make sure they heat thoroughly.

Baked Yams with Marshmallows
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Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

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Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing

I know K has already touched on this, but seriously, how is it already late November already?  I am really trying to enjoy Thanksgiving as it’s own holiday, but with December 1st right around the corner, it’s hard not to start thinking about Christmas. But first, we must keep our focus on a truly great holiday- Thanksgiving.  And I have a truly special dish to commemorate this holiday, Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing.

While I always enjoy a serving of regular stuffing on Thanksgiving, I think I could enjoy this chorizo cornbread version year-round.  A local restaurant has a version of this recipe on it’s menu and my husband and I order it as a side dish every time we go.  I was so pleased that I was able to recreate a very similar version in my own kitchen!

If you are looking to mix it up with some non-traditional Thanksgiving recipes this year, I highly recommend making this version.  Or, if you wanted to go all out for the stuffing lovers out there, you could make traditional stuffing and Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing…just let me know what time to stop by!

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Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 oz. dried Spanish chorizo (I used a smoked version), cut into small cubes
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • 3 cups cornbread, cut into cubes (you can buy it from pre-made or try this recipe for cornbread)
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish if desired)
  • cooking spray
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or stock
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and heat the olive oil. Once hot, sauté the chopped chorizo for a few minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook until the vegetables start to brown (8-10 minutes.) Add the cut-up cornbread pieces and chopped parsley (reserving some for garnish if you like.) Stir well to combine. Stir in ½ cup of chicken broth (add more if the stuffing appears too dry.)
  3. Meanwhile, use the cooking spray to prepare a medium-sized casserole dish. Add the stuffing to the dish and bake for about 20 minutes (look for it to be lightly golden on top.) Garnish with additional parsley before serving.

Source: Adapted from Aaron Sanchez for Food Network Magazine

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Cheesy Potatoes

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Cheesy Potatoes

Easter weekend is only a couple weeks away! What are you planning on serving this year? I have been thinking really hard lately about what recipes I can share with you to inspire you to make a homemade meal for the holiday weekend. M and I will also be sharing a number of recipes Easter entrees, sides, and desserts over the next ten days to help you get ready for your big Easter meal. First on the list: cheesy potatoes!

Growing up, I remember having ham served with sweet potatoes and biscuits for Easter dinner. Recently, I made the best roast beef with horseradish cream sauce over the weekend (I am planning to share this recipe with you later this week.) This recipe for cheesy potatoes would go perfectly with a ham dinner or a roast beef and it is so simple to make. You can half, double, or triple this recipe based on how many people you are serving it to.

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Cheesy Potatoes
 
Ingredients
  • 1-32 oz. (2 lbs.) package of frozen cubed hash browns, slightly thawed
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
  • Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups of heavy cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Take half of the cubed hash browns and put them in an even layer in a 9x13 glass or ceramic pan.
  3. Sprinkle potatoes with shredded cheese and garlic slices. Add salt and pepper, to your liking.
  4. Top evenly with remaining potatoes. Pour the cream all over the potatoes.
  5. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes until potatoes are tender and cream sauce has thickened.
  6. Let set for 5 minutes before serving

Roast Beef with a side of Cheesy Potatoes

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Garlic Rice Pilaf

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I wanted to share with you the best recipe for rice ever.  Not that I have too many recipes for rice…  I usually just cook plain white, basmati, or jasmine rice and throw in some fresh herbs or scallions.  When I make rice pilaf, I always made the box mix.  However, after making this garlic rice pilaf recipe, it will be very hard to return to the pilaf box mix.

Even the cow likes this recipe!

It’s kind of a lot of steps, considering that’s it rice.  It takes a long time to make as well.  I would not go starting this recipe at 7pm and hope to eat at a reasonable hour.  If I have the time to make it, I make a double-batch of the garlic rice pilaf so we can reheat it as a side dish throughout the week.  It especially makes a great side dish for chicken recipes.  Anyway, if you are a pilaf lover, I really think you should consider making this recipe.  You won’t be sorry!

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Garlic Rice Pilaf
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 2½ cups chicken broth, divided
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, usually about 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Pour the rice mixture into the casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes.

Source: Slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats

Do you eat rice as a side dish with dinner?  What is your usual way to prepare it?

 

 

Salt Potatoes

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Growing up in Syracuse, salt potatoes use to be one of my favorite summer side dishes at a barbecue.  Salt potatoes are an iconic Syracuse dish originating from the late 1800s.  At that time, the Irish immigrants working in the salt springs around Onondaga Lake would bring in small bags of unpeeled potatoes and boil them in the salt brine for their lunches.  The dish later progressed to cooking young potatoes or small potatoes in a pot of highly salted water and serving with melted butter.

Salt potatoes have a delicious salted skin with a creamy potato inside that is perfectly matched with the melted butter it is served with.   The potatoes get their creaminess from the high temperature of the salt water that cooks the starches in the potatoes more than regular water.  When I young I didn’t know that salt potatoes were a regional dish.  I thought everyone ate salt potatoes at picnics like macaroni salad or coleslaw.  It makes me sad to think about what you were all missing!   So, please do make these to take this burden off of me! 

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Salt Potatoes
Author: 
Recipe type: Side
 
Ingredients
  • 4 pounds new white potatoes or small creamer potatoes (cleaned)
  • 12-16 oz Kosher salt (about 1½ to 2 cups)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
  1. In a large pot add potatoes, salt, and 8 cups of water.
  2. Cover pot and bring to boil.
  3. Cook for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
  4. Drain potatoes in colander and let dry until salt is crystallized on skins
  5. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup.
  6. Serve potatoes with melted butter poured on top.

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Greek Pasta Salad

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Greek Pasta Salad from 2 Sisters 2 Cities

It’s now officially summer! And it has come in with a bang in the Boston area- 98 degrees yesterday and it may hit 100 later today.  With such heat, we usually opt to grill outside as much as possible.  For Father’s Day on Sunday, I pulled together this simple Greek Pasta Salad with some ingredients I already had on hand.  I loved how it came together and it was the perfect accompaniment to our grilled steak tips, sausages, and zucchini.

I recommend making this Greek Pasta Salad early in the day while it’s cooler out and the flavors get a chance to meld together.  I also don’t add the tomatoes until I’m ready to serve the pasta salad as tomatoes lose a lot of their flavor if they are refrigerated.  If you don’t feel like dicing up olives or roasting a red pepper, be sure to check your supermarket antipasto bar- an olive tapenade or pre-made roasted red peppers will work in a pinch!

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Greek Pasta Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Side dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 12
 
The perfect pasta salad for a hot day
Ingredients
  • 16 oz box fusilli pasta
  • 1 red pepper, washed, trimmed, and cut in half
  • ½ cup olive oil (or more to taste)
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup kalamata olives, diced
  • ½ small red onion, diced
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place red pepper halves on a baking sheet covered with foil. Bake for about 15 minutes until peel starts to blacken. Take baking sheet out of the oven and wrap pepper tightly with the aluminum foil it was baking on. Once it has cooled, remove peel and dice red pepper into small pieces.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  4. In a large bowl toss together the cooked pasta, red pepper, olives, red onion, feta, and dressing. Cover and chill in refrigerator for as least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, add diced tomatoes; toss. Makes 12 to 16 side-dish servings.

What is your favorite dish to prepare when the temperatures are soaring?

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