Category Archives: Side Dishes

Savory Indian Bread Pudding

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That’s What I Think (TWIT) Review

I am thrilled to be guest posting today over at Mama’s Blissful Bites with this delicious Savory Indian Bread Pudding.

Amber has such a nice site and I really enjoy all of your recipes. I love seeing what she has come up with in our group #SundaySupper, always creative and inventive!! We are now in another group together #TheSaladBar.

Amber is a SAHM with two children and hubby to care for. Amber’s site is all about eating whole foods and living a clean eating lifestyle! You just can’t go wrong with that!! Go exploring on her site and you will see all the wonderful recipes she has to offer.

This recipe that I am sharing on her site today it was out of this wonderful Easy Indian Cooking Cookbook. Come on over to Mama’s Blissful Bites to see the recipe. You will love it!! ENJOY!!

indian-coverweb

Indian Bread Pudding

Excerpted from Easy Indian Cooking, 2nd Ed. by Suneeta Vaswani © 2013 Robert Rose Inc. www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

 

The DIY Dreamer
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Creamed Spinach

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Day 5 of 5 Days of Spring Veggies and today is a yummy one!! I searched the aisles for things like fiddleheads (not available yet), artichokes (all were bad over the whole week), new onions (none), baby carrots (none) or anything that might have caught my eye that might be a new spring veggie. Not much luck yet but there will be veggies starting to trickle into our area. What did catch my eye was a big glorious bunch of fresh spinach. Spinach is a spring veggie!!! So I bought some not knowing what I was doing with it at all. Then it dawned on me, creamed spinach. Oh so yummy!! Then I thought of my new Epicure seasonings and thought that the Cheese, Chive and Bacon Dip mix would go perfectly in this and it sure does. Topped with a crispy piece of bacon, nothing is better for a special night or a Sunday dinner. The taste of the fresh spinach shines through. ENJOY!!!

Cheese Chive and Bacon Dip

Oh, and it is lightened up just slightly with less salt and half and half cream. Epicure spices are very low in sodium but so full of flavor. If you omit the optional piece of bacon this dish is vegetarian as the bacon that is in the dip mix is soy. So everyone can enjoy!! This is a great way to get the kids to eat their spinach!!

Creamed Spinach

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Creamed Spinach
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

A lightened up Creamed Spinach, but just oh so slightly, so that you will still love it!!
Ingredients
  • A large bunch of spinach
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 Tbsp. Epicure Cheese, Chive and Bacon Dip
  • 1 cup half and half cream
  • Salt to taste
  • One slice bacon, crisped, optional

Instructions
  1. Wash and pick through spinach removing any stems. Steam spinach in a large pot with a small amount of water until wilted but still bright green, 2-3 min. Drain and gently squeeze out any water. Coarsely chop. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile saute the green onions in a medium saucepan with the 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the flour and cook for 1 min. Slowly add the cream and let heat through. Add the Epicure dip and let simmer slightly to thicken. Add the spinach and toss to coat.
  3. Serve in a serving dish topped with the crumbled crispy bacon.

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The DIY Dreamer
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Asparagus with Garlic Chips and Goat Cheese

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Day 4 of 5 Days of Spring Veggies. First veggie that pops into my head is asparagus. Yes, we can get it all year round but the prices start to come down now. I love asparagus done anyway which way or just plainly steamed. Today I paired it with some bold flavors and it easily stands up to them. Don’t over brown your garlic as it will get bitter tasting. Just a nice light browning. This would pair great with a big juicy grilled steak. It is simple and easy and made in no time. Try it tonight, you will love it. ENJOY!!!

Asparagus with Garlic Chips

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Asparagus with Garlic Chips and Goat Cheese
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Asparagus paired with the bold flavors of garlic and goat cheese.
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and bottom ends snapped off
  • 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1-2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Instructions
  1. In a small fry pan over medium low heat add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Fry garlic chips until lightly brown, remove onto paper lined plate and salt.
  2. Steam asparagus in a shallow saute pan in a small amount of water for 2-3 min. depending on width or until just tender and bright green. Remove to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and garlic chips. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

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Zucchini Tagliatelle from Raw Essence

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That’s What I Think (TWIT) Review

rawessencecover

Here we are today on the 2nd Day of 5 Days of Spring Veggies and I also have a cookbook review for you. The cookbook is Raw Essence, and has recipes that are a part of a growing movement of raw vegan cuisine that is eco-friendly. This cuisine is not where I will be heading but I am not a nay sayer and love to learn more about all types of diets. The cookbook itself is filled with wonderful photography and delicious looking recipes and lots of really good informational snippets.

If you are new to this type of diet and want to explore it more this cookbook would be very helpful in meeting all your nutritional needs. If you are a more advanced cook this cookbook also offers gorgeous plating and serving ideas.

I had left it out while we were on vacation and had house sitters in that were vegan. They tried the Choco-Banana Pie recipe and thought that is was very good. I flipped through the pages looking for a nice spring-like salad. Something to add to my 5 Days of Spring Veggies. As I said yesterday I might have jumped the gun slightly as I am not finding what I had been hoping for in the stores yet but this Zuchini Tagliatelle looked like it fit the bill. Light but full of wonderful flavor. The perfect spring salad. I hope you ENJOY!!!

Zuccchini Tagliatelle

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Zucchini Tagliatelle from Raw Essence
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

A wonderful light raw vegan salad that is full of flavor!!
Ingredients
  • 2 medium zucchini (I used one green and one yellow)
  • ¼ cup pesto or 20 medium basil leaves, slivered (I used the basil)
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
  • ½ tsp. garlic puree or ½ clove garlic, chopped (I used the fresh garlic)
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. pine nuts

Instructions
  1. Using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler, cut zucchini into long thin strips, then julienne strips into long tagliatelle.
  2. In a salad bowl, combine zucchini with the salt, garlic, olive oil and pesto (if using).
  3. Place zucchini tagliatelle on serving dishes and top with the chopped olives, pine nuts and basil (if using instead of the pesto). Serve cold.

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Morels in a Cream Sauce with Sweetlet Peas

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Spring is coming slowly here and I am probably jumping the gun a bit with 5 Days of Spring Veggies but I will bring to you what I can find so far. So today is Day One of 5 Days of Spring Veggies. First off are these wonderful morels that I was kindly given to by Untamed Feast. Morels are a spring mushroom, they have a honeycomb like appearance and are very prized in French cuisine.

So in knowing that I wanted to create a cream sauce for them with a hint of sherry, serve them atop puff pastry and to lighten it all up, sprinkle the top with Sweetlet peas. This is a lovely appetizer or would accompany a steak very nicely too. With your leftover puff pastry why not try my Cinnamon Puff Pastry Bites. I hope you ENJOY!!!

Morel in a Cream Sauce with Sweetlet Peas

If you would like to purchase some amazing mushrooms please order through Untamed Feast.

morelstara (2)

Mushroom Sage Olive oil can be found at Blue Door Oil and Vinegar.

4.0 from 1 reviews

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Morels in a Cream Sauce with Sweetlet Peas
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 6
 

A delicious appetizer or side with steak or beef.
Ingredients
  • ½ small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. Mushroom Sage Olive oil or olive oil
  • 20 gms. dried morels
  • 1 cup warm water
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 Tbsp. sherry
  • 1¼ cup half and half cream
  • 1 Tbsp. flour
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup Sweetlet peas
  • 6 squares puff pastry

Instructions
  1. Preparation Instructions
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  3. In a small bowl soak mushrooms in the warm water for 20 minutes.
  4. Lay the sheet of puff pastry on a floured work surface. Roll out the puff pastry to 10×13″ and cut out six 2½” squares (you’ll have extra left over). Bake on a cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. Set aside.
  5. Gently squeeze the water out of the mushrooms and reserve the water after straining it through a fine mesh sieve. Set the mushrooms and the mushroom water aside.
  6. In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the reserved mushroom water, white wine and sherry and cook to reduce to roughly 3 tablespoons.
  7. Cook the peas in the microwave or by steaming them, then keep warm.
  8. Add the flour to the mushroom water and wine mixture and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cream slowly and let the mixture simmer to thicken. Add more cream if it is too thick or let it cook longer and reduce if too thin. Salt and pepper to taste. Slice the morels thinly and add them into the sauce. Stir to heat through.
  9. Put the squares of pastry onto plates. Top each of the 6 squares with some of the morel cream sauce and top with the warm peas. Serve immediately.

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Ratatouille Inspired By Ratatouille the movie for #SundaySupper

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I am back with #SundaySupper after taking time off for vacation and what a lovely time that was. I came back just in time to join in on this wonderful theme, movie inspired dishes. Well there are lots to choose from. I went directly in my head to Julie and Julia. I have had a life time love affair with Julia Child’s recipes but I have done so many of them on my site already I thought I would try going some where else instead. Then my mind wandered to Ratatouille the movie. A delightfully funny and entertaining movie that we all enjoyed. Remy (a rat) has a dream to become a chef and with the help of Linguini, a garbage boy, at the restaurant Gusteau’s he embarks on cooking.

This is one dish that I felt I had not succeeded at yet. I have tried so many and Ken has even smoked a ratatouille. What’s not to like about it, you say? Well for us it is the eggplant. It seems to always be bitter and not cooked right along with the other veggies. It turns out spongy and is a veggie that we all don’t like. Why not just omit it then? Well good question but that it not how I roll. I want to like it, I want to add it, I love the looks of the veggie with it’s deep aubergine color. So off I went to think about how to do this and try to make the best Ratatouille I have ever made. For us I came up with the perfect combination. Ken adored it!! Amber with new braces on that day had to have some and loved it to. The secret was to peel the eggplant and then saute it with garlic and Herbs de Provence which gave it so much flavor and took the sponginess away. If you like Ratatouille you will love this one.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille3

4.5 from 4 reviews

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Ratatouille Inspired By Ratatouille the movie for #SundaySupper
Author: 
Recipe type: Casserole
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 8-10
 

A wonderfully balanced ratatouille
Ingredients
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil plus more for the ceramic dish
  • 3 tsp. Herbs de Provence
  • 2 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 8 tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 large zucchini, sliced
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 1 large green pepper, sliced
  • 10 large mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups Mozarella, grated
  • Parmesan, freshly grated
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions
  1. Peel the eggplant and dice. In a medium fry pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the eggplant, 2 tsp. Herbs de Provence and the garlic and stir fry until the eggplant is lightly browned. Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a 12×16″ ceramic dish, add the eggplant scattered across the bottom. Add 4 of the slice tomatoes with the eggplant. Salt and pepper to taste and then grate a desired amount of Parmesan cheese on. Continue to layer veggies and salt and pepper and sprinkle Parmesan with each layer. Finish with the remaining 4 sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp. of Herbs de Provence. Sprinkle with the 2 cups mozzarella and desired amount of Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 45-55 min. until veggies are tender and the cheese has browned.

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Here are all the fabulous recipes that were inspired by movies. What movie would you have picked? Check them out and then leave your comment.
Toast (bready things)

No Reservations (soups and salads)

Today’s Special (fish, chicken, beef, and pork)

Forks Over Knives (veggie-heavy dishes and sides)

Udon (pasta and noodles)

Just Desserts (sweet treats)

Bottle Shock (beverages)

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Chiocciole with Creamy Roasted Tomatoes and Mushrooms by Soni’s Food

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Today I introduce to you Soni from Soni’s Foods. I met Soni through #SundaySupper and I am thrilled that she is here today. She has a wonderful site that gives you recipes with a healthy Indian Twist. Come and follow Soni on Facebook or Google+, you will love to see what she is up to all the time. With no further chit chat from me I give you Soni!!

Today I’m very excited to be guest posting here on Tara’s Blog.Tara and I met through our SundaySupper group and its been a great pleasure getting to know her :) Her blog is amazing and every time I visit I’m hooked to her breathtaking pictures and recipes that she posts :) For this post I thought of making something very simple with fresh spring flavors and a recipe that has been with me for the past nine years came to mind!

Chiocciole

Its a recipe card that I picked up at my local Waitrose in Canary Wharf while we were living in London and all this time I’d never tried this dish :) I pulled out my recipe card to make this dish and I’m so glad I did, since its absolutely amazing! Although I’ve changed the original recipe in some ways, the main flavors are still intact.The simple combination of Cherry Tomatoes with the Basil and a splash of cream is pure magic! The recipe calls for Creme Fraiche but I didn’t have it on hand and I just used Light Cream.I also added some Baby Bella Mushrooms and cooked it with the cream to make a sauce.

chiocciole

The sweet juicy cherry tomatoes are the star of this dish and they burst with juices in every bite .The fresh flavors of basil just brightens it up and I just love the simple flavors that come together to complete this dish. I’ve used Whole Wheat Chiocciole available at my local Whole Foods.It looks like a larger elbow shaped pasta and has a nice texture and bite to it! A healthy wholesome dish that takes no time at all!

Chiocciole

Chiocciole with Creamy Roasted Tomatoes and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Chiocciole Pasta-500 gms

Cherry Tomatoes-500 gms

Extra Virgin Olive Oil-2 tbsp

3 Cloves Garlic-sliced

Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms-10 oz

Light Cream-1/2 cup

Fresh Basil leaves-20 g

Process:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the cherry tomatoes,1 tbsp olive oil,garlic and salt in a baking sheet and mix well to coat in oil.Bake for 30 minutes until the tomatoes burst, but still hold their shape.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions and drain.

Tip the cooked pasta into a large serving dish.Add the roasted tomatoes into it.

In a skillet heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute the mushrooms until golden.Season and add the cream.Pour on top of the pasta and toss everything together.Season to taste.

Roughly shred the basil by rolling the leaves up together in a small bundles and slice thinly.Stir into the pasta and serve immediately!

Chiocciole Pasta

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Potato Pancakes for St. Patrick’s Day

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My Irish grandmother would make these all time, these or potato scones and we loved them. I have not had these since she had made them so long ago. I miss my wonderful grandmother as she lived with us and was like a second mother to me. So many fond memories and her lovingly making these is one of them. She never had a recipe and I asked her countless times and she said “oh it is just a pinch of this and a mouthful of that”. Never had anything written down it was all in the feel. I attempted these last St. Patrick’s Day and I failed miserably!! You have to have mashed potatoes that are cold and have sat over night being the key I believe.

I made these and Amber thought she died and gone to Irish heaven!! She was stunned that I had never made them for her before!! I had to cut her off at 5 pancakes or I would not have had one. She devoured them. Ken was very thrilled to have some when he came home too and we enjoyed them with a nice big salad. Another vegetarian meal here but these of course would make a great side for sausages or corned beef for your St. Paddy’s Day celebrations. Crack open a Guinness and your are celebrating the day. They are crispy good on the outside and creamy and soft on the inside. A perfect potato pancake and just like how I remembered them.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! Enjoy!!

Potato Pancakes

5.0 from 3 reviews

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Potato Pancakes for St. Patrick’s Day
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: Irish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 3
 

The perfect potato pancake
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mashed potatoes
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Salt, pepper and powdered garlic to taste
  • Chives, optional
  • Canola oil for frying

Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl mix together the mashed potatoes, egg, flour, salt, pepper, garlic and chives if using.
  2. Preheat a large skillet with 2-3 Tbsp. of canola or enough to give a even layer in the pan.
  3. Form the potato mixture into patties and fry them for a couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Turn over and fry them on the other side. Serve hot with a sprinkling of chives.

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Recipe adapted from Food.com by Thomas Danier

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St. Patrick’s Cabbage and Potato Pie

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I was flipping through a cookbook I have that I have found some great recipes in before and came across this Cabbage and Potato Pie. The cookbook is The Lighthearted Cookbook brought out by the Canadian Heart Foundation. I thought this pie was a great vegetarian option for St. Patrick’s Day.We had it as an entree but could easily be used as a side dish.  As you know if you follow our blog we do a lot of vegetarian options. I enjoy that at least once a week. It seems to take the hassle out of things too! This doesn’t taste “heart healthy” at all. It is rich and creamy with wonderfully mild cabbage flavor. Perfect with a big salad!! This “pie” was devoured. It will be another of our go to St. Patrick’s Day recipes. I hope you try it too! Enjoy!!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Cabbage and Potato Pie

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St. Patrick’s Cabage and Potato Pie
Author: 
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Irish
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

An amazingly light and bursting with creaminess entree or side dish.
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. cabbage
  • 4 medium potatoes
  • ¼ cup skim milk
  • 1 Tbsp. margarine or butter
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Paprika
Cream Sauce
  • 1½ Tbsp. margarine or butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • Salt, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg to taste

Instructions
  1. Separate and trim cabbage leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add cabbage and cook for 5-10 min. or until tender. Drain and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  2. Boil potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender. Mash with milk, margarine and pepper to taste.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile to make the cream sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the margarine and add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Add the milk slowly and cook stirring for 3-5 min. until the mixture comes up to a simmer and thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Mix in cabbage.
  4. Spoon the cabbage into a 4 cup baking dish that is non-stick or spray lightly with cooking spray. Cover with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 20-30 min. or until heated through. Lightly brown under broiler before serving.

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Recipe adapted from The Lighthearted Cookbook by Anne Lindsay

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