Side Dish

Refrigerated Dill Slices
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Refrigerated Dill Slices

We made these last year and they came out great so when the pickling cukes looked good I sliced and made up a few jars and just 2 weeks later. I was going to bring a jar up to the annual Russo BBQ but I forgot,  poor them, lucky us. This year’s batch came out a little spicier but we thought, including everyone at work that the kick was nice.

What I like is that when empty I can add more slices to them and in 2 weeks start munching again.

Yield: About 5 pint jars or 2 quart jars.

Ingredients

  • 8 ¼ cups sliced trimmed pickling cucumbers – We like thick slices but suppose you could do as thin as you want or spears if that is how you like them.
  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 2 cups water
  • 6 tablespoons pickling or canning salt (I used kosher salt)
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pickling spice ( see recipe below if you want to make your own)
  • 7 ½ teaspoons dill seeds
  • 5 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 5 cloves garlic, halved (optional)

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How

Place cucumber slices in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Set aside.

Combine vinegar, water, pickling salt, sugar and pickling spice in a medium stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes.

Pour pickling liquid over cucumber slices. Cover with waxed paper and set aside until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 ½ teaspoon dill seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon peppercorns and two garlic clove halves in each of one five pint jars. Add cucumber slices to within a generous ½-inch headspace of top of jar. Ladle pickling liquid into jar to cover cucumbers, leaving ½-inch headspace. Apply lids. For best results, allow cucumbers to marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and use within 3 months.

From “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving:

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Home Made Pickling spice

  • 2 Tblsp mustard seed
  • 1 1/2 Tblsp whole allspice (you can use 1-2 Tblsp)
  • Optional – 2  tsp coriander (add it if you’d like, it’s in most mixes)
  • 1/2 tsp whole cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes (up to 1 tsp)
  • 4 bay leaves, crumbled (I don’t think you can add too many of these, add more if you’d like)
  • 1 cinnamon stick, 2-2 1/2″, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp celery seed-optional
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns

Pickle spices

How

Break up cinnamon, tear bay leaves into bits, mix all, store in an airtight container.
This makes approx 4 Tblsp, enough for 2 quart jars of pickles. If there’s a little mix left over, just add it to your pickle jar and use it up.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

There are only two of us to I cut the recipe in half and if you know me you know I love that 18 year old balsamic  vinegar. All I can say is Yum as a meal or side dish

Yield: 4 main dish servings (6 as a side)

Prep Time: 20 min

 Ingredients:

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SALAD:

  •  Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  •  1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
  •  2/3 cup chopped bell pepper (mix red/yellow/orange)
  •  3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
  •  3 green onions, sliced
  •  12 kalamata olives, sliced in half
  •  1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

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DRESSING:

  •  4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  •  2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  •  1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  •  1 tablespoon red wine vinegar – I used 18 year old balsamic Vinegar, cause I love the stuff
  •  1 small garlic clove, minced
  •  1/4 teaspoon cumin
  •  salt and pepper, to taste

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How:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the salad ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle juices on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Tips:

*Use good quality canned chickpeas for this recipe (not generic). I really think it makes a difference in the flavor of the salad.

*If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, be sure to use a brand of chickpeas that is known to be GF.

 

 

Source: RecipeGirl.com (adapted from The New York Times)

Quick Pickled Radishes
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Quick Pickled Radishes

Ingredients

Radishes sliced with wise

Apple cider vinegar

White vinegar

I added some julienned carrots for color and sweetness

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Slice the radishes

Combine vinegar and sugar in jar shake to mix

Add radishes and carrots refrigerate at least overnight but after 2 days it is best.

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Quick Cucumber Salad

 

 Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
  • ½ teaspoon salt

300px-Cucumber_and_cross_section

Salad

  • ½ medium cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
  • ¼ red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

How:

Combine you can let sit in frig to let flavors come together or server right away as side or topping

Related articles
Red Onion Relish
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Red Onion Relish

We bought a bunch of red onions and remembered something we had made a long time ago turkey cutlets with red onion relish so I quickly decided we need some of this relish in the frig, it was good on that dish as well as chicken, burgers and on top of a regular salad.

Sweet-meets-savory relish gives a refreshing kick to this quick-to-fix main dish — the only prep step is chopping the onions.

Ingredients:

•             1  tablespoon(s) olive oil

•             1  large (1-pound) red onion, thinly sliced

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•             3  tablespoon(s) sugar

•             3  tablespoon(s) cider vinegar

•             1/2  teaspoon(s) salt

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How:

In 12-inch, nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium 1 minute. Add sliced onion and cook 15 minutes or until very soft, stirring occasionally.

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Stir in sugar, cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes longer.

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Makes about 1 cup relish.

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Roasted Corn Salad

I have made this before but every time it is different here is another version

  • 1 can black beans drain
  • 1 Red bell pepper chopped into bean size pieces
  • 1 Yellow or orange bell pepper chopped into bean size pieces
  • Salt and pepper
  • Jalapeno rough chopped
  • 2 teaspoons juice from Jalapeno jar
  • 1 tablespoon or so of 18 year old balsamic vinegar
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 ears of grilled corn

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Sweet Potato Pancakes
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Sweet Potato Pancakes

Lyn wanted some sweet potato puffs or tater tots and because it was not on the list we forgot. We also forgot where we saw them. The list is becoming very important these days for two reasons, it keeps our impulse buys to a minimum “not on the list, not in the carriage” (In theory at least) and recently if it is not on the list we tend to forget about it. Hey, we talk as we shop and we forget things, that is until we are putting away things. That’s Ok because shopping for food ideas is one of our favorite things so we tend to hit a lot of grocery stores on the weekends. So I thought quickly and came up with this as a substitute and served with my Herb Marinate flank steak. She gave these a thumbs up on her second one.

 

Ingredients:

I eyeballed most of this

  • 1 Sweet potato or yam (this one was white) grated
  • 1 tablespoon (estimated) fresh flat leaf parsley chopped fine
  • 1 Shallot finely minced
  • 1 egg beaten
  • ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese – depends on how finely grated could be more or less.
  • Salt and pepper to taste- I went light on the salt and then sprinkled more on them when they were done.

sweet potatoe pancake

How

Micro wave the potatoes for 3 minutes and let cool, when cool enough to touch where it will not cook the egg then proceed.

Combine all ingredients

Heat small amount of canola oil in pan

fry them up

Form pancakes and flatten on pan

Brown on each side turn when necessary.

Sweet potatoe pancakes

I did it in batches so as not to lose the heat of pan which would have been steaming

I kept the ready ones on a pan on cookie rack in low oven to keep crisp

eat

BTW – these made a great topper in my Dill Chicken sandwich the next day.

Roasted Asparagus
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Roasted Asparagus

By Amy Johnson

 

Spring is here!

This was so easy and delicious the rosemary was a perfect complement.

Ingredients

•1 bundle/bunch of asparagus

•1 lemon

•handful of rosemary sprigs

•2-tablespoons olive oil

•salt and pepper to taste

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Note: I did not have any fresh rosemary on hand so I used dry. I have made similar but never thought about rosemary, can’t wait until I have some fresh.

 

How:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Thinly slice half of lemon.

Prep asparagus shoots, and spread them along with the lemon slices and rosemary on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Toss all with olive oil, as well as salt and pepper.

Squeeze juice from remaining half of lemon.

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Roast in oven for 7 minutes, then carefully turn asparagus over and continue roasting for another 8 minutes. Watch for preferred doneness. Add additional time if needed. Total roasting time should be between 15-20 minutes.

This Picture by Amy Johnson

This Picture by Amy Johnson

Serve warm.

Here is a good source

10 Health Benefits of Asparagus You Need to Know

 

 

 

Crispy Traditional Potato Pancakes
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Crispy Traditional Potato Pancakes

By Joan Nathan

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds russet (baking) or Yukon Gold potatoes

russett

  • 1 medium onion

onion

  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions, including the green part

scallions

  • 1 large egg, beaten

egg

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Vegetable oil for frying

How:
1. Peel the potatoes and put in cold water. Using a grater or a food processor coarsely grate the potatoes and onions. Place together in a fine-mesh strainer or tea towel and squeeze out all the water over a bowl. The potato starch will settle to the bottom; reserve that after you have carefully poured off the water.

2. Mix the potato and onion with the potato starch. Add the scallions, egg, and salt and pepper.

3. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan and coat with a thin film of vegetable oil. Take about 2 tablespoons* of the potato mixture in the palm of your hand and flatten as best you can. Place the potato mixture on the griddle, flatten with a large spatula, and fry for a few minutes until golden. Flip the pancake over and brown the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately. You can also freeze the potato pancakes and crisp them up in a 350-degree oven at a later time.

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*I like really big pancakes so my pick show much larger ones, maybe 4-6 tablespoons. remember I am a pinch of this or handful of that kind of cook.

Variation: If you want a more traditional and thicker pancake, you can add an extra egg plus 1/3 cup of matzah meal to the batter.

Pther Posts

Big Fat Cod Potato Pancakes

Crispy Oven Baked Russet Fries

 

 

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Steamed Asparagus

Eastover Surf and Turf BBQ Rub Salmon, Grill NY Strip Steak, Roasted potatoes, carrot root, turnips and carrots, Fennel salad and asparagus.

Eastover Surf and Turf BBQ Rub Salmon, Grill NY Strip Steak, Roasted potatoes, Celery root, turnips and carrots, Fennel salad and asparagus.

 

Simple

Wash, trim and steam until they are as tender as you prefer

I added some lemon juice to the water

 

Asparagus

Steamed

Served