Sides – Page 8 – First Look, Then Cook

Fontina-Stuffed Potatoes

Published on November 18, 2009 by Dawn5 Comments

Stuffed potatoes have been a Thanksgiving tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. My mother’s stuffed potatoes are fabulous, but they are as rich as can be – lots of cream cheese, butter, and cheese. Ok, Thanksgiving is definitely the time to splurge – but if you could make some potatoes that taste just as good and leave you with extra room to eat more dessert, what would you choose? Well, I guess you will need to make these in order to decide.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light and decided I needed to give them a try before serving them for Thanksgiving – and I was very pleased with the results. They were creamy, flavorful, and very rich – especially for a light recipe. At 142 calories per half, I thought the recipe (modified only slightly below) was brilliant.

Ingredients

3 1/4 pounds russet potatoes
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°. Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving about a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine flesh, milk, and sour cream; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Stir in fontina and next 4 ingredients (through pepper). Divide mixture evenly among shells. Place potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle potatoes evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until heated.

Preheat broiler. Broil potatoes 2 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Fontina Stuffed Potatoes

Yellow Rice

Published on November 13, 2009 by DawnLeave a comment

I am always looking for new ways to cook rice. White rice is great with spicy dishes to offset some of the heat – but my family is constantly asking for rice with dinner – so I look for creative recipes that I can try.

I saw this recipe in Gourmet and decided that – like the Zucchini Rice Casserole – this would be hard to mess up. You can add whatever vegetables you have – leeks, shalots, carrots, celery, or the peppers and onions that the recipe calls for. What makes this rice unique is the annatto seeds. I love the slightly peppery flavor this spice brings to the dish – it is not spicy, just very flavorful. Think of it like saffron, but not as pungent. I have cooked with annatto seeds a few times, and each time I like the flavor more and more. I loved the extra punch that the cilantro gave this dish as well – I didn’t have any fresh cilantro in the house – but I had some frozen capsules that I picked up from Trader Joes that is perfect in a pinch. I’m sure fresh cilantro would be even better.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon annatto seeds (see cooks’ note, below)
1/4 cup mild olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 3/4 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups water

Preparation

Heat annatto seeds and oil in a very small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan frequently, until oil turns bright red-orange and begins to simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding seeds.

Cook onion, bell peppers, garlic, and cilantro in 1 1/2 tablespoons annatto oil in a 2-to 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until most of grains are opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir rice again, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

Cooks’ notes:

You can substitute 1/4 teaspoon saffron for the annatto. Use only 1 1/2 tablespoon oil and crumble saffron into oil just before using it.
Leftover annatto oil keeps, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 1 month.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Yellow Rice

Potato Gratin

Published on November 2, 2009 by Dawn3 Comments

I am always looking for ways to cook really good healthy food. Don’t get me wrong, I love butter, and I love cooking with it – but if I can make a dish that tastes almost as good as the real thing, but doesn’t clog up your arteries, I am in – at least for a taste. This is one of those dishes that I just love, but with all the cream and butter, I really tend to save it for special occasions. I found this recipe in Cooking Light and decided to try it – very little butter, and milk instead of cream. I was pleasantly surprised – it was very creamy and flavorful – and so simple! I cut the recipe in half (since my kids don’t like potatoes, I know, someday they will come around) and baked it in a small casserole dish (7 1/2″ x 5″). It browned so nicely on top, I skipped the broiler step.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
1 T unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 T minced shallots
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8″ thick slices
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a broiler-safe 11″x7″ baking dish with garlic; discard garlic. Coat dish with butter. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (through potatoes) in a skillet; bring to a simmer. Cook 8 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Spoon potato mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake for 35 minutes. If it is not brown enough for you, preheat the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serves 8

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Potato Gratin

Garden-Rice Casserole

Published on October 19, 2009 by Dawn8 Comments

It was the last big harvest of the year – and I ended up with too many vegetables in the refrigerator. In combination with our CSA market basket, we were overflowing. When this happens, there is really only one thing to make – Garden-Rice Casserole. This recipe is yours to customize any way you want – I never make it the same way twice, because it always depends on the vegetables I have on hand. If you don’t have something I list below, just substitute it for something you do have – there are really no bad combinations. You could add shredded chicken to this, cooked ground turkey, the sky is the limit! If anyone makes this, do me a favor and comment on your substitutions. Hopefully you will think this is as foolproof as I do.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 zucchini, shredded with skins on
2 cups carrots, shredded
1 tsp salt
1 T fresh dill, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus 2 T
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add chopped onion and peppers and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add shredded carrots, zucchini and salt and cook until soft, about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat and cool.

In a separate bowl, mix together dill, rice, cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and bread crumbs. Add cooled vegetables and mix carefully. Add beaten eggs just until combined.

Spread mixture into a glass baking dish covered in cooking spray – I use a 10×10 square, but an 8 1/2 x11 would work as well. Sprinkle the remaining 2 T of parmesan cheese over the top. Bake until bubbly for 30-45 minutes. Broil for the last couple minutes until nicely browned on top.

For a printer friendly version of this recipe, click here: Garden rice casserole

Mini Provolone Popovers

Published on September 26, 2009September 30, 2009 by Dawn1 Comment

food 036

These popovers were incredible!! You could tell by their wonderful smell that they were going to be amazing. They are so small that you end up just popping them in your mouth – it’s hard to stop! Even my children who are quite picky loved them. They went perfect with the Beef Daube I made for dinner.

This recipe comes from Gourmet – although I made them with Fontina cheese instead of Provolone, I’m sure whatever cheese you have in the house will work just perfect.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped provolone
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chives

Equipment: a 24-cup mini-muffin pan

Preparation

Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, and pepper until smooth, then stir in cheeses and chives. Chill 1 hour to allow batter to rest.

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in upper third.

Butter muffin pan with remaining tablespoon butter, then heat in oven until butter sizzles, about 2 minutes.

Gently stir batter, then divide among muffin cups (they will be about two-thirds full). Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.