Side Dish

Irish Coleslaw

May 5, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

This Irish styled coleslaw is a simple vinaigrette based mixture of cabbage, apples, chives, and carrots. The vinaigrette is composed of rapeseed oil, cider vinegar, grainy Irish mustard and sugar. It’s an easy process of grating the ingredients and tossing them in the vinaigrette. The result is fresh with flavors of sweetness and tartness from the apples and vinegar. I’ve always wanted to try coleslaw without mayo and I really enjoyed it. It’s a lot less heavy than mayonnaise based coleslaw. It worked really nicely as an accompaniment for my Corned Beef on Rye sandwich.

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Kimchi (Korean Fermented Cabbage)

April 26, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Kimchi is a Korean dish made with fermented Napa Cabbage, Red Pepper, and Garlic. I have heard a lot of good things about Kimchi and I couldn’t wait to try it. The red pepper is a Korean crushed red pepper called gochugaru and can be found in Korean or asian markets. The fish sauce is easy to find and most grocery stores carry it. Kimchi is great as a condiment or a side dish for many different Korean foods. The cabbage needs about a week to ferment and once that’s done you can enjoy it! Kimchi is fairly spicy and has a really unique flavor. The great thing about Kimchi is that the more it ages the better it gets so you can make a large batch and keep it in the refrigerator for about a month.

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Parmesan and Rosemary Focaccia Bread

April 16, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Focaccia bread is great for sandwiches and as a side dish with dinner. This bread is yeast based and, as always, it requires a little more time to prepare. The result however is a tasty, flat(ish) bread that is flavored with rosemary and olive oil. I topped the bread with a little grated parmigiano-reggiano and the cheese got nicely brown and crispy. I dipped the bread in a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil and it worked great as an appetizer.

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Garlic and Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

April 13, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I was one of the weird kids who actually liked brussel sprouts (and beets and tofu!) For the majority of kids who grew into adulthood never liking brussel sprouts this recipe might change your mind. It’s a simple preparation of tossing the sprouts in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. The garlic roasts and becomes from fragrant while the balsamic vinegar caramelizes the brussel sprouts. The outside should be a tiny bit crunchy, not soft. The result is savory and delicious. The recipe would work great with pine nuts, walnuts, or parmesan cheese as well.

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Olive & Dill Deviled Eggs

February 29, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I am a big fan of deviled eggs and there are so many good recipes to choose from. For lunch, I made a batch of black olive and dill deviled eggs which turned out to be really good. The key to making good deviled eggs is a properly cooked hard-boiled egg (which is harder than it seems). The yolk should be moist on the inside, have a smooth uniform color, and not be too flaky. Use older eggs, not fresh eggs for hard-boiling. I had success cooking the eggs on a low boil for 5 minutes, turning off the heat, and running them under cold water/refrigerating them for 15 minutes to cool off. Cooling the eggs in the refrigerator allows for easier peeling and it helps prevent the eggs from cooking after they are removed from the water. After the hard part is over, the fun part can begin–choosing the ingredients to use in the deviled eggs. The standard is mayonnaise and dijon mustard with a dusting of paprika. You can add bacon, pickles, chives, etc. Basically the possibilities are endless with deviled eggs.

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Baked Moroccan Potato Fries with a Yogurt Dipping Sauce

February 23, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I have found myself taken with the flavor of Moroccan seasonings for a while now and I’m always trying to figure out new ways to use them. Since I regularly make my Moroccan chicken I try to mix things up a bit with side dishes. This time I tried a Moroccan style french fry with a yogurt dipping sauce. The fries were so good and had just the right amount of crispiness on the outside. Baked potato fries are a lot healthier than regular french fries as they are simply tossed in olive oil and roasted in an oven. I sprinkled a little ginger on them along with a little harissa chili paste which brought a nice heat to them. Then I drizzled honey and lemon over the fries and baked them for an hour or so. This allows the inside to get tender while its baking at a lower temperature. The secret to getting a good crispy outside is to broil the fries for about 10 minutes at the very end. The broiling process helps caramelize the outside and evaporates any extra lemon juice on the pan. The dipping sauce was the perfect accompaniment to cool down this spicy and sweet Moroccan side dish.

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Moroccan Yogurt and Dill Dip

February 22, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Recently I made some sweet and spicy Moroccan potato fries and I wanted something to offset the spiciness of that dish. I came up with a cooling yogurt dip with dill and anise seed. Do not be fooled by its similar appearance to ranch dressing. It’s closer in flavor to the Greek tzatziki than ranch dressing. The combination of dill and anise almost give it a minty taste that is very refreshing. This dip cooled down the spicy fries very well, and I’m sure I will be using this recipe again on other Moroccan dishes!

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Moroccan Roasted Sweet Potatoes

January 30, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Whenever I make Roasted Moroccan Chicken I roast russet potatoes in some spicy Harissa paste and honey for a side dish. This time I had some nice sweet potatoes in the refrigerator so I thought I would try them with the Moroccan dish instead. I figured the additional sweetness of the potato would balance nicely with the chili paste. It turns out I was right as the balance of the sweet potato and the spicy chilies were a really good combination! I love contrasting flavors in general and this definitely had that going for it. I simply tossed the sweet potato pieces in olive oil and spread the chili paste over the potatoes along with a couple dashes of coriander and cinnamon. I used just a touch of honey to bring out the flavors of the sweet potato. This side dish was the perfect accompaniment for the chicken and a great pop of color on the plate.

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Moroccan Roasted Carrots and Beets

January 27, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

One of my favorite main courses is the recipe for roasted Moroccan Chicken with Preserved Lemons. I am always thinking of new sides to go with the spicy and savory flavors of this dish. I had some beets in the refrigerator and I thought a warm roasted vegetable salad would be a great accompaniment to the main course. I was not let down as the warm beets and carrots were so good with the chicken! The carrots, onions, and beets are simply tossed in oil and seasoned with Moroccan spices and baked in the oven. The earthy vegetables went very well with the spicy and sweet seasonings so I will definitely be making this again.
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Sour Cream and Dill Biscuits

January 13, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

For dinner lately I have been enjoying the great combination of warm biscuits and soup. The flaky biscuits are perfect for dipping in that last tablespoon of broth at the very end. I recently tried a really easy recipe for sour cream biscuits and I was happy with the results. It only took 20 minutes to prep and bake. To spice the recipe up I added some dill which I thought would work nicely with the sour cream. Plain or buttered, these biscuits are a perfect side dish for hot soups. I had mine with some tasty turkey and wild rice soup and it was a match made in heaven!
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