Side dish

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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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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Rosemary Herb Biscuits

January 4, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I recently made turkey and wild rice soup and I was trying to think of something tasty to go along with it. Biscuits came to mind as the perfect counterpart to a hearty soup. Instead of just plain biscuits I added some sage, rosemary, and thyme for more flavor. They turned out really well and the texture was crisp and flaky on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. They were easy to make and very good with my soup! I will definitely be making these again.
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Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Dill

November 27, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

Mashed potatoes is a side dish that has become a staple on many Thanksgiving tables. The great thing about mashed potatoes is you can add different ingredients to it and change a plain recipe into a more flavorful one. This Thanksgiving I decided to try mixing goat cheese and fresh dill into the potatoes. The goat cheese gave it a creamy tanginess, and tasted great with the fresh dill! Potatoes are so easy to make and I always leave the skins on (especially if they are red potatoes). Overall the addition of the goat cheese and dill was a success and I will definitely have this on the table on Thanksgiving next year.

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Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir

November 25, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

I ended up making quite a bit of cranberry sauce this year for Thanksgiving. The nice thing is that it can be stored in the refrigerator or even frozen. Cranberry sauce is easy to make from scratch and tastes fresh and tangy–a perfect topping for a roast turkey or slathering on a piece of bread for a leftover turkey sandwich. I normally go with an orange-ginger cranberry sauce but this year I tried making it with pinot noir. I really enjoyed this version of cranberry sauce, and the addition of the pinot noir gave it a more full-bodied flavor.

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