Side dish

Roasted Moroccan Potatoes

October 23, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

Since I already tried Moroccan couscous I thought it would be nice to try something different. I decided on roasted potatoes and they turned out very nicely. They went great with the Roasted Moroccan chicken and had very good flavor. The honey mellows and contrasts with the spicy harissa and lemon juice. The honey also caramelizes the potatoes and the result is a crispy, golden outside. The only downside is that honey has the tendency of sticking to the pan so use a generous amount of olive oil and turn the potatoes every 12-15 minutes or so. To get the potatoes extra crispy on the outside I sometimes turn the oven to the broil setting the last 3 minutes of baking.

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Moroccan Couscous with Figs, Dates, and Apricots

October 13, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

Couscous is a tasty dish that is a great accompaniment to proteins like lamb, chicken, and beef. What makes couscous great is its versatility. You can pretty much add anything to it and make it your own. Couscous is great spicy or sweet but I prefer a little bit of both to give it a good balance. This recipe is sweet from the fruit and has just the right amount of heat that comes from the aromatic spices. This may not be quite traditional, but I like couscous to be a little more saucy and not so dry. It all depends on how much liquid goes into the pot so reducing the amount of beef stock by 1/2 cup would do the trick. Since couscous only takes a few minutes to cook, I steamed the dried fruit separately to soften before I added it to the couscous.

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Roasted Sesame and Ginger Coleslaw

September 1, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

A great addition to the Korean BBQ Pork Sandwich was this sesame and ginger coleslaw. A standard pulled pork recipe just has to have a side of coleslaw either in or outside the bun! Coleslaw can get really heavy if you add too much mayo and sour cream, so I only add a little to give it just a mild creaminess while staying light. Since the pork was flavored with Korean sauces, I flavored the coleslaw with similar ingredients. The coleslaw turned out really nicely and provided a good balance against the spicy pulled pork.

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Baby Bok Choy in a Lemongrass and Ginger Soy Sauce

June 6, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

As a side dish to the Char Siu, I created this easy and flavorful bok choy recipe. It’s pretty simple since all you do is steam the bok choy and then stir fry it in garlic and the sauce for a few minutes. There are lots of variations and you can use all sorts of seasonings and sauces for baby bok choy. This dish went nicely with the pork and complimented its flavors. Bok choy tastes like a cross between broccoli and cabbage, and would be a great addition to stir-fries.

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Curried Orange Couscous

March 30, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

I had some leftover Moroccan chicken and I wanted to make something different than the roasted potatoes or the Moroccan couscous that I have made before. I decided to go with a fruity, sweet couscous and it ended up tasting great with the chicken. The orange juice and the clove/cinnamon spices in the garam masala were also good together.

Couscous can be pretty plain if you don’t salt it or add enough honey and spices. What I’ve found is that a boring recipe can be made better by adding more fat, salt, or sweetness. Aren’t those the three reasons why anything ever tastes good? So, if you find the recipe needing something more, add one of those three and you won’t go wrong.

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Another turkey day must have: mashed potatoes. While most recipes call for yellow or brown potatoes (they have a smoother texture for mashing) I like to use red potatoes. I just really like the flavor of these potatoes and their skins. I like mashed potatoes a little chunkier and with the skins mixed in. If you prefer it smoother add more milk and remove the skins. The garlic adds just enough flavor but does not over power the potatoes.

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

I’ve never understood why brussel sprouts have such a bad reputation. It’s like the dark horse at every thanksgiving and people take 1 brussel and put it on their plate just to be polite. Anyway I like brussels a lot, especially when they are roasted with great flavors. Roasting them on a baking sheet gives the brussels a sweeter flavor and mellows some of their bitterness. You can roast them with pine nuts, chestnuts, cider, or other herbs. There is a lot of variation you can do with brussels and I think I will be making these more for regular dinners, and not just the holidays.

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Roasted Beets

November 20, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Roasted Beets are both beautiful and delicious. I used to eat them like candy when I was a kid. Roasting the beets concentrates their flavor so they’re great to eat as is. You can also add spices like ground clove and allspice for a little different flavor.

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Gingered Cranberry Sauce

November 19, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Hurray for cranberries! Every turkey needs its cranberry sauce. While the canned stuff does make me a little nostalgic, I have to say that this recipe brings cranberries to another level. The fresh ginger and orange zest liven up the flavors, and I love the chunkier texture of this sauce.

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