easy side dish – In Good Taste

Roasted Asparagus with Pesto and Lemon Zest

Maris Callahan — Tue, 06 May 2014 14:00:42 +0000

During the spring when vibrant produce abounds at the farmer’s market (and…Whole Foods), you will be hard pressed find a more stately veggie to add to your dinner menu no matter what the occasion. The beauty in these tall and sprightly spears lies in their versatility. Whether you blanch, sauté, or wrap them in salty prosciutto, it’s hard not to love asparagus. Asparagus is practically synonymous with spring, but so are words like “fresh pesto” and “lemon zest.” Well, we kind of just made that up, but take our word for it, because if you like asparagus already, you’ll really like asparagus tossed in fresh pesto, homemade or store bought, then dusted with potent lemon zest and freshly grated parmesan Cheese. This recipe comes together in almost as much time as it takes to roast the asparagus in a pre-heated oven. You could also do this on the grill, if you happen to live in a climate blessed with temperate weather. Save Print Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 1 bunch (about 1 pound) fresh asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed 2 heaping tablespoons homemade or store bought pesto sauce 1 lemon […]

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Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sage

Maris Callahan — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 06:10:13 +0000

No matter how big your turkey or how tart your cranberry sauce, there are few aromas that say Thanksgiving quite like the aromas of sage and thyme emanating from the stovetop. This warm quinoa salad delivers just that, even though that aroma comes from stuffing (or dressing, depending on what part of the country you’re from).” Every family seems to have their own traditional stuffing recipes – cornbread and cranberries, sourdough with chestnuts and oysters, sausage and apples with once-crusty whole wheat bread. But if you keep a gluten-free diet, stuffing is probably not the same for you as it is for the rest of your family. If you want to eliminate any feelings of stuffing-envy that arrive, uninvited, at your dinner table this year, skip the stuffing altogether, however unimaginable that may be, and instead opt for a side dish that’s naturally gluten-free: quinoa. Quinoa, pronounced keen-WAH, is a close relative to the leafy greens family that bears resemblance to the grain family. With a light, fluffy texture, quinoa will offer the same forkful of comfort that stuffing would – with many of the same flavors and even more nutrients then you would get from the same amount of wheat […]

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Brussels Sprouts with Apples & Chestnuts

Maris Callahan — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:01:41 +0000

Last week I was chatting with Barbara and she said that she spends upwards of 20 hours per week working on her blog, recipes and photography. I would guess that there are a lot of food bloggers who would agree with that. To say that my posting has been inconsistent lately would be an understatement because there is an inversely proportionate relationship between how busy I am with work and how frequently I post here. If I had been posting as regularly as I’d like, then I would have told you weeks ago that I’ve been obsessed with Brussels sprouts this year. They’ve always been a favorite veggie despite their less-than-stella reputation, but never have I made them as often at home as I have been lately. There are just so many things about them that are great, so let’s make a list, shall we? 1. If you quarter them before cooking, they cook quickly, by roasting in oven or cooking in a skillet on the stove top. You could probably also steam them in the microwave but that isn’t something I’d wish on anyone. 2. You can prepare them so many different ways. 3. They are filling and therefore […]

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Bulgur Salad with Cranberries & Almonds

Maris Callahan — Mon, 30 May 2011 15:54:41 +0000

It’s Memorial Day and I should be sharing all kinds of delicious party food with you, like strawberry sangria and tomatillo guacamole. I have a strawberry daiquiri recipe tucked up my sleeve and there may even be a recipe for chipotle chicken wings in your very near future. Today, though, is about bulgur. Bulgur is something you may or may not already have in your kitchen but if you want to add something other than pasta and minute rice to your starchy side dish repertoire, it’s a good staple to keep on hand. Bulgur is a cereal grain made from different types of wheat, including durum wheat, which is also used to make pasta. It is sometimes confused with cracked wheat, as they can both be found in natural foods stores and Whole Foods. Bulgur is a common ingredient in Turkish, Middle Easter and Indian dishes. It has a light, nutty flavor and can be used in salads, soups, stews, baked goods, breads or stuffing. It is rich in nutrients and some people opt to serve it instead of rice as a side dish. I think bulgur does just fine on its own, as the star in a salad with […]

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Chipotle Refried Black Beans

Maris Callahan — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:00:34 +0000

We all have guilty pleasures. I saw a Friends episode (too) many years ago in which Rachel claimed her favorite movie was Dangerous Liaisons when her actual favorite movie is Weekend at Bernie’s. Though I won’t claim to ever have seen Dangerous Liaisons, I do have an equally embarrassing food confession to make today. I really like fat-free re-fried beans. They come in a can and smell vaguely like dog food but they’re creamy, filling and in my opinion, better than the too-greasy alternative that so many brands tout. Luckily, there is a happy medium between quasi-dog food and bean cooked cups of animal lard and that happy medium comes in the form of chipotle refried black beans. Behold – chipotle black beans. I love just about anything with the word chipotle in it, even though it often means that your food is going to be excruciatingly spicy. This recipe calls for two teaspoons, which I found to be just enough to add a little kick but not so much that you wanted to physically remove your mouth from your face. If you enjoy the latter sensation, feel free to up the ante and add an extra teaspoon or two […]

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