Butter Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Parmesan

This side dish took literally 5 minutes to make. It also took me literally 5 minutes to make up. I grabbed a can of butter beans (they are a wide lima bean), a shallot, some grated parmesan and that was it! I sauteed the shallots until they were sweet and caramelized then I threw the beans in with the shallots until warm and crisp on the outside. To top it all off, I grated fresh parmesan cheese on top as well as chopped parsley for some color. It may not be the prettiest dish, but it was SO good! The smoky shallots and crisped beans were a great combo and will definitely be made again. If you can't find butter beans, lima beans will work as well.

Butter Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Parmesan

1 can butter beans, or lima beans, washed and drained

1 shallot, sliced

Parmesan cheese, grated

Chopped parsley, optional

1 Heat a medium skillet with olive oil and saute the sliced shallot until light brown and sweet.

2 When the shallot is soft and browned, throw in the butter beans until lightly crisped on the outside. Add more olive oil if needed.

3 Garnish with grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!

Adam's Famous Asparagus

This post has been a long time coming... Ever since valentines day I've been meaning to post about Adam's asparagus that he made me as part of his classic steak dinner. I have never ever had asparagus like this. They are tender, juicy and absolutely delicious. The sauce is made up of 3 ingredients — butter, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. How can you go wrong with that, right? He roasts the asparagus with Jane's mixed up salt seasoning, (read about it here, its fantastic) and olive oil. Then while the asparagus is roasting, he melts the butter and and adds the soy and balsamic and then, my favorite part to watch, pours it over the roasted asparagus. And in case you were wondering, he also served rib-eye steak (my favorite type of steak), sautéed bell peppers with red onions, and creamed spinach. YUM!

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

1 bunch fresh asparagus (look for thick stalks and closed tips)

olive oil

salt seasoning, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim ends of asparagus (or snap the ends off) and rinse. Dry the asparagus and lay on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet (we do this in the toaster oven, so we use the smallest baking sheet).

2 Brush asparagus with olive oil and season with salt seasoning, to taste

3 Make sure the asparagus are in one layer and roast for 12 minutes.

4 While the asparagus is in the oven, melt butter in a small saucepan. Then, remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar.

5 Once the asparagus is done roasting, pour the sauce and serve immedietely.

Sautéed Apples with Butter and Cinnamon

I bought a big bag of red delicious apples and besides eating them whole as a snack I wanted to make something with the remaining 3 I had left. Then cracker barrel popped in my head, as it often does, and I thought "sautéed apples!" I peeled and sliced up the 3 apples I had, sauteed them with butter until soft, then seasoned with cinnamon. You see that brown sugary syrup in the pan? That's the good stuff you want. MMM-mmm. It was a nice little side dish or can even be served as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious, fast and versatile!

Soft sliced apples with butter and cinnamon

3 apples, any type, peeled and sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Heat a skillet over medium high heat and throw in the sliced apples and butter. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.

2 Season with cinnamon, stir and serve!

Potato Salad

This is yet another recipe from A Homemade Life. I know potato salad is usually for warmer weather, but who says you can't have it as a side dish next to say, pot roast? It is filling and delicious. The recipe called for hard-boiled eggs but I didn't feel like doing all that. I added coarse ground mustard to the ranch and mayo dressing, as well as dried dill because I didn't have any fresh on hand. It was truly delicious and even better the next day! I used baby Yukon gold potatoes, aren't they pretty? They almost shimmer underwater. You can bookmark this recipe for the summertime or make it with your next roast! Enjoy!

Potato Salad

1 lb baby potatoes, scrubbed (I sliced some lengthwise and half wise just to change it up)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup mayo

4 tablespoons ranch

1 tablespoon coarse ground mustard

2 tablespoons fresh dill, or 1 tablespoon dried

1 Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender when pierced, about 15-20 minutes.

2 Drain them and set aside to cool.

3 Slice the potatoes however you like and put in a large bowl.

4 In a small bowl stir together the mayo, ranch, mustard and dill. Pour dressing over the potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight if serving next day.

Lemon-Scented Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Onions

I love rice. But, I find that I don't eat it as much as I would like, probably because it is shoved in the back of the pantry and I never think to make it. When I was in Israel, I ordered a delicious meat platter — I don't remember what type of meat— and it came with this amazing rice. Soft buttery white rice dotted with lentils and sautéed onions. It was such a delight to eat. The memory popped into my head the other day and I decided to recreate it at home. I ate it as a hot snack on a cold rainy day and it was the most satisfying bowl of rice. I adapted it slightly and added lemon juice and lemon zest for more zing in the rice. This is a great side to quickly heat up for a weekday meal or lunch — and It's even better the next day.

Lemon-Scented Rice with Lentils & Sautéed Onions

1 cup basmati rice, or any rice you choose : 2 cups water

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup green lentils : 3 cups water

1/2 lemon juice and zest

Parsley sprigs as garnish, optional

1 Wash rice under cold water until water runs clear. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil, cover.

2 While the rice is boiling, bring another saucepan with 3 cups water to a boil. Add lentils and bring back to a boil.

3 Both will take about 20 minutes until tender and all the water is absorbed.

4 Heat a small skillet with olive oil and sauté the chopped onions until golden. Place onions on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

5 When all ingredients are ready, let cool and mix in the onions into the rice and stir well. Spoon some lentils into the rice and stir. I like more rice than lentils but you can choose whatever ratio you like.

6 Zest 1/2 a lemon into the rice mixture, along with its juice. Stir all together.

Serve with other half of lemon and parsley sprigs optional.

The underestimated Brussel Sprout

Have you ever had a brussel sprout? I mean, I know people hear brussel sprouts and say "blech, gross!" but have you actually eaten one before?? I admittedly have not until I ordered it at a restaurant as a side dish. I asked the waiter what he recommended, as I always do, and I was surprised when he replied "the brussel sprouts." At first I was apprehensive but he talked me into it, and I am so happy he did. It was a delicious, slightly bitter tender green that melted in my mouth. The sprouts at the restaurant were sauteed in butter, but I opted for a slightly healthier version at home. I found this recipe at 101cookbooks. The golden sprouts were a great side dish to a fillet of fish.

You can even sprinkle them with grated parmesan cheese!

Try these as a side dish and I promise you will see brussel sprouts in a whole new way!

Golden Brussel Sprouts

1 pack brussel sprouts, around 20 sprouts

olive oil

salt

grated parmesan cheese, optional

1 Wash sprouts well and cut stems off. Slice each sprout in half from root to tip.

2 Heat a large skillet over medium heat with some olive oil, enough to coat the pan. While the oil in the pan is heating up, pour some olive oil on a plate and dip the cut side of each sprout into the oil and then place onto the heated pan.

3 Arrange the sprouts in a single layer in the pan (I had to do it in two batches) so none overlap. Sprinkle with salt and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, taste one to test if tender enough.

4 Serve with grated parmesan, optional.

Grown up Fries

When Adam moved in, he moved his glorious George Foreman grill with him. I decided to bust it out and experiment since I don't have a real outdoor grill. I thought, why not grill some fries? The idea could have gone completely wrong and I would have wasted 2 good potatoes and fresh herbs, but it came out absolutely amazing and by far my new favorite way to eat potatoes. I called these "grown up" fries because of the herbs and the fact that they aren't deep fried, so if you're looking for a healthy way to satisfy you're french fry cravings, give these a try. Maybe you'll even let your kids have some ;)  "Grown up" Fries

2 potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch strips with skin left on

2 sprigs of thyme, 1 reserved for garnish

1/4 tablespoon dried oregano. If you have fresh, use it.

Olive oil

Salt 'n' peppa

1 Put the sliced potatoes in a medium sized bowl and coat with olive oil, salt, fresh thyme and oregano.

2 Pre-grease grill so the potatoes won't stick. (If you don't have a george foreman grill, any hot plate or pan with grill marks will do.) Layer the potatoes flat without overlapping and cover for 10-15 minutes until you see grill marks, then flip them over. You can do this in batches if you are making a large quantity.

3 Remove fries when both sides have grill marks and are tender. Sprinkle with some more salt and fresh sprigs of thyme and serve.

Mom's roasted potatoes

When you think of your mom's cooking, what is the first dish that comes to your mind?

Casseroles?

Turkey on thanksgiving?

Bologna sandwiches?

Well, the first that comes to my mind are these oven roasted potatoes. It is one of my favorite comfort foods. My mom has been making these ever since I can remember, and boy are they delicious. This side is so simple yet tastes amazing and always reminds me of home. The sauce is made up of 5 basic ingredients: Olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Thats it! This is a great make ahead side dish for a party or just the fam. Enjoy!

Mom's Oven Roasted Potatoes

3 potatoes, cut anyway you want

4 tablespoons olive oil

about 3 tablespoons of paprika

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt 'n' peppa

1 Prepare the sauce in a small mixing bowl: whisk the oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika together.

2 Peel potatoes and cut into whatever size you want, I cubed mine.

3 Pour the sauce over the cut potatoes and coat thoroughly. Let sit for 30 minutes. (optional)

4 Preheat oven to 400 degrees (I used the toaster oven) and spread the potatoes with all the sauce in a baking pan and cover with foil. Bake until tender (about 40 minutes).

5 If you want crispy potatoes, after the potatoes are tender take the foil off and bake further for 20 minutes or until desired level of crispiness.

Thrifty note:

I got these cute bowls from the home section of an asian supermarket. Can you believe it? You never know where you are going to find stuff, but Im always on the lookout! The first thing that attracted me was the vibrant green color, Im trying to break out of the blues! :)

Lemony Mint Couscous with Chickpea and Edamame

Side dishes are kind of an after thought around here...I tend to focus more on the main dish and then throw some greens on the side because Im just hungry and want to put food in my mouth asap! However, today I thought I would dedicate a bit more thought on a side dish that is extremely simple to put together and can easily be adapted. I used canned chickpeas, shelled edamame, (don't you love those crunchy little green gems?) mint and lemon juice. How easy is that? I actually liked this couscous better cold, right out of the fridge. Mmm, boy was it good. The mint and tiny lemony couscous balls are so light and fluffy they dance on your tongue. This one is definitely being added to the rotation. What's your go-to side dish?

Lemony Mint Couscous with Chickpea and Edamame

1 box of instant couscous prepared according to package directions, I used Near East brand

1/2 can chickpeas

2 lemon

Edamame, shelled

Couple leaves of mint

salt 'n' peppa

1 Prepare couscous according to package directions. Pour into large bowl.

2 In a separate bowl, combine juice of one lemon with the chickpeas and mix together.

Season with salt and pepper.

3 Mix the lemony chickpeas with couscous, then add the edamame.

4 Slice some mint leaves up and throw into couscous mixture and combine.

5 Juice second lemon on top of the whole salad and combine throughout.

Thrifty note:

I bought a set of these rich brown lacquer bowls yesterday seen in the picture above.

I love the cascading pattern on the edges of the bowls. What I also liked was that every

bowl was different and had a unique mark by the artist. This way, I know that it was not

manufactured, but rather handmade.

Here is a somewhat better shot of the colored edge of the bowls.

Also, a big shout out to peachkins for

giving me such a sweet award!

Thank you, peachkins!

Go and check out her lovely blog!

Oh, and don't forget to submit for BSI: Feta.

Deadline is Sunday, July 12.

Super Loaded Baked Potato

I know you can't really tell what this is just from the picture. It looks like a big pile of....stuff. And thats exactly what it is, a big pile of stuff on top of a hot, round, creamy yukon gold potato. Mmmm.. This was actually Adam's idea. He used to eat baked potatoes with these toppings when he lived in New Orleans. I trust his taste, and to be honest it sounded so amazing that I couldn't resist — melted cheddar, cool sour cream, soft caramelized onions, and sauteed woody mushrooms. Whoa.

Oh my, you know what would make this the ultimate baked potato? A fried egg on top. Ok, I need to stop now.

Loaded Baked Potato

1 yellow onion, sliced

8oz mushrooms, I used button

1 yukon potato, Idaho is fine too

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream

1 Slice onion and saute over medium heat until light brown in color. Season and set aside.

2 Prick potato with fork all over, wrap in a paper towel and heat in microwave for 6 minutes depending on size of potato.

3 While the potato is in the microwave, in the same pan, saute the mushrooms, season and set aside.

4 The potato should be ready at about the same time as the mushrooms.

5 Now its time to assemble the loaded baked potato. You can do it any way you please. We split open the potato, covered it with cheddar, dolloped with sour cream, next the caramelized onions, mushrooms, more cheese and if you're like me, a couple of snippets of green onions just for some color.

Note: These pictures aren't the same, I just couldn't choose which I like more! :)

I am also submitting this recipe to BSI hosted this week by Doggy Bloggy at Chez What?

Bok Choy with Radish

I kind of made this spur of the moment side dish that turned out quite nicely. To be honest, I just wanted to make it because it would look pretty but it actually tasted great! It is very simple and easy. Next time, I think I will toast the sesame seeds just to add another depth of flavor. Enjoy! Bok Choy with Radish and sesame seeds 3 bunches bok choy, cut diagonally 3 radishes, sliced thin 2 cloves garlic, sliced sesame seeds

1 Wash bok choy leaves (especially in between the leaves, there is dirt that gets trapped in there) and slice 1.5 inch slices on the diagonal.

2 Wash and slice radishes

3 Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the bok choy for about 3 minutes until wilted.

4 Throw in sliced radishes and garlic in the same pan with the bok choy and saute until flavors meld and radishes are slightly softened. About 5 minutes.

5 Salt 'n' peppa as needed and serve with sesame seeds.