Archive for the ‘ Side Dishes ’ Category

Matbucha – Morrocan salad ~ מטבוחה מרוקאית

So this is a cooked tomato and hot pepper salad and is very popular in middle eastern countries, it’s the equivalent of what we know in America as “salsa” – it’s so easy to make. virtually foolproof. and really delicious.

I know I know, if you read my “about me” section, you are probably wondering why I’m  posting a Salad recipe. I hate salad. But my husband loves this salad and it is a tradition in my house – dating all the way back to my great great grandparents houses.  So once a week, on Shabbat, I put a salad on my table. Matbucha means “cooked” in Moroccan Arabic because it is cooked in a pot, and then chilled in the refrigerator before serving. People usually eat matbucha spread on challah bread or as a dip for bread. I eat it when it’s still hot – with tortilla chips, but that’s just me 🙂

Ingredients

1 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes (we use the Hunts brand)

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (with the seeds)

2 long green peppers (the thin, light green ones), finely chopped (with the seeds)

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 tablespoons paprika (for that strong red color, as well as great flavor)

salt, to taste Continue reading →

2011
06/21
CATEGORY
Moroccan Dishes
Side Dishes
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tamarind glazed sweet potatoes

golden orange color.. sweet and tangy potatoes

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 tablespoons margarine
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 3/4-inch thick rounds
  • Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.In a small pot, melt the margarine with the garlic and the tamarind pulp over low heat.
Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the brown sugar, and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stir and remove from the heat.

Toss the sweet potatoes in 1 tablespoon oil, and season with salt, to taste. Bake the sweet potato slices in a baking dish until soft. When soft, spoon the tamarind mixture over the sweet potatoes. Place the potatoes back into the oven for about 10 more minutes, or until they are tender and cooked through.

They come out soft, sweet and slightlyy tangy.  🙂

very light side dish

2011
05/20
CATEGORY
Passover Recipes
Side Dishes
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Almond Smashed Potatoes

smashed potato with crunchy almond topping

So I made these smashed potatoes today as a side dish but I completely forgot to take a picture until the very last bite. I really liked them, and they were relatively easy to prepare. They are so flavorful, and the crunchy almond topping really makes them special. Originally, the recipe called for roasted soy nuts. But I didn’t have soy nuts on hand so I substituted with almonds.

The difference between mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes is that mashed potatoes have a more or less smooth texture, but smashed potatoes are only smashed lightly to break up the potatoes. Smashed potatoes still keep their shape. 🙂

Sidenote: This lousy picture really doesn’t do this side dish justice. It is so delicious. 

Ingredients

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped — or substitute 1/4 onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 cup crushed almonds, slightly ground in a blender
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon powdered ginger
  • 1 pound baby potatoes (they come in small 1 pound bags- about 25 potatoes in a bag I think)
For the toasted almond nut mix:
In a saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and lightly brown, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and ginger, and lightly brown, ensuring they do not burn.

Add the crushed almonds and lightly toast for 3 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. If you don’t like the flavor of raw parsley, add the parsley now, while the mixture is still hot.

To make Almond Smashed Potatoes:
Hard boil the potatoes in Heavily salted water with 1bsp powdered ginger, and cook until the skins split. If the skins don’t split, poke the potatoes with a knife and let boil some more. Drain the potatoes and place in a small bowl. Lightly smash each potato one time with a fork. Toss the potatoes with the toasted nut mix and chopped parsley.
Serve immediately.
If you are making it ahead of time, put potatoes into a dish and reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Heat the topping on the stove, and toss into the potatoes.
2011
05/18
CATEGORY
Passover Recipes
Side Dishes
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Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

chopped herbs

herb paste

chicken and potatoes before getting roasted

An herb paste smeared onto the chicken adds a concentrated taste of summer. This is a very classy chicken dish. If you want to impress someone, make this dish 🙂 My husband said it best, it’s reminiscent of something you would likely see on a restaurant menu.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 2 fresh bay leaves, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons oil (olive oil if you have it)
  • 2  garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 chicken thighs or 2 small Cornish hens, backbones cut out and birds split in half
  • 1 potato
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • Blend together herbs, oil, garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a blender until finely chopped.  (You can also finely chop the herbs together instead of blending)
  • Chop up one potato (1 potato is enough for two people)
  • Add 3 tbsp oil to the roasting pan and place potatoes and chicken inside.  Rub all over chicken and potatoes. Put chunks of the herbs under the chicken skin – this is important, it infuses the chicken with the delicious and light flavor of the herbs. Bake in 350 F oven uncovered for 1 1/4 hours. Cover chicken if it browns too fast. Baste once if necessary so chicken doesn’t dry out.
Note

  • Chicken can be rubbed with herb paste 1 day ahead and chilled.
  • To cook chicken on the grill, indoors, brown them on the oiled grill, skin side down first, turning once, in a hot large ridged grill pan over medium-high heat, then put in a pan, cover and bake at 350 F for about 18 minutes.
2011
05/14
CATEGORY
main courses
Passover Recipes
Side Dishes
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Spanish Rice

a delicious alternative to plain rice

I took a risk and made this rice recipe today, and I was pleasantly surprised. It is very delicious and easy to prepare. My hubby absolutely loves it too.

Ingredients

• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup long green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 8 oz. of tomato sauce

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil.  Add onions and green pepper, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, until the onions are tender.
Add uncooked white rice, fry for one more minute.
Add water and tomato sauce to the rice.  Stir well while heating to boiling.
Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and simmer until rice is tender.  This should take approximately 25 minutes.  Check it at 15 minutes to gauge cooking time.
Fluff lightly with a fork and cover. Let sit for 15 minutes and serve.
2011
05/13
CATEGORY
Side Dishes
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Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Moroccan style green beans

This is a side dish I grew up with. Its delicious and saucy. Also, very easy to prepare.

Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Serves 2

1 handful of fresh green beans – about 10
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
a small fresh or dried hot pepper (I used 1 small roughly chopped Dried red pepper for heat)
big pinch of cayenne or black pepper
2 cloves garlic rough chopped
1 cup water
a pinch of sugar
salt – to taste

Directions

Trim both ends off the green beans.
Saute green beans in oil for 5 minutes on low heat, In a small saucepot.
Add water and tomato paste, garlic, cayenne, salt and sugar. mix well
Boil and then let cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Add the hot pepper.
Continue cooking for another 10 or 15 minutes. Check flavor and adjust if needed.
Green beans should be tender.
The sauce is not spicy at all so don’t be afraid to add the hot peppers they cook off in the sauce.
This recipe is easy and low maintenance, you just throw in everything and let it cook by itself.
2011
05/13
CATEGORY
Moroccan Dishes
Side Dishes
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Crispy Potato Roast

crispy top, potato fan casserole awesomeness

I love this side dish, it’s a few days after passover and I had tons of potatoes left over from the holiday. Hence, the massive slinky of potatoes you see featured here inside a casserole dish!! yum

Ingredients

3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes or cayenne powder or black pepper (optional- for some heat)
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled (smaller diameter potatoes are great, if you can find them)
4 shallots, peeled
8 sprigs thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Garnishes (optional): Bits of goat cheese, or cheddar cheese if you want to make it a dairy side dish

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine butter and oil. (I just used 6 tbsp margarine instead of olive oil because I didn’t have olive oil on hand and it still came out great!)

With a sharp knife, food processor or mandoline, slice potatoes crosswise very thinly. Figure out what baking dish you’d like to use (i used a small 8 inch square pyrex, but a small oval casserole dish would be pretty too); Martha suggests a 9-inch round baking dish (a deep dish pie pan would fit this bill).

Once you’ve picked the dish that seems the best fit for your slices, pour two tablespoons of the melted margarine in the bottom and spread it evenly (This is an important step – to keep potatoes from sticking). Sprinkle the oil mixture with a few pinches of coarse salt and red pepper flakes, if using; this will allow you to season both the top and underside of the potatoes. Arrange your potato slices vertically in the dish.

Thinly slice shallots with your mandoline or food processor and slide shallot slivers between potato wedges, distributing them as evenly as possible.  Season the melted margarine with a generous amount of salt, if using dried thyme put that into the margarine too, and go easier on the red pepper flakes, if using, because a little goes a long way in this dish. Drizzle with remaining seasoned melted margarine over the top of the potatoes. Bake 1 1/4 hours. If using the fresh thyme sprigs instead of the dried thyme – arrange thyme sprigs on top after the casserole roasts for 1 1/4 hours, and bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisped top, about 35 minutes more. If casserole seems to brown too fast, cover it with foil to slow it down. Add any garnishes, if using, and serve immediately.

I got this wonderful recipe from the Smittenkitchen blog. It’s a seriously awesome and beautiful side dish. The smell of thyme and potatoes baking in the oven is hard to capture in words but it’s really wonderful. Strangely enough, this dish also leaves you with such a nice after taste. It’s a must try. It’s simple and looks classy.

Enjoy:)

Perfection. Half crispy potato chip on top, half soft potato casserole underneath

2011
04/28
CATEGORY
Side Dishes
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Baked Sweet Potato with Marshmallows and Brown Sugar

Serves 2 people, one half of the potato per person.

Ingredients

1 Large sweet potato

1/4 cup brown sugar

5 marshmallows

Method

Double wrap the sweet potato in aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour and a half or if you have time, bake for two hours.

Right before eating, unwrap and cut potato in half. Then score the potato into squares.

Sprinkle brown sugar on top

Tear marshmallows in half then in half again and stick on top and in the crevices of the sweet potato.

Bake in the oven for another 5 minutes. Enjoy 🙂

This can be made as a dessert, it’s very sweet and just delicious.

Tip: You can add chopped pecans on top.

(Or cut the sweet potato as shown below. To create the look in the image below, you would need to bake 2 or 3 sweet potatoes, depending on how many people you are serving, and cut them into individual portions, turn them over on their sides, sprinkle marshmallows on top, and bake for 5 minutes)

2011
04/27
CATEGORY
Dessert
Passover Recipes
Side Dishes
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Potato Croquettes

Ingredients

4 potatoes, boiled and then peeled

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chicken soup mix (or bullion) (this is Optional, but it adds a nice flavor)

1 big onion, minced

1 box fresh mushrooms, diced small (or 1 can mushrooms)

2 eggs, whisked

1 cup matzah meal crumbs (or breadcrumbs)

Optional filling additions:

ground meat, washed and fried in a few tbsp oil *Or*

a hard boiled egg cut up into small pieces (this is a traditional Moroccan filling) *Or*

1/2 cup chopped parsley & 2 cloves garlic

Continue reading →

2011
04/24
CATEGORY
Passover Recipes
Side Dishes
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Brown Sugar Curry Sweet Potatoes

caramelized goodness

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/3 cup karo syrup – i use the dark corn syrup (i suppose you can substitute with honey I’ve never tried though- I use karo because it creates that sticky, caramelized texture)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

. . .

Method

Turn your oven on to 350 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum and spray it well with PAM oil spray. Peel  a sweet potato and cut it into four pieces. Then cut into 1/2 inch slices.

In a bowl, mix brown sugar, curry powder, karo and salt until smooth. Taste test to see if you would like to add anything else 😛 Place the potatoes in the bowl and coat well with the help of a spoon. Lay the potatoes evenly in one layer onto the greased pan. Place under the broiler for about 6 to 7 minutes or as long as needed, rotating the pan if necessary. Sweet potatoes should be sticky, caramelized and a bit golden when you take them out. While the pan is hot you should remove the potatoes and serve. If potatoes are sticking to pan put back in the oven (not the broiler) for 3 minutes to un-stick 🙂 This side dish is almost like candy.. just amazing. Enjoy!!

Notes:

In another batch I added a tablespoon of agave nectar and some raisins.

a variation, with agave nectar and raisins

The variations are endless, I just love this side dish so much because i get to eat candied food on my dinner plate!! It’s especially awesome with my sweet/salty obsession. I got the salty from the curried quinoa and the ginger cayenne chicken and the sweet from these potatoes :} perfectionn *And I gotta thank my friend Mikey for his wonderful idea of mixing curry with brown sugar!! 😀

dinner time

2011
03/29
CATEGORY
Side Dishes
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