Side Dishes
Pommes de terre -- the Fruit of the Earth -- has become the latest avoidance craze. Yes, they have starch and, yes, they have calories, however, they also have vitamins and minerals in abundance and are cheaper than pills and shakes. Everything in moderation is still the key to maintaining a healthy diet and potatoes in moderation are no exception.
What we flavor our potatoes with is a key in maintaining a healthy diet. French fries are soaked in oil, and all the vitamins and minerals are leeched out. Boiled potatoes also lose the majority of their nutritional value. Steaming is still the best route to take to keep many nutritional elements in place.
During the summer months, we throw caution to the wind and create side dishes to please family and friends and diets can start another day. Potato salad, potato pie, and other equally starchy sides adorn our
menues, ready for family and friends to partake of, relax, and enjoy the day.
Here are a couple of suggestions for your summer side dishes. This summer, view the weekends as a time to relax, enjoy, and eat heartily, let the winter brings diets and reality. Bon Appetit
Rosemary Potato Pie
Serves 14
This is a crowd pleaser and a wonderful side dish to any barbecue or big event.
3 sheets Puff Pastry
8 red bliss potatoes
12 eggs
1 quart (1 liter) heavy cream
1-1/2 cups (3 dl) parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Fresly chopped rosemary
Stretch puff pastry gently over three cookie sheets and poke holes in the pastry with a fork. Beat eggs with cream, parmesan, and salt. Slice potatoes thinly and layer on top of puff pastry. Pour enough egg mix over potatoes to cover. Sprinkle pepper and rosemary over the top to taste. Bake in oven at 500° F (260° C) oven until browned.
Potato Salad Dressing
Serves 10 - 15
This makes a lot of dressing, so you might want to cut the recipe to half of the amounts given.
2 green peppers, diced
2 red onions, diced
2 yellow onions, diced
1/2 pound bacon, cooked, diced
1 dozen boiled eggs, diced
1/4 cup (½ dl) sweet relish
5 tabasco peppers, diced
1/8 Cup (¼ dl) rice vinegar
1/8 Cup (¼ dl) sugar
3 quarts (3 liters) mayonnaise
1 quart (1 liter) sour cream
¼ Cup (½ dl) mustard
Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend well to incorporate all flavors. Adjust seasonings as necessary, place in gallon containers, and refrigerate until needed.
YOUTH
Even when I was a kid, exotic foods held a particular interest for me, half because they were different and half because they were next to impossible to find. The old saying, "you always want what you cannot have" turned into "you always want what you cannot find". Some of my earliest cookbooks have recipes for turtle, alligator, black bear, antelope, buffalo, etc. And, before I upset any animal activists out there, I am not a hunter by any means, but if it is available at the market, I will try it at least once.
Back in the early 80's in South Carolina, alligator was an exotic food to me. It had to be specially ordered, was really expensive (that made it exotic, right?), and was just different enough for a teenager to try to experiment with. I even entered into a seafood contest later on with an alligator recipe and took second place. Here are some things I found out about alligator.
Alligator comes chopped up and various sized pieces. The tail meat has to be sliced into strips or cubes. If you slice it in strips and marinate it for a day or so, the tough fibers break down and it won't be as tough when you cook it. With the cubes, they have to be cooked a long time so the heat can break down the tough fibers. The first time I tried alligator, it was fried and really tough. So, I marinated it, grilled it for just a few minutes on each side, and it literally melted in my mouth.
Now, this is probably not the Cajun way to cook alligator, so I apologize in advance to any and all who might get offended. However, these recipes do work for a South Carolina native who enjoys working with "exotic" foods. Bon Appetit and Happy Mardi Gras
Alligator Creole
Serves 4
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped coarse
1-½ Cups (3 dl) chopped celery
1 lb tomatoes, chopped
1/3 Cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaves
1 whole cloves
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1-½ lbs alligator meat, cubed
Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large non-reactive skillet. Add the pepper, onion, and celery. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the wine, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the bay leaves, cloves, red pepper flakes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir well to blend flavors. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the alligator, stir well, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and cloves and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately over steamed rice.
Sautéed Alligator
Serves 4
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, diced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1-½ lb alligator meat, cubed
½ Cup (1 dl) white wine
Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to turn golden. Add pepper flakes and alligator meat, increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring frequently, until meat turns opaque and is cooked through 12-15 minutes. Transfer meat to a warm platter or serving dish and keep warm. Add the wine to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the wine by two-thirds, season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over the alligator. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Shrimp
Richard M. Lipton
Shrimp are fun to play with and laugh at, particularly because of their name. They come in many sizes which in and of itself is funny. Jumbo Shrimp is a contradiction in terms. Medium shrimp? Medium between what, exactly? Tiny shrimp, an obvious redundancy in terms. Aren't shrimp by definition small? Jumbo shrimp must be big AND small, while medium shrimp must be halfway between small and jumbo small? It can be confusing since the English language seems to be one of the hardest to learn because we have more slang terms than most other languages and our words have so many double meanings.
Shrimp is the only seafood my wife will eat. Fortunately, it is one of the most abundant seafood's and seems to be available in any size. Shrimp can be prepared in a number of ways. They can be skewered, grilled, baked, broiled, smoked, blackened, made into soups, and much more. My new friends at Pujo Street Cafe have a Shrimp Bisque that is out of this world. They also make weekly specials from whatever seafood is in season and I have the privilege of putting in my "two cents worth" to boot.
Enjoy the following Shrimp Bisque and be rest assured that whatever comes out of the kitchen has many years of experience behind it. Enjoy these shrimp recipes (wink wink) small in stature but big in taste, and Bon Appetit.
Shrimp Bisque
Serves 2
10 raw jumbo shrimp, unpeeled
½ Cup (1 dl) clam juice
¼ Cup (½ dl) butter
1 Cup (2 dl) parsley, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ Cup (½ dl) cognac
1-¾ Cup (2-½ dl) heavy cream
10 pink peppercorns
8 tarragon leaves
Pinch cayenne pepper
12 snow peas, julienne
Peel and devein shrimp; reserve shells. Halve shrimp lengthwise; cover and refrigerate. Chop shells finely with juice in processor. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add parsley, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic, and saute 8 minutes. Add shell mixture and cook 3 minutes more. Add Cognac and stir 1 minute. Add cream, peppercorns, and tarragon and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until soup is reduced to sauce consistency, 10 minutes. Season with pepper and cayenne. Strain through fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract excess liquid. Preheat oven to 275 ° F (140° C). Butter 2 deep oven-proof soup bowls. Divide shrimp and half of snow peas into bowls. Simmer soup and pour into bowls. Bake until shrimp are opaque, 3 minutes. Scatter remaining snow peas over the top and serve immediately.
Shrimp Fritters
Serves 8
2 cups (4 dl) flour
1-1/2 Cups (3 dl) shallots, chopped
3 Tbsp parsley chopped
2 Tbsp chives, chopped
1 Tbsp serrano chili, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp baking soda
1 Cup (2 dl) milk
5 oz (150 g) shrimp, peeled, chopped
Vegetable oil
Lemon and lime wedges
Combine first nine ingredients in bowl. Add milk and stir until mixture is smooth and sticky. Stir in shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet, half way up the pan, over medium high heat. Scoop batter by teaspoon and push off spoon into oil. Fry until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to paper towel lined platter to drain. Serve with lemon and lime wedges or sauce of choice.
Shrimp, Avocado, and Corn Salad
Serves 4
1 lb shrimp, peel, cook, chill
1-½ Cups corn kernels
1 Cup avocado, peeled, cubed
½ Cup (1 dl) green onion, chopped
¼ Cup (½ dl) mayonnaise
¼ Cup (½ dl) sour cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
Boston Bibb Lettuce
Lemon wedges
Combine shrimp, corn, avocadoes, and onions in a bowl. Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper to taste in another bowl. Add dressing to shrimp mixture and refrigerate about 30 minutes. Julienne cut Boston Bibb or lettuce of choice and divide between 4 plates. Divide shrimp mixture between the plates, garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.
Vegetable Bonanza
Sous Chef Richard M. Lipton
Spring has sprung and the sunny/rainy days are here. Along with these fast and furious weather changes comes the season to grow fresh herbs, spices, and vegetables. Green ones, red ones, yellow ones, purple ones, white ones, etc. pop up more abundantly now, we hope, in the supermarkets or backyard gardens to share with family and friends at the dinner tables.
Who says green vegetables have to taste like green vegetables? Who says yellow squash can't be mixed with herbs and spices to create a totally new taste sensation? Mix and match your vegetables to create your own blend of tastes and colors. Make the dinner table your "canvas" and "paint" upon it with foods of all shapes and colors to create the masterpiece we call dinner. Make the dinner table the subject of discussion at work the next day with what was prepared the night before.
Even better, bring leftovers and tantalize your co-workers with the smells of something new. Make them search out the aroma lofting through cubicles tempting them with ideas of their own for the evening meal. Whatever the course or direction you want to take with your vegetables, don't limit yourself to what you think works. Experiment and find out what you KNOW works and then present that to the group coming to dine with you. Enjoy these suggestions for your next vegetable extravaganza and bon appetit
Cauliflower Risotto with Saffron
Serves 8
3 quarts (3 liters) chicken stock
1 stick unsalted butter (½ Cup / 1 dl)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb arborio rice (Risotto rice)
½ tsp saffron threads
4 Cups (8 dl) cauliflower florets
¾ Cup (1-½ dl) grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
In a stockpot, bring the stock to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to medium and maintain a simmer. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir well to coat. Sprinkle in the saffron threads and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Bring the stock back to a boil. Increase heat under the rice to medium-high and ladle in 2 cups (4 dl) of the stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until most of the stock has been absorbed, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower. When all the stock has been absorbed, add in another cup (2 dl) of boiling stock, stirring until the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock, stirring constantly, 1 cup (2 dl) at a time, until the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes total. Stir in the remaining butter along with the cheese into the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Broccoli Pancakes with Cheese Sauce
Serves 12
2 bunches broccoli
1 lb onions, minced
8 cloves garlic, crushed
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp minced parsley
1-½ Cups (5 dl) flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 quart (ca. 1 liter)vegetable oil
Cheese sauce of choice
Trim broccoli, discarding tough stems. Cut off florets; cut tender stems into 1/2-inch pieces. Steam or boil the broccoli florets and stem pieces until tender, about 10 minutes. Shock in cold water. Drain well. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onions, garlic, and eggs. Add seasonings, mixing well. Combine flour and baking powder. Add to broccoli mixture and mix well. Batter should be thick, not runny.
Heat oil until hot but not smoking. With small scoop dipped in hot oil, fry until crisp and golden, 5-10 minutes. Serve on top of heated cheese sauce of your choice.
Stir-fried Cabbage with Crabmeat
Serves 6
6 hearts cabbage, in quarters
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp scallions, minced
1-1/2 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 lb lump crab meat, picked through
2 Tbsp rice wine
½ Cup (1 dl) chicken broth with pinch of ginger
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
Heat 1 gallon (4 quarts / 4 liters) water to boiling. Add cabbage and cook until tender, 3-1/2 minutes. Drain, place under cold, running water, and drain again. Mix last 4 ingredients together.
Heat a wok or stir-fry pan until very hot. Add olive oil and heat until smoking. Add scallions and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add crabmeat and rice wine; cook over high heat for 15 seconds, then add sauce. Stir continuously over high heat until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add cabbage hearts, toss lightly to coat, and cook until heated through, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve
EclecticCooking.com 
Home
