Category Archives: Sides

Classic Biscuits (January Daring Bakers’ Challenge)

January 27, 2012 – 2:34 pm

So it’s time to reveal this month’s Daring Baker’s Challenge! If you remember, back in November I shared this very challenging cake with you and explained a little bit about the Daring Bakers.

This month’s challenge was much more manageable and so easy and fun to make. Who doesn’t love a good biscuit? Or scone as they are referred to in other parts of the world. Sure, they only have a few ingredients and are relatively simple to make, but ask anyone who has failed at attempting to make biscuits and they will tell you that just a few too many kneads or not using the ingredients at the right temperature and you may end up with hard, unappetizing biscuits that resemble hockey pucks more than you would actually like to admit.

But with a few helpful tips and fresh ingredients, you can make light, tall and flakey biscuits in literally just a few minutes. Before you know it, you will be smearing a warm and tender biscuit with honey, butter or whatever your little heart desires.

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Tips for making successful biscuits:

Butter and milk must be cold because the chunks of butter are what result in a flakey biscuit (and we want flakey biscuits)
Dough must not be overworked or your scones will be hard hockey pucks
Make sure your ingredients are fresh and more specifically your baking powder. How to tell if baking powder is fresh? Add a 1/2 tsp of baking powder to warm water and it should bubble. What about baking soda? Add the same amount to some vinegar and again look for bubbles. No bubbles=time for new leavening agents!

Biscuits (aka Scones)

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: bake bread side snack

Ingredients (6-8 biscuits)

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients and place in medium bowl.

Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients using pastry blender or food processor until coarse meal forms.

Stir in milk until just combined. Dough will be wet and sticky.

Pour dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead to gather into a ball. Only knead 4-5 times or the biscuits will not be tender.

Pat dough into 3/4 inch tall rectangle and cut with cutter of your choice that has been rubbed with flour. Continue reforming and flattening dough to combine and cut remaining scraps, but again, handle as little as possible.

Place biscuits onto baking sheet and bake 8 minutes.

Enjoy warm.

Recipe Source: Audax Artifex

combine dry ingredients and sift together

cut in cold butter until looks like tiny peas (coarse meal)

mix in milk

pour dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead minimally

flatten out dough to about 3/4 thick and cut biscuits

bake

What would you like to slather onto one of these tender, flakey biscuits?

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Uncertain Thanksgiving

November 21, 2011 – 8:00 am

My Thanksgiving plans are somewhat up in the air right now due to the poor health of my grandfather. If grandpa stays with us a few more weeks, then it will be a celebration with the in-laws. However, if he is relieved from his suffering in the next few days, my husband and I will be heading home to be with my family under less than ideal circumstances. Since my holiday meal plans are uncertain, I would like to share some wonderful tips, ideas and recipes from some fabulous fellow bloggers and vendors.

Is it your first time making the turkey this year? I’m sure you want yours to look as gorgeous as perfectly golden bird from Simple Bites. The post that accompanies this mouthwatering photo will give you day-by-day, step-by-step instructions for roasting the perfect turkey and even how to make gravy.

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I love turkey but like many of you, I also go crazy for all of the wonderful sides! Do these Parmesan Mashed Potatoes that Lacey whipped up not make you drool? I would love the saltiness from that cheese and they just look so fluffy and light!

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Don’t forget the brussels sprouts! Are you a lover or do you need more convincing? If you are on the fence, this brussels sprouts dish from A Cozy Kitchen might convert you! Subtle sweetness from maple sugar and slight tang from balsamic vinegar. Yes please.

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Naturally Marla over at Family Fresh Cooking has got us covered for a healthier way to enjoy our sweet potatoes. In this recipe, she incorporates coconut milk, cinnamon and maple syrup and suggests creative toppings for your mashed sweet potatoes such as coconut flakes, dried figs and nuts. You know I love to use recipes simply as guides and them make them my own, and Marla allows you to adapt this recipe using the ingredients that you prefer.

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No we have got to add a little salt to our sweet and one of my favorite salty sides is stuffing! I don’t want sausage. I don’t want oysters. I want it straight up traditional just the way that Michelle that Brown Eyed Baker does it. Her Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe has all you need: bread, onions, sage and parsley. What can I say? I guess I am a traditionalist when it comes to stuffing!

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And finally, you know what my top priority is: dessert. Cheesecake is a dessert that I would choose last in most cases. There is one exception the I know of and that is this Marshmallow-Sour Cream Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust found on Epicurious. I had it for the first time when I was in Guatemala on a mission trip over Thanksgiving week and it was love at first bite. The gingersnap crust is enough to make me swoon and the cheesecake itself is lighter than most traditional cheesecakes which is why I believe it is the exception to my lack of enthusiasm about cheesecakes.

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Then there is this Caramel Apple Pie that I made last year for Thanksgiving. You incorporate some of the caramel into the the apple filling and then also drizzle the remaining caramel over each piece as you serve it. It takes a little more effort than your average apple pie, but the results are so worth it.

(source: Williams-Sonoma)

There will inevitably be some Pumpkin Cookies lying around the house for post-food coma snacking.

And if you are looking for an easy fall cocktail to serve make some ginger simple syrup and combine it with some apple vodka and ginger ale for a festive and easy to sip on drink.

I wish you all safe travels and quality time with friends and family over this next week. I am thankful for your readership and support.

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Tags Apples, caramel, Pie, pie crust, Pumpkin | Comments (4)

Spaghetti squash, what to do with leftover herbs and win a trip to Greece!

November 1, 2011 – 8:00 am

There is nothing that adds flavors and depth to a dish quite like fresh herbs. I love to buy bunches of basil and cilantro at the farmers’ market during the summers, but during the winter fresh herbs are a little more of an expense and luxury. It kills me to spend money on a bunch of fresh chives or parsley and then only use a small portion for garnish or to add some freshness to a dish. Again, the flavor is worth it, but it just breaks my heart when I can’t think of what to do with the rest of the bunch of herbs and it goes to waste! Am I alone on this one? Anyway, last summer, I had this dilemma and my mom suggested that I throw all of these unused misfit herbs into the Vitamix, add some garlic and olive oil, form them into balls and freeze them for later use. I am so excited that I took her advice because I at way too much Halloween candy and need a healthy dinner! I have a spaghetti squash in the oven right now and I can hardly wait to throw one of the herb balls from my freezer into a sautée pan and pour the freshness of summer over my beautiful fall squash!

Purée herbs, garlic and olive oil

Divide herb mixture, form into balls and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet

Once frozen, place herb balls into a freezer bag and store

To use, remove ball from freezer, place into small saucepan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and warm

For my spaghetti squash, I pierced the squash several times with a knife and baked at 350° for 1 hour. Then I cooled the squash for 15 minuets, cut it in half and removed the seeds. I removed the flesh and added it to my saucepan to combine it with the herb mixture. Topped off with parmesan cheese and served with some sautéed kale, you have a healthy and satisfying meal!

“As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway“

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Tags cheese, Garlic, squash | Comments (4)

Green with envy Salsa

August 25, 2011 – 8:00 am

I was a little green yesterday. With envy, not with a tummy ache don’t worry. I was talking with a friend who was raving about all of the wonderful produce that her garden has produced this summer and how she has so much she doesn’t know what to do with it. Boy, that’s a tough problem to have, isn’t it? I live in a condo in the city with no outdoor space for a garden, but I can’t wait to someday have tomatoes and herbs growing out of my ears! I think it must be such a wonderful sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to go out to your garden and pick the ingredients for your meals, come inside and wash them and just enjoy the clean, organic splendor of your own produce. Someday sweet teeth, someday.

As for now, I love to support our local farmers’ markets. Last week my mom and I bought all of the ingredients for salsa and spent a few hours of fun in the kitchen. Again, I love that canning gives you the ability to capture the flavors of a season and enjoy them all year long. Do you ever get attached to your ingredients or final products as you are baking or cooking? For example, my imagination went wild while I was treating each tomato for the salsa with care. In my mind, first, my tomatoes got to enjoy a few minutes in the hot tub (blanching them in hot water), then they were submerged in a refreshing pool (ice bath), then I gave their skin a peel (literally peeling the skin off) and massaged the little babies (crushed them with my hands to break them up). I hope my tomatoes enjoyed their day at my spa and I think I have officially divulged way to much information about myself to you!!!

Canned Salsa

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: snack side vegetarian vegan vegetables

Ingredients (6-7 quarts or 12 pints)

13 pounds tomatoes
3 large onions, diced
6 green peppers, diced
5 jalepeños, diced
10 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 4 limes
2 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
Special Equipment: canner, jars, lids, rings, candy thermometer

Instructions

Clean jars with hot water and boil lids before processing.

Fill large stock pot with water and heat to a boil. Place tomatoes into water and blanch until skins begin to split. Remove tomatoes and place into ice bath. Peel, core and remove any blemishes from blanched tomatoes, then crush tomatoes by hand into large pot that salsa will be cooked in.

Add all other ingredients to pot with tomatoes and stir. Place candy thermometer into mixture and heat on medium until temperature reaches 180º. Once mixture reaches 180°, simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir and cook another 10 minutes.

Turn off heat and pour salsa into prepared quart or pint jars. Seal with boiled lids and rings and process in boiling water for 15 minutes.

blanch tomatoes in boiling water until skins split

place blanched tomatoes into ice bath

peel, core and remove blemishes from tomatoes

dice and mince other vegetables

place all ingredients into large pot

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Tags Mexican, Salsa, Tomatoes | Comment (1)

Have you met my friend?

June 28, 2011 – 8:00 am

This is my friend kale. Have you met? If not, may I propose an introduction?

Pleased to meet you

Kale and I were introduced at my friend Emily’s pre-Thanksgiving party. Emily and her fiancé host this party every year and, it is just what it sounds like. Friends gather about a week before the actual holiday and each bring a Thanksgiving dish to share. Since many of us are with family for the holidays, it is a nice way to make time to give thanks for the friendships in our lives. Last year was the first year I have been able to attend the party and the dish that I could not stop eating was one that Emily made. The dish was flavorful, tender and healthy sautéed kale. Even my husband couldn’t get enough of the green stuff (that’s how good it was). I told her that I had to have the recipe and she insisted that it was very simple to make and hardly a recipe at all. She taught me how to prepare it and now sautéed kale with a little garlic, red chili flakes and sea salt is one of our favorite go-to side dishes at my home. I am very thankful for Emily’s friendship and for all of her wonderful ideas and recipes.

Sauteed Kale

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: saute side vegan vegetarian

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 bunch kale (I like the Lacinato variety)
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 tsp red chili flakes

Instructions

Remove ribs from kale leaves and cut or tear kale into medium-sized pieces

Heat olive oil in medium/large sautée pan over medium heat and add garlic

Sautée garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute

Add kale and sprinkle with salt and chili flakes

Cook about 6 minutes or until kale is tender and bright green

Remove ribs from kale

Use a large pan, but the kale will shrink significantly as it cooks

See how much volume it looses at it cooks??

Another one of my last minute sides this time of year is cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegar reduction. Also very simple to make with few ingredients needed, yet a very flavorful accompaniment.

Blistered Tomatoes with Balsamic Reduction

by Mercedes Porter

Keywords: saute side vegetarian vegetables

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp basil, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Heat olive oil in small sautée pan over medium heat

Add tomatoes, garlic, basil and salt and cook about 2 minutes

Add balsamic vinegar, allow vinegar to come to boil then reduce and simmer about 6 minutes until tomatoes are blistered (skin is split open) and vinegar has reduced and thickened