This side dish was the result of trying something with kale and it backfiring rather spectacularly. I had planned a rice side to go with an aromatic Vietnamese pork dish, thinking that dehydrated kale would make a good rice garnish. I was wrong … really, really wrong. So instead, I threw in some sweet Thai chili and turmeric … which worked together exceptionally well!
With summer well and truly upon us, it’s time to look at another interesting side dish for al fresco cooking and dining. We’d had delicious mac ‘n’ cheese a few times in the USA, so my wife tried to replicate it at home. She excelled herself (as usual), this classic crispy mac ‘n’ cheese beats any we had on t’other side of pond.
A great macaroni cheese, or mac ‘n’ cheese, is something we’ve been wanting to make for some time. There are some inspired recipes out there, we drew on some of those and added some of our own ideas into the mix. The result was an awesome butternut squash macaroni cheese.
It was a late, cold, snowy night when I last returned from Switzerland. On the way home I went to our local fish and chip shop and whilst waiting, talked with the owner about their amazing chips. He revealed that they used Ramos potatoes and sold me half a bag to try out … they made the most amazing home cooked chips and potato wedges we’ve had.
Cold winter evenings demand meals to warm both body and soul. This scrumptious side dish of smokey chipotle beans does just that, and is perfect to accompany a range of main courses. Or served with a baked potato cooked in an open fire.
One of the first blog posts I wrote was “Cooking a Life Less Ordinary” … when meals get mundane, mix it up. This is precisely how today’s dish came about. We had some potatoes left over and I wanted to cook a side dish with a bit of spice to it. Aloo Jeera was the perfect answer.
Make a really tasty and simple side dish at home with this easy recipe.
Continue reading “Aloo Jeera – Potato with Cumin Seeds”
We had this as a side dish last week with Dizzy Pig Peking duck breast. After posting about that meal, I had a couple of requests for the risotto recipe … happy to oblige! This is really tasty, and goes well as part of a main course or a dish in its own right.
Continue reading “Mushroom and Truffle Risotto”
Another simple yet effective side dish. Enhance your everyday potato wedges by cooking them with freshly cut rosemary along with rapeseed and truffle oils. The oil flavour combination subtly blends with the aromatics from the rosemary to create a stand-out side dish.
Continue reading “Potato Wedges with Truffle Oil and Rosemary”
In an effort to make side dishes more interesting, and inspired by seeing a chef sautéing potatoes to go with pork chops, we came up with sautéed potatoes with red pepper and chorizo. A simple, effective and very tasty side that works well with a variety of mains … and breakfast.
Continue reading “Sautéed Potatoes with Red Pepper and Chorizo”
A recent restaurant experience demonstrated that true curry is so much more than a cliché of unbearably hot and heavy sauces. Indian food was revealed to be a wonderful, varied and delicious cuisine to experience.
My wife and I decided to explore this at home. To begin with, a simple, healthy and very tasty vegetarian curry.
Continue reading“Sweet Potato and Aubergine Curry” Continue reading “Sweet Potato and Aubergine Curry”
I watched Jamie Oliver’s “American Road Trip” a couple of weeks ago. One recipe that stood out was when he cooked baked beans cowboy-style whilst camping in the great outdoors. Looked great with strips of steak seared on a cast iron pan over a campfire.
So we decided to made our own version at home … very simple and definitely several notches above your standard tin of baked beans.
Continue reading“Smokey Bourbon Baked Beans” Continue reading “Smokey Bourbon Baked Beans”
Side dishes are often overlooked, with focus given to the main event. Yet they can be fantastic in their own right, a true co-star instead of a supporting cast member.
Black bean coconut rice is just such a dish. It’s a superb companion for meals with a bit of a kick.
Continue reading“Black Bean Coconut Rice” Continue reading “Black Bean Coconut Rice”
The Cook's Digest 