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CookTeaser

“Photos, Recipes & CookTales For Those Who Enjoy Cooking”

Category Archives: Side Dishes

September 5, 2011 Insalata Caprese


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

With Fall lurking, this is the perfect way to keep the memory of Summer alive.
Simply, the Heirloom Tomato is combined with fresh Basil leaves and Mozzarella. One caution, do nothing to the Tomato until serving time except to slice it and place the slices on a paper towel to drain. Just before dinnertime add them to a platter, add Salt, the EVOO and the Basil leaves. By doing this, the serving plate will not not be saturated with Tomato water.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large ripe HeirloomTomato (thickly sliced)
Fresh Mozzarella
1 TB of EVOO
12 Basil Leaves
Kosher Salt

METHOD

1. Once the Tomato has properly drained, add the slices to a platter.
2. Top with  the Basil Leaves & the Mozzarella.
3. Just before serving time, add the Salt & the EVOO.
4. Seperate into two plates & serve.

September 1, 2011 Zucchini & Red Onion With Curry Butter & Shiso Leaves


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

To offset the richness of the Thai Diver Scallops in Coconut Sauce, a vegetable side dish was called for. At this time of Summer our counter is laden down with Zuchini and there’s always a supply of Red Onions on hand. To avoid simply another sauteed Zucchini dish, I opted for adding a Curry Butter mixture to the saute pan. As well, the garden yielded an herb crop of Japanese Mint, Shiso, it’s the garnish added to Sushi and Sashimi. And as the fresh tasting accompaniment I looked for, It worked!

INGREDIENTS

2 Small Zucchini (cut to a 1″ dice)
1 Medium Red Onion (thinly sliced)
2 TB of Butter + 1 TB of Mild Curry
Sea or Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 Cup of Shiso (optional) or Mint (in a chiffonade)+ a leaf for garnish
1TB of Chicken Broth (if necessary)

METHOD

1. In seperate bowls dice the Zucchini & slice the Red Onion.
2. In a small bowl Whip together the Butter, Mild Curry & Salt & Pepper
3. In another small bowl chiffonade the Shiso or Mint.
4. Heat a saute pan to medium & add the Butter/Curry. When the sizzling stops, add the sliced Red Onion & saute for a few minutes. Add the diced Zucchini & saute for another 5 minutes.
5. If the pan appears dry, add a dash of the Broth.
6. To complete the dish, fold in the chiffonade of Shiso or Mint.
7. Plate & garnish with a leaf.

August 29, 2011 Ratatouille


A CookTale

How often do you prepare Ratatouille? For me it’s rarely, but when I do I ask myself, “what’s taken you so long”?. The preparation is rather simple; there are four vegatables, Eggplant, Zucchini, Onion and Tomato. They all require individual sauteeing, but as a cook I always enjoy the effort. And the result is a most tasty accompaniment to Chicken and to meat. Below is Mark Bittman’s New York Times version.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 large or 2 medium eggplants
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium zucchini, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 medium tomatoes (or 3 cannedplum tomatoes, drained), roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley or basil leaves, for garnish.
Method
1. Trim the eggplant and cut it into 1-inch cubes. If the eggplant is large, soft or especially seedy, sprinkle the cubes with salt, put in a colander and let sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Rinse,drain and pat dry.
2. Put the oil in large skillet and turn heat to medium. Add the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and keep cooking until the tomatoes begin to break down, another few minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with the herb, and serve immediately, at room temperature, or chilled.

August 27, 2011 Cauliflower Oven Roasted To A Char


 

 

RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

To all who dislike Cauliflower, (including me), may I suggest roasting with EVOO and salt and pepper? It very well might change your mind. The trick is to roast it to a char, it changes the texture and the taste. To my taste buds, the heavily charred pieces had the remote taste of campfire-roasted Marshmallows. Tasting is believing.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Half a fresh Cauliflower cut into small florets
2 TB of EVOO
1 TB of Salt + 2 tsp of Pepper
A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Add the seasoned Cauliflower florets in one layer to a baking sheet.
3. Roast for about 45 minutes, carefully watching their progress.
4. When roasted to suit you, remove & allow to cool down a bit.
5. Plate & if desired add sprinkle of EVOO.

A

August 15, 2011 Zucchini With Basil, Mint & Honey


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

I found a wonderfully new way to prepare good old Zucchini. Google lists 15,700,000 recipes, this makes it 15,700,000 &1. It came from food 52’s website, it was easy and it was delicious. The trick is to heavily salt the Zucchini for 30 minutes, as you would Eggplant, to remove the water.
I then washed off the Salt and thoroughly dried them. The method below goes into more detail.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium Zucchini, ends trimmed
Kosher Salt
1 TB of EVOO
2 TB of Butter
A Splash of Lemon juice
1 tsp of Honey (a variety you like but nothing too strong)
10 small Basil Leaves
10 small Mint Leaves
Freshly ground Black Pepper

METHOD

1. Cut the Zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then crosswise into ½-inch cubes. Put them in a bowl, season generously with Salt and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash in cold Water to remove the Salt, then Drain and thoroughly dry.
2. Heat the EVOO & the Butter in a large sauté pan (large enough to fit the Zucchini in a single layer) over medium high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the Zucchini and let it brown. The trick to this recipe is controlling the heat so the Zucchini neither steams nor burn. You want it to brown the edges while leaving the centers crisp-tender. Stir only when needed.
3. As soon as the Zucchini is done, spoon it into a serving dish, leaving the oil in the pan behind. Sprinkle with a little Lemon Juice, & the honey. Sprinkle on the Basil & Mint leaves & grind some Pepper over the Zucchini.

MY Preferred Variation: you can make a Basil and Mint Pesto instead of using whole leaves. Combine 1/4 cup packed Basil leaves and 1/4 cup packed Mint leaves with a pinch of Salt in a small food processor. Turn on the machine & drizzle 3 TBs of EVOO through feed tube, until a loose sauce forms. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Once the Zucchini is cooked, use this Pesto to finish the dish.

August 12, 2011 Napa Cabbage, Shiitake Mushrooms & Black Sesame Seeds


 

 

RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

To accompany the main course of Black Cod with Miso, an Asian side dsh was called for. The fridge held a head of Napa Cabbage and a carton of fresh Shiitake Mushrooms from Wilbank Farm, that are available weekly at The Smokehouse of the Catskills. Putting together one of the tastiest of fish, and an equally tasty duo of vegetables proved to be a winning partnership.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Head (or more) Napa Cabbage
1-2 Cups of Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
2 TB of Peanut oil
1 Cup of Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
3 TB of Shao Xing (Chinese cooking sherry) or Dry Sherry
1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
1 TB of Cornstarch
3 TB of Water
1 TB of Sesame Seeds (black or White)

METHOD

1. Cut off the core of the Napa Cabbage head & peel off individual leaves (they shrink in volume to 1/2 of original). Wash the leaves thoroughly & chop into 2-inch pieces.

2. Only if necessary, clean sand & grit from the Shiitakes. Remove stems & slice thick.
3. Heat Peanut Oil in a large frying pan on high flame. When oil is hot, add Cabbage & sauté until wilted. Toss in the mushrooms & the broth.
4. When the broth begins to boil, reduce to simmer & partially cover until the Cabbage is completely cooked.
5. Mix the Cornstarch & Water together. Remove the lid & add the cornstarch mixture & the Sherry. Stir & let the sauce return to a boil. Serve hot.

August 10, 2011 Roasted Patty Pan Squash


RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

Our magical vegetable garden is producing a crop of White Patty Pans, each are at least 5 inches in diameter, and they resemble flying saucers. All that I’ve ever seen at Farmer Markets were yellow and no more than a few inches across. When roasted, the meat of the Squash turns to a custard. Absolutely a scrumptious and unexpected taste treat. Try to find Patty Pans as large as possible, I’m sure the result will be similar.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large Patty Pan Squash (cut horizontally half)
1 TB of EVOO for brushing
Kosher Salt & White Pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees
2. Place the Patty Pans on a baking sheet, brush with EVOO
& sprinkle on the Kosher Salt & White Pepper.
3. Roast for 30 minutes or until the Patty Pan’s shell has started to brown.
4. Remove & plate.

Note: With smaller Patty Pans simply slice the top off & proceed with the recipe.

August 9, 2011 Baby Lima Beans, Red Bell Pepper & Basil make a delicious Succotash


  
RECIPE
Serves 6

A CookTale

Corn in August is an plentiful as Zucchini.
After gnawing at dozens of ears, the time had come to concoct a variation. Corn, Baby Lima Beans, Red Bell Pepper and Jalapeno Pepper make for Succotash. (I wonder where that strange name came from). It was a successful amalgamation of Summer’s vegetables. The addition of a hefty chiffonade of Basil gave the flavor a zesty oomph.

INGREDIENTS

1 TB of Butter + 2 TB
1/2 Cup chopped Red Pepper
2 Cups of Corn off the Cob (three ears)
2 Cups Baby Lima Beans (frozen is fine)
1/4 Cup of Basil (in a chiffonade)
1 Small Jalapeno Pepper (diced)
1/4 Cup of Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt & BlackPepper

METHOD

1. In a deep sided saute pan, heat the 1 TB of Butter & cook the Red Pepper until tender about 1 minute.
2. Stir in the Corn, Lima Beans & Jalapeno Pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the 2 TB of Butter, the Basil & the 1/4 cup of Heavy Cream.
4. Gently toss and season to taste.

August 6, 2011 Parmesan Encrusted Green Beans


 

RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

Of the many Green Bean dishes, this is a standout. It looks as “good as it tastes and it’s a sure “crowd pleaser” (if you ever have to serve a crowd). I don’t remember how I stumbled on this recipe, after trying every conceivable combination, but it has become my fall back recipe.

INGREDIENTS

8 Ounces of fresh Green Beans
4 TB of freshly made Bread Crumbs
3 TB of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & fresh Pepper to taste
2 TB of Olive Oil

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat a pot of water to a boil. Parboil the Beans for 4 minutes.
Drain & blot dry.
3. Add the 2 TB of EVOO, the Parmesan Cheese & Bread Crumbs. Toss it all together.
3. Place in an oven proof dish & roast until it’s caramelized and slightly charred. About 15 minutes or to taste
4. Plate & serve.

August 4, 2011 Szechuan Eggplant


RECIPE Szechuan Eggplant
Serves 2
A CookTale

At the Saugerties Farmer’s Market, I scooped up seven Italian Eggplants (no more than 5 inches long). That was last Saturday, last evening I located them in the fridge and decided that they would be a fine side dish to the Teriyaki Salmon. The dish is slightly tricky, overcook it and it gets mushy. So watch it. The Szechuan sauce perks it up.

INGREDIENTS Szechuan Sauce

1 TB of dry Sherry
1 TB of minced peeled Ginger
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp dry crushed Red Pepper
1/4 Cup canned low sodium Chicken Broth
1 tsp of Cornstarch
1 TB Soy Sauce
1/2 TB of Asian Chili-Garlic Sauce
1 tsp of Sugar

METHOD

1. Mix Ginger, Garlic, Red Pepper, Soy Sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce & Sugar in a pan & warm to near boiling.
2. Combine Broth & Cornstarch in small bowl; stir to dissolve Cornstarch.
3. Stir the Cornstarch mixture into the Soy mixture. Stir until thickened.

RECIPE Szechuan Eggplant.

INGREDIENTS

7 Eggplants cut vertically in half.
1 TB of Peanut Oil

METHOD

1. Heat a wok & add the 1 TB of Peanut Oil.
2. When the Oil is rippling, add the Eggplant (they will spatter).
3. Gently toss to combine the Eggplant & Oil.
4. Stir fry for as long as it takes for the Eggplant to become tender & browned. No more than 10 minutes. Turn off the stove, allow to slightly cool before adding only enough Szechuan Sauce to coat the Eggplant. More can always be
added at serving time.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.