Salad & Side Dishes Archives - Foodie With Family

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Rebecca — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 22:30:52 +0000

This savoury, spicy sweet potato mash will bring excitement to any meal. Whether you serve it with pork, chicken, on tacos or rice bowls, or just as a snack, you’ll be thrilled!

I’m so pleased to bring this versatile, crowd pleaser of an easy side dish. Mashed spicy roasted sweet potatoes get a little burst of life from fresh lime juice and cilantro or parsley.

Of all the delicious ways to make sweet potatoes, this might just be my favourite way to prepare them. It’s easy, to be sure, but the payoff is huge.

I sometimes make a double batch of our spicy sweet potatoes. Served alongside roasted or grilled chicken or pork chops one night, on a rice bowl with black beans and carnitas another night, and on tacos a third night, you get serious bang for your buck with just a little work.

How to Choose Sweet Potatoes at the Grocery Store

Shopping Tips: Look for clean, firm sweet potatoes with a smooth skin and no cuts, bruises, or discolouration. Some sweet potatoes may have one end that is a little tough. That can be cut away after roasting.

Storage: Contrary to popular practice, storing potatoes under the sink is a bad idea. This is because you want to avoid frequent changes in temperature, and the pipes that carry hot water change temperature frequently.

The best bet is a cool (about 43°F to 50°F), well-ventilated, dark place (a basement or root cellar) in a perforated plastic bag or in a paper bag.
Do not be tempted to refrigerate uncooked sweet potatoes, as refrigeration converts the starch in potatoes to sugar, which causes an odd, sweet taste and discolouration.

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes
Neutral Oil
Kosher Salt
Canned Chipotles in Adobo
Fresh Lime
Fresh Cilantro or Parsley

Equipment:

Oven or Toaster Oven
Rimmed Half Sheet Pan
Fork
Potato Masher

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle

Pro tip: There is no better way to cook sweet potatoes than to roast them. No need to wrestle with a large pot of boiling water or cutting your sweet potato into wedges or cubes.

Simply keep the sweet potato skins intact, jab them all over with a fork to allow moisture to escape, rub with vegetable, sunflower, or refined coconut oil, then rub with kosher salt, and roast until beyond fork tender. I do not recommend using avocado oil, extra virgin coconut oil, or extra virgin olive oil because the smoke point is too low.

Many sweet potato recipes call for cubing the potatoes and boiling them, but you lose a lot of flavour and nutrients doing that. The cooking time is almost identical whether you roast or boil them, and the high temp roasting concentrates the intense sweetness of the sweet potatoes.

In fact, there’s no need for maple syrup or brown sugar in these spicy sweet potatoes; they have plenty of natural sweetness all on their own.

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Don’t run away screaming if you’re afraid of heat, you have options! These chipotle sweet potatoes can be as subtle or bold as your personal preferences allow by the simple expedient of adjusting the quantity of chipotles in adobo that you use.

If you’re a tender tongued heat novice, stick with one chili and consider removing the seeds before you mash it. If you’re a fire-breathing madman or madwoman, please feel free to add as many chipotles in adobo as you like! You could even go a step further and add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper if you’re a professional chili head.

If you have leftover chipotles in adobo, you can separate the peppers and sauce into ice cube tray sections, freeze ’til solid, then transfer to airtight containers or zipper top freezer bags for future use. You’ll want them for your next batch of spicy sweet potatoes.

Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Wash and dry your sweet potatoes, jab each potato all over with a fork, then rub with them with the oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast for 30 minutes in the hot oven, or until they are very soft and there are caramelized juices escaping from the potatoes.

Let them cool for a few minutes until they are just comfortable to handle. Smash the desired number of chipotles in adobo with the adobo sauce in a large bowl.

Scoop the sweet potatoes into the bowl over the chipotles, add the reserved ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, the juice of the half lime, and mash to your desired consistency. Taste the spicy sweet potatoes and adjust the salt and spice level if desired.

Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Mashed Spicy Sweet Potatoes

This savoury, spicy sweet potato mash will bring excitement to any meal. Whether you serve it with roast pork, chicken, on tacos or rice bowls, or just as a snack, you’ll be thrilled!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword mashed spicy sweet potatoes, roasted mashed sweet potatoes, spicy mashed sweet potatoes, spicy sweet potatoes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 104kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

sheet pan
fork
Potato Masher
oven

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon canola sunflower, grapeseed, vegetable or coconut oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1-3 chipotles in adobo depending on heat preference, plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce
½ of a lime juiced
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Wash and dry your sweet potatoes, jab each potato all over with a fork, then rub with them with the oil and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Roast for 30 minutes, or until they are very soft and there are caramelized juices escaping from the potatoes.
Let them cool just until they are comfortable to handle. Smash the desired number of chipotles in adobo with the adobo sauce in a heat-safe mixing bowl.
Scoop the sweet potatoes into the bowl over the chipotles, add the reserved ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, the juice of the half lime, and mash to your desired consistency. Taste the spicy sweet potatoes and adjust the salt and spice level if desired.
Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

Nutrition

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Rebecca — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 22:08:00 +0000

Get ready to dig into a baking dish filled with piping hot, irresistibly golden crusted, super creamy Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes. This make-ahead perfect side dish combines everything you love about creamy mashed potatoes, baked and twice baked potatoes; grated cheese, sour cream, crispy bacon, fresh herbs, and a whisper thin crispy crust at the edges.

The only thing better than the taste of Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes casserole is its convenience. You can make it up to three days ahead of time and reheat before serving or you can make it, wrap it tightly, and freeze it for up to a month.

Between the ease of preparation, the convenience of making it ahead of time, and the creamy texture mixed with next level deliciousness, this indulgent take on the classic side dish twice baked potato is about to become your new holiday meal favourite.

Break out this easy dish for dinner parties and any holiday table like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner where it just might supplant your usual mashed potatoes recipe. But don’t just confine it to special occasions; Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes are the perfect potato recipe for any time of year.

Mashed Potato Bake

Before we get into the details of how to make this perfect dish, let’s go over the simple ingredients and equipment needed for it.

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole Ingredients

Yukon Gold Potatoes (or other waxy gold, white or red potatoes)
Salted or Unsalted Butter (according to your preference)
Cream Cheese
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, colby, Parmesan cheese
Bacon
Fresh Herbs (fresh chives, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, or a mixture of them. Green onions can also be used.)
Nutmeg (preferably fresh)
Salt and Pepper

Twice Baked Potato Casserole Equipment

Chef’s Knife
Paring Knife or Vegetable Peeler
Potato Masher
Stock pot or Other Large Pot
Colander
9-inch by 13-inch baking dish
Cheese grater (or buy pre-grated cheese)

Baked Potato Casserole

Any potato lover knows that Russet potatoes make the best baked potatoes. But when it comes to mashed potatoes, waxy potatoes like gold, white, and red spuds are king.

For my money, Yukon gold potatoes are the potatoes to choose for the most creamy potatoes of all time. With their medium range starch content, they consistently deliver a thick, creamy mashed potato that my beloved Russet just cannot get near even in its potato dreams.

You may have noticed a lack of milk or heavy cream in this recipe and that is by design. With the amount of butter, cream cheese, and sour cream (not to mention grated cheese!) added to our recipe, there’s no need for additional cream or milk.

If you want to get technical, there’s a ton of cream in there anyway between the butter, sour cream, and cream cheese. Our Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes are ultra creamy without any added cream!

When it comes to cheese, the choice is up to you! I prefer to do a mixture of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses, but I’ve also used Parmesan and colby jack, too, with great results.

I’m keen on adding a combination of parsley, chives, and thyme to my Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, but you can chance this up according to what’s available and what you love best. It’s delicious made with green onions, too.

May we have a word or two about nutmeg? Fresh nutmeg is the only kind I use.

That may sound fussy, but I promise once you’ve tried fresh nutmeg, there’s no turning back. You can purchase whole nutmegs and then use a special grinder for them or just rasp the nutmeg over a microplane type zester/grater. This second option is how we work it at our house.

You may balk at buying a bag of whole nutmegs, but at under $10 for 4 ounces, you’re setting yourself up nicely! The whole nutmegs, when properly stored, will last indefinitely.

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly equal size pieces, about 2 inches. Place potatoes and garlic cloves to a large stockpot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and place over high heat.

Bring the potatoes and garlic to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes and garlic are soft and easily pierced with a butter knife, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Strain the cooked potatoes and garlic in a colander.

Place the pan on the warm burner without turning the heat back on. Cut the butter and cream cheese into small pieces.

Add the butter and cream cheese pieces to the pan, then return the hot, drained potatoes and garlic to the pan as well. Let the potatoes steam dry for about 5 minutes.

Use a potato masher to thoroughly mash potatoes until they reach your desired consistency. Mix in the sour cream, grated cheese, nutmeg, and all but 1 1/2 teaspoons each of the crumbled bacon bits and freshly chopped herbs.

Taste the mixture and adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly grease a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish and scrape the mashed potato mixture into it. Use a silicone spatula or serving spoon to swirl the potatoes so there are some peaks to crisp as it bakes.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown with slightly darker edges. Garnish with the reserved bacon and fresh herbs.

Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

Dig into a baking dish filled with irresistibly golden crusted, super creamy Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes. This make-ahead side dish combines everything you love about mashed potatoes, baked and twice baked potatoes; grated cheese, sour cream, crispy bacon, fresh herbs, and a whisper thin crispy crust at the edges. The only thing better than the taste of Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes is their convenience. You can make it up to three days ahead of time and reheat before serving or you can make it, wrap it tightly, and freeze it for up to a month.

Course Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword loaded baked potato casserole, loaded mashed potato casserole, twice baked mash potato casserole, twice baked mashed potatoes, twice baked potato casserole

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 655kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

chef's knife
Paring Knife or Vegetable Peeler
Potato Masher
Stock pot or Other Large Pot
colander
9-inch by 13-inch baking dish
Cheese grater (or buy pre-grated cheese)

Ingredients

5 lbs golden potatoes or white potatoes
6 cloves garlic peeled but left whole
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ pound butter or 16 tablespoons or 2 sticks
12 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese or monterey jack, colby, Parmesan, or combination of cheeses
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 pound bacon crisped, drained on paper towels, and roughly chopped
¼ cup minced fresh herbs divided (I use a combination of parsley, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly equal size pieces, about 2 inches. Add the potatoes and garlic cloves to a large stockpot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and place over high heat.
Bring the potatoes and garlic to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes and garlic are soft and easily pierced with a butter knife. Turn off the heat. Strain the mixture in a colander.
Place the pan on the warm burner without turning the heat back on. Add the butter and cream cheese to the pan, then return the hot, drained potatoes and garlic to the pan as well. Let the potatoes steam dry for about 5 minutes.
Use a potato masher to thoroughly mash the potatoes until they reach your desired consistency. Mix in the sour cream, grated cheese, nutmeg, and all but 1 1/2 teaspoons each of the crumbled bacon and freshly chopped herbs.
Taste the mixture and adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish and scrape the mashed potatoes into it. Use a silicone spatula or serving spoon to swirl the potatoes so there are some peaks to crisp as it bakes.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown with slightly darker edges. Garnish with the reserved bacon and fresh herbs.

Nutrition

Jellied Cranberry Sauce -Canned or Refrigerated

Rebecca — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 12:13:00 +0000

Delicious, nutritious homemade Jellied Cranberry Sauce with a hint of orange is just what your cranberry sauce lovers want at your Thanksgiving meal this holiday season! Tangy, sweet, and a holiday classic, your own cranberry sauce is the perfect complement to any roast you serve!

Serve this delightful homemade cranberry sauce right after it has been made and chilled, or you can can it to make it shelf-stable for longer storage. And it’s easy to make to boot!

My eldest son has -year after year- requested a giant Thanksgiving style feast on his birthday that falls about a week and a half before Thanksgiving. It’s his favourite meal of the year and he sees no reason to be confined to having it only once.

He also sees no problem with having the gigantic meal twice in one month. …And he knows what he likes.

Since he was able to serve himself at the table, the thing he has grabbed for first from the table is the bowl of cranberry sauce. According to him, it has to be smooth.

He and I both feel strongly about this. Even though Martha and legions of foodies present the beautiful relishes and whole berry sauces with the recognizable berries peeking out of it, I continue to hew the middle-America, smooth, quivering, ruby-red, can-shaped tube of sauce like the one I grew up eating.

My son loves this version the very best, too. Is my love for it nostalgia?

Perhaps, but it’s what I like. …And I know what I like.

(I do like some of the whole berry stuff, but it HAS to be like this homemade sweet and spicy one or all bets are off!)

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

But what I like very best of all is this homemade Jellied Cranberry Sauce. It has all the punch of fresh cranberries, less sugar, and a hint of orange juice all in a smooth, jelled package.

Wonder of wonders, you can whip this jellied cranberry sauce up with minimal prep time, easy to find ingredients, and very little hands-on time. This easy homemade cranberry sauce is a staple of the holiday table.

And I feel like I’m standing on pretty firm ground when I assert that Thanksgiving leftovers are one of the best parts of the season. Leftover turkey sandwiches made from rolls topped with roast turkey breast, leftover cranberry sauce, and a thin layer of pan fried stuffing with a ladle of gravy over the top is one of the best holiday meals in existence.

If you’re a fan of canned cranberry sauce and it’s classic slices, take heart! Homemade cranberry sauce can be umolded like it’s cousin-in-a-can by gently running a little hot water over the outside of the jar, running a flexible, thin spatula around the inside of the jar, and plopping it onto a plate or into a bowl. If you follow the instructions, it’ll be as firm as the commercially available canned stuff.

If you do not bring the sauce to 215ºF after adding the sugar, it may end up softer set. It is still marvelous either way.

Can I Can Homemade Cranberry Sauce?

We have fresh cranberry sauce at our Thanksgiving table without fail, but that’s not the only time we eat it. If you’re like us, you may be wondering if you can can homemade jellied cranberry sauce.

The short answer here is yes. I can homemade cranberry sauce every year.

EVERY YEAR. The great advantage to canning it is that you can store it on pantry shelves for up to a year!

Given that cranberries are usually on wicked sale this time of year, and that we eat it year ’round, it makes sense to make it in massive quantities and can it up. That way we have homemade classic cranberry sauce available year-round.

Do I have to can it?

The short answer is no. If you’re can-phobic, you can certainly pour it into jars or another airtight container, put the lids in place, and refrigerate it up to 10 days before serving.

While I’ve not tried freezing it, I imagine the taste would hold up beautifully in the freezer. Would the gel hold up? I couldn’t say.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Why make your own jellied cranberry sauce when the cans are so inexpensive at the store? Because it just plain tastes better!

Homemade jellied cranberry sauce has a better texture, more vibrant, fresher flavour than the stuff that you purchase and you control what goes into it. You can even add a little minced jalapeño if you like a kick to your homemade cranberry sauce or simmer a stick of cinnamon in it if you’d like to spice up your life or Thanksgiving dinner.

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

Fresh Whole Cranberries
Juice and Zest of an Orange
White Sugar
Optional: Minced Jalapeño Pepper or a Whole Cinnamon Stick

Equipment Needed to Make Cranberry Sauce

Liquid Measuring Cup
Microplane or Zester
Heavy Bottomed Saucepan or Stockpot
Long Handled Wooden Spoon
Fine Mesh Sieve
Immersion Blender or Potato Masher or Blender/Food Processor
Instant Read Thermometer or Cold Spoon (store a handful of spoons in the freezer.)

Are you looking for more cranberry goodies? Try out this jiggly and delicious Cranberry Ginger Finger Gelatin, Cranberry Eggnog Doughnut Bread Pudding, Cranberry Brussels Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette, and Simple Candied Cranberries + Cranberry Syrup.

You can also break up homemade jellied cranberry sauce with a fork until it is spreadable and use it between layers of cake or to stuff French toast.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, and orange zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. If you’re using a cinnamon stick or minced jalapeño peppers, add it here. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes while the cranberries pop open.

Use an immersion blender, potato masher, or a blender to carefully blend the mixture until it is mostly smooth. It does not need to be perfect, but the smoother the puree, the faster it’ll move through the sieve.

Pour into a fine-mesh sieve over a heat-proof bowl and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to press it through the sieve until all that remains is a paste of little twiggy bits and seeds from the cranberries and orange zest. Return the cranberry sauce to the pan.

Return the pan to medium high heat, add the sugar, and stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil until your cranberry mixture reaches between 215ºF and 217ºF.

Pour into sterile canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims, place new lids on the jars, and screw the rings into place until finger-tip tight.

Store in the refrigerator OR place the jars filled with hot cranberry sauce in a canner and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid from the canner and let the jars remain in the water for five minutes. Transfer the jars to a wire rack or towel to cool overnight, undisturbed. Wipe the jars down, label them, and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

If you do not have an instant read thermometer, you can test the doneness of the sauce by dipping a cold spoon into the simmering sauce and lifting it up. The cranberry sauce should gel against the spoon and hold a clean line when you draw your finger through it.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce {canned or refrigerated}

Delicious, nutritious homemade Jellied Cranberry Sauce with a hint of orange is just what cranberry sauce lovers want at the Thanksgiving table.

This delightfully simple recipe can be refrigerated or canned for shelf-stability and long term storage!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce with orange, fresh cranberry sauce, homemade canned jellied cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, how to make cranberry sauce, jellied cranberry sauce

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 193kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

1 liquid measuring cup
1 microplane or zester
1 heavy-bottomed stockpot
1 long handled wooden spoon
1 fine mesh sieve
1 instant read thermometer

Ingredients

9 cups fresh cranberries
4 cups sugar
The juice of one orange plus enough water to equal 3 1/2 cups
The zest of 1 orange

Instructions

Combine the cranberries, orange juice, water, and orange zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes while the cranberries pop open.
Use an immersion blender, potato masher, or a blender to carefully blend the mixture until it is mostly smooth. It does not need to be perfect, but the smoother the puree, the faster it’ll move through the sieve.
Pour into a fine-mesh sieve over a heat-proof bowl and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to press it through the sieve until all that remains is a paste of little twiggy bits and seeds from the cranberries and orange zest. Return the cranberry sauce to the pan.
Return the pan to medium high heat, add the sugar, and stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and boil until your cranberry mixture reaches between 215ºF and 217ºF.
Pour into sterile canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims, place new lids on the jars, and screw the rings into place until finger-tip tight.
Store in the refrigerator OR place the jars filled with hot cranberry sauce in a canner and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes, whether in a pint, pint and a half, or quart sized jar. Turn off the heat, remove the lid from the canner and let the jars remain in the water for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack or towel to cool overnight, undisturbed. Wipe the jars down, label them, and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Nutrition

Originally published November 2013, updated November 2020 with additional notes, and November 2022 with improved instructions.

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Shishito Peppers Air Fryer

Rebecca — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:04:00 +0000

If you’re looking for a great snack or the perfect appetizer, look no further than Shishito Peppers Air Fryer style. This super easy recipe for a tasty snack is made from simple ingredients and takes only 3 to 5 minutes of air frying.

Shishito Peppers

Have you tasted Shishito Peppers before? You may have seen them in the grocery store or in a CSA share and not known what to do with them. Or maybe you’ve seen them on a bar menu?

Perhaps you already love these fun little peppers but want to know how to cook them at home in your air fryer! Whichever one is you, welcome! We’ve got you covered.

Shishito peppers are small, vibrant green peppers with a wrinkly surface and thin skin. They cook in no time at all and are a great appetizer, side dish, or snack.

Shishito peppers -or Capiscum Annuum- originated in East Asia and are a popular accompaniment to beer there. They were popularized in Japan and Korea, where they are known as kkwari-gochu (or groundcherries) because its wrinkled surface resembles groundcherries.

Shishito Peppers Air Fryer style are undoubtedly an easy appetizer however you cook them, but it helps to know a little bit about what to expect when you bite into them. That is where the fun starts.

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

Here’s what you need to make Shishito Peppers Air Fryer Style. Please note the absence of an unwieldy cast iron pan or grill!

We’ve got, as usual, an equipment list and an ingredient list. You’ll find these lists VERY short today.

Equipment for Making Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

A Basket Style Air Fryer
Tongs or a spatula

Air Fryer Shishito Pepper Ingredients

Neutral oil like sunflower or canola oil
Fresh shishito peppers
Salt
Optional, but tasty: soy sauce, furikake, sesame seeds

Are Shishito Peppers Hot?

People sometimes suggest that eating shishito peppers is like the tame, non-lethal food version of Russian roulette. So are shishito peppers hot?

9 out of every 10 to 20 shishito peppers are pretty mild; ranging from about 50 Scoville Units for the mildest to 200 Scoville Heat Units for the spiciest shishito pepper. Considering that jalapeno peppers start at 2,500 and can range up to 10,000 SHU, that makes these a pretty chill chili pepper.

That 10th pepper has a little giddy-up-and-go to it. These Japanese peppers are in general known for their mild heat, though.

You cannot tell that 10th pepper is a doozy by looking at it; at least not that I’ve found. Don’t fret, though, it is just enough to make your tastebuds tingle and make you come back for more, but it most definitely is not a face-melting level of spice.

If you’re still worried, I’d like to assure you that even if you do get the 1 spicy pepper out of 10, the heat dissipates quickly! It might

So this sounds like a non-answer, but the answer is that most of the time shishito peppers are not hot. However, every so often they are.

Where Can I Buy Shishito Peppers?

Shishito peppers are basically a unicorn side dish. They’re a vegetarian and vegan appetizer that takes very little cooking time and packs a nutritional wallop, too.

Are you wondering where to buy the peppers for your shishito peppers air fryer style? If your local grocery store is a Wegmans, I can almost guarantee they’re in stock.

Whole Foods and Trader Joes are two other stores that often carry shishito peppers. Many moderately well stocked grocery stores and local farmers markets also sell them.

Shishito Pepper FAQ

9 out of 10 shishito peppers are quite mild like green bell peppers. The 10th one can be moderately spicy.
Shishito peppers are a popular bar food in Japan and are often served with beer.
Most shishito peppers are 3 to 4 inches in length, thin walled, and a little wrinkly.
Despite being wrinkly, a fresh shishito should still be firm, shiny, and unblemished. If it is slimy or soft, it is bad.
The greener the cap and stem of the shishito pepper are, the fresher the pepper is.
The bulbous stem end of these mild peppers is said to resemble a lion’s head (in Japan) and its name is actually a portmanteau of “shishi” (lion) and “tōgarashi” (chili pepper).
The healthy pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C, A, and E and B Vitamins.
To store fresh shishito peppers, keep them dry and in a paper or plastic bag in the warmest part of your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Most shishito peppers are green, but if you find a red, orange, or yellow pepper in your bag, it’s still perfectly fine to eat.
Shishito peppers are generally available year-round and are easy to grow in containers. They are considered “in season”, however, in summer and early fall.

Air Fryer Cooking Shishito Peppers

Air-fried shishito peppers don’t necessarily save you any cooking time, but they do save you space on your cook top or grill and they use less oil. Sometimes the best way to cook something is the way that saves you from slinging a cast iron skillet around.

As I mentioned above, you’ll want a basket style air fryer. These types are handy because they allow you to give the contents of the air fryer basket a good shake from time to time to ensure even cooking.

Shishito Peppers Air Fryer Style

Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF for 5 minutes.

While the air fryer preheats, pierce each pepper by running a skewer or toothpick through the pepper from side to side and removing it.

In a zipper top bag or mixing bowl, toss the shishito peppers together with the oil. Place shishito peppers in the preheated air fryer basket and return to the air fryer.

Air fry the shishito peppers at 400ºF (see notes) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers are slightly softened and nicely charred in places.

Transfer the shishito peppers to a plate, sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, if desired, or serve with your favourite dipping sauce.

Shishito Peppers Air Fryer

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American, Japanese, Korean

Keyword air fried shishito peppers, air fryer shishito peppers, how to cook shishito peppers, shishito peppers air fryer

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 34kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

Basket Style Air Fryer

Ingredients

8 ounces shishito peppers
½ teaspoon neutral oil like sunflower canola, vegetable, or light olive oil
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt to taste
½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Optional but tasty:

Soy sauce to taste
Sesame oil to taste

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF for 5 minutes.
While the air fryer preheats, pierce each pepper by running a skewer or toothpick through the pepper from side to side and removing it.
In a zipper top bag or mixing bowl, toss the shishito peppers together with the oil. Place shishito peppers in the preheated air fryer basket and return to the air fryer.
Air fry the shishito peppers at 400ºF (see notes) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers are slightly softened and nicely charred in places.
Transfer the shishito peppers to a plate, sprinkle with salt and sesame seeds. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, if desired.

Notes

My air fryer only goes as high as 380ºF for pre-set cooking temperatures, but it preheats at 400ºF. To air fry at 400ºF, simply re-use the preheat cycle!

If your air fryer does not go that high for preheat, simply air fry the peppers at the highest temperature you can in your particular air fryer.

Nutrition

Salsa a la Criolla

Rebecca — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 10:01:00 +0000

Salsa a la Criolla is brimming with fresh tomatoes, red onions, red bell pepper, garlic, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. This classic, incredibly flavourful, delicious sauce and side dish is the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken breast or thigh, beef, fish, sausage, or pork.

Salsa a la criolla translates to Creole Sauce and has its roots in the diverse ethnic heritage of Latin America and the Caribbean; combining its Indigenous, European, and African food cultures. Also known as Argentinian Salsa Criolla, there are about as many ways to make criolla sauce as there are Latin cultures.

In Argentina it’s made differently than Puerto Rican salsa criolla where it’s different than Peruvian style where it’s different than Colombian and so on and so forth… But it is often served with empanadas in Argentina and is also frequently paired with chimichurri.

Our version of Salsa a la Criolla is Argentinian in style and universal in magnificence. Our salsa criolla consists of diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and minced onions, parsley, oregano, and garlic all macerated in a tangy mixture of red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Salsa Criolla

If you haven’t had Salsa Criolla before, you’re in for a huge revelation but if you have, you know what an utterly perfect side dish this is for everything from grilled to roasted to fried meats, fish, or vegetables. It’s also used to top sandwiches. And while it’s not at all traditional, I love it on tortilla chips!

The ingredient list may look long, but it’s all easy to find. Much of it is likely to be on hand in your home anyway. Here’s a list of the ingredients and equipment you need to whip up your very own Salsa a la Criolla.

Ingredients:

Fresh Tomatoes
Fresh Bell Peppers (Red bell peppers, green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and orange bell peppers are all acceptable.)
Fresh Onions (Purple onions, red onions, and white onions are all good for your salsa a la criolla.)
Fresh Garlic
Jalapeño Pepper (or substitute a pinch of cayenne pepper)
Parsley
Oregano
Red Wine Vinegar (You can substitute lime juice or white vinegar if necessary.)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper

Equipment:

Please note it is not traditional to use a food processor or blender, but they can be used to pulse the ingredients if you have trouble dicing vegetables or are uncomfortable doing so. A hand chopper is another good choice for making Salsa a la criolla if you have difficulty chopping.

However you plan to chop these vegetables, you might want a little refreshment. Pour yourself a nice cocktail like a Ranch Water or Finnish Long Drink and get chopping!

Salsa a la Criolla

Whisk together the salt and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl until the salt is dissolved. Toss the diced onion in it to coat thoroughly and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Cut the tomato in half along the equator and gently use your hands to scoop out the seeds. You don’t need to be too thorough, just get the bulk of them out.

Discard the seeds and dice the remaining tomato flesh.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. This can be served immediately, but is much better if allowed to rest at room temperature -tightly covered- for at least one hour before serving.

Store leftovers in a jar or other container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Salsa a la Criolla

Argentinian style Salsa a la Criolla is often served paired with the better known chimichurri sauce alongside grilled steak and sausages. This super fresh and flavourful sauce is incredible with all kinds of chicken, fish, and vegetables, too, though! While it isn’t known for being served like Mexican or Tex-Mex salsa, it’s also delicious served non-traditionally with tortilla chips for a delightful change of pace.

Course Appetizer, condiment, Snack

Cuisine Argentinian, Caribbean, Latin American, South American

Keyword Argentinian Salsa Criolla, salsa a la criolla, salsa criolla

Prep Time 25

Resting time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 253kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

1 chef's knife
1 cutting board
1 mixing bowl
1 mixing spoon

Ingredients

1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 white or sweet onion peeled and diced
2 to 3 large tomatoes
2 bell peppers any colour, seeded and diced
1 jalapeño pepper stem removed, seeded and minced
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh parsley roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dry whole leaf oregano
3/4 teaspoon Black pepper or more to taste

Instructions

Whisk together the salt and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl until the salt is dissolved. Toss the diced onion in it to coat thoroughly and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Cut the tomato in half along the equator and gently use your hands to scoop out the seeds. You don’t need to be too thorough, just get the bulk of them out.
Discard the seeds and dice the remaining tomato flesh.
Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. This can be served immediately, but is much better if allowed to rest at room temperature -tightly covered- for at least one hour before serving.
Store leftovers in a jar or other container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Pan Con Tomate

Rebecca — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 19:52:58 +0000

Sublime and simple Pan Con Tomate has just five ingredients; toasted rustic bread rubbed with a garlic clove, juicy fresh tomato pulp, extra-virgin olive oil, and coarse flaky sea salt. Also known as Spanish Tomato Bread, Pan Tumaca, or Pa Amb Tomàquet, this easy recipe using simple ingredients is equally at home served at a dinner party with a Spanish omelette or as part of a traditional Spanish breakfast.

Pan con tomate is available at almost any tapas bar when good quality fresh ripe tomatoes are at their peak and for good reason. All it takes is a handful of fresh ingredients to make this all-star of Spanish cuisine.

This standout of Catalan cuisine is now a classic Spanish tapas offering that you can nosh on at home whenever the fancy strikes. With just a handful of high quality ingredients, this is what your summer table needs.

Grab your juicy tomatoes, good olive oil, a little salt, a rustic loaf of baguette or other crusty bread, and let’s get our tapas on. As they’d say in Cataluña: Anem!

Pa Amb Tomàquet

Whether you call it Pa Amb Tomàquet, Pan Con Tomate, Pan Tumaca, or something else entirely depends largely on where you encounter the dish for the first time. It is pretty generally agreed that the dish originate in the rural Catalan Countries as a way to use up generous tomato harvests.

In addition to helping use up the superabundance of summer tomatoes, pa amb tomaquet might be the most delicious way ever invented to use up slightly stale bread. There are almost as many different ways to make this Spanish recipe as there are opinions about the best way to do it, so let’s break down the options a bit.

Pan Con Tomate Recipe

In it’s most basic form, pan con tomate is made by serving sliced day old bread that is either toasted or just warmed. A peeled clove of garlic is rubbed over the warm bread or toast, then a halved fresh tomato is rubbed and squeezed over the bread at the table. It’s then drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil and kissed with a little flaky salt.

Bread for Pan Con Tomate

You can use about any rustic country style loaf you have on hand, whether it’s sourdough, baguette, ciabatta, crusty Italian bread, or something else of the sort. It’s important to slice your bread thickly; don’t get stingy with the size of your bread slices here.

I prefer a traditional or sourdough baguette halved lengthwise and cut into easy-to-pick-up lengths for my version of pa amb tomàquet. I pop my sliced bread onto a rimmed baking sheet and slide it under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes, or until they’re toasted to deep golden brown perfection.

After your bread is toasted, you just rub a raw garlic clove over the toasted surface. The rough toasted surface will be abrasive enough to act like sandpaper as your rub the garlic clove and will take on just enough garlic to be delicious. You’ll be able to see the peeled garlic clove get smaller as you rub it over the toasted pieces of bread.

I’d advise against using sandwich bread for pan con tomate because it’s just too soft and moist to soak up the tomato juices and olive oil you’ll be spooning over it. Sandwich bread will simply fold over on itself if you try to lift it with the tomato pulp on it.

The Best Tomatoes for Pan Tumaca

Speaking of tomatoes, there’s no special variety of tomato that is more suitable for pan con tomate than others. You can even use a mixture of perfectly ripe and slightly overripe tomatoes for the ultimate in juicy tomato heaven.

While the most traditional iteration of pan tumaca rubs halved good tomatoes directly on the bread, I prefer more tomato pulp. I grab a tomato by the stem end and run it over the large holes of a box grater until the flesh has been reduced to pulp and the skin is left.

At this point, taste your tomatoes. If they’re perfectly ripe and taste like everything a tomato should taste like, you’re good to move on to the next step. If the tomato flavour is a little anemic, you can stir in a small splash of sherry vinegar to amp it up.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Flaky Sea Salt

You’ll be spooning this over your garlic bread bases and drizzling generous amounts of good extra virgin olive oil over it. Because there are only a handful of ingredients, you want to get as good an extra virgin olive oil as you can.

I’m partial to this brand of olive oil, but you can use what you love! It’s hard to go wrong if you choose a cold press extra virgin olive oil.

While we’re discussing things I love, I need to recommend my favourite salt: Maldon Sea Salt. These crunchy-but-somehow-soft coarse flakes are as beautiful to look at as they taste.

Maldon Sea Salt isn’t just pretty though, it’s intensely fresh and clean tasting. If you don’t have Maldon, though, you can definitely use a coarse kosher salt or other coarse sea salt.

Hit the tomato pulp topped garlic toast with salt of your choice and you’re all set! If you’re so inclined a little fresh parsley or oregano over the top makes things extra special.

Now you can stop there with your tomato toast, or you can get all kinds of crazy and top with anchovy fillets, slices of manchego cheese or blue cheese crumbles, jamón serrano (Spanish ham), or Spanish olives. The only thing left to heighten your enjoyment of this utterly perfect dish is to pour a nice glass of your favourite wine and sit out on the porch to eat it!

Pan Con Tomate

Here’s a quick summary of your keys to the ultimate Pan Con Tomate experience. Open your bottle of wine while the bread is toasting under the broiler!

Choose a crusty bread. Slice it thickly (at least 1-inch thick). Toast it dry under the broiler until deep golden brown.
Rub a peeled garlic clove gently over the surface of the warm toasted bread.
Grate super ripe tomatoes over the coarse holes on a box grater positioned over a bowl.
Spoon the tomato pulp over your garlic toast just a couple of minutes before serving. You want to give the tomato juice a moment to soak in, but not so long as to make your bread soggy.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse flaky salt right before serving.

Pan Con Tomate

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Catalan, Spanish

Keyword pa amb tomàquet, pan con tomate, pan tumaca, spanish tomato bread

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Servings

Calories 295kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

sheet pan
bread knife
box grater

Ingredients

1 loaf baguette ciabatta, rustic Italian bread, etc…
2 cloves of garlic peeled but whole
2 large fresh tomatoes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse flaky sea salt to taste

Optional:

torn fresh parsley or oregano
Serrano ham
anchovy filets
bleu cheese crumbles or manchego cheese slices

Instructions

Choose a crusty bread. Slice it thickly (at least 1-inch thick). Toast it dry under the broiler until deep golden brown.
Rub a peeled garlic clove gently over the surface of the warm toasted bread.
Grate super ripe tomatoes over the coarse holes on a box grater positioned over a bowl.
Spoon the tomato pulp over your garlic toast just a couple of minutes before serving. You want to give the tomato juice a moment to soak in, but not so long as to make your bread soggy.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse flaky salt right before serving.

Nutrition

Grilled Potatoes

Rebecca — Tue, 31 May 2022 22:29:58 +0000

You’re going to love this amazing Grilled Potatoes recipe; a simple recipe for a delicious side dish so good and so easy to make that they just might make you shelve your other potato recipes for the summer months. There are endless possibilities for these easy grilled potatoes!

You won’t need any foil for this great side dish. A great many grilled potato recipes call for roasting the potatoes in aluminum foil packets, but not this one! I prefer my potatoes to actually come in contact with the grill to pick up more of that divine smoky flavor.

It’s officially grill season – I mean, it’s ALWAYS grilling season in my world- so let’s dive into the details on the cooking process for this great recipe for an easy side dish with endless flavor possibilities. The best part of this recipe is how it accommodates just about any kind of potato you have on hand from new potatoes or baby potatoes to waxy flesh red potatoes or fluffy-on-the-inside Russet potatoes.

Best Grilled Potatoes

There are really no bad choices when it comes to the potatoes you choose for your grilled potatoes. Just remember each type of potato will yield slightly different results. With new potatoes or baby potatoes, you can either arrange them loosely on the grill or do what I do; thread them on a metal skewer for easy in turning and removal.

If you use potatoes that you have to cut down to size, I highly recommend using a grill basket similar to this one. It will prevent any potatoes from sticking to the grill as well as making removal far, far less frustrating.

I prefer to use new potatoes or baby potatoes for the very best grilled potatoes. Using these little potatoes with thin skins eliminates one admittedly easy step that becomes necessary only if you’re using any other potatoes.

If you’re unable to find baby potatoes, my next recommendation is red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes that are cut down into chunks about the size of baby potatoes. You’ll want to pierce them a couple of times with a sharp knife or jab them with a fork and microwave them for about 90 seconds before tossing them with the oil, spices, and aromatics.

Not a fan of microwaves? You can also par-cook the potatoes in boiling water for about 5 minutes before draining them thoroughly.

If you’re a sweet potato fan (like me!), you may want to change it up and make grilled sweet potatoes from time to time. Sweet potatoes also require the boil or microwave treatment before their spell on the grill.

And finally, if your pantry is well stocked with russet potatoes, you can cut them into long, thin wedges and cook them directly on the grill grates for the ultimate grill marks. You’ll get a crispy exterior and fluffy interior on these crispy grilled potatoes for the perfect side dish.

How to Grill Potatoes

If you’ve wondered how to grill potatoes before, I’m happy to tell you there are several methods and not all of them require a charcoal grill! You can use a gas, charcoal, or wood pellet grill, or a grill pan if you don’t have an actual grill!

To use a gas, charcoal, or wood pellet grill, you want to heat your grill using high heat and then scrub the grates clean. Cooking our potatoes is a job for medium-high direct heat. No need for a blazing inferno for these bad boys!

How to Cook Potatoes on the Grill

Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of the potatoes, but in general, raw baby or new potatoes take about 10 to 12 minutes to reach doneness once they’re on the hot grill.

Any potatoes you’ve par-cooked in boiling water will take about 5 to 10 minutes to achieve perfection. The long, thin russet potato wedges will take closer to 20 minutes, and will need a little more attention to be sure they’re not burning. You may find yourself moving them to cooler parts of the grill to finish cooking through once they have lovely grill marks.

If you’re going to opt for a grill pan, get the pan hot over medium-high heat and oil it using a silicone basting brush. If that’s not handy, you can roll up a paper towel, soak it in a little neutral, high-smoke point oil like vegetable, canola, or refined olive oil, and use tongs to wipe the paper towel over the hot grill pan.

I do recommend that you use par-boiled potatoes in one form or another on the grill pan since you’re basically looking to get lovely charred grill marks on the potatoes with the pan rather than fully cooking them on the pan.

What to Serve with Potatoes Cooked on the Grill

The sky is the limit when it comes to these grilled spuds. From Korean Barbecue Grilled Flat Iron Steak to Filthy Burgers (Beef, Barbecue Pulled Pork, & Bacon Burgers) to Big Batch Greek Lemon Garlic Chicken or Chimichurri Grilled Meatballs, we have a recipe here on Foodie with Family for everyone!

Are you a vegetarian? We have some seriously tempting vegetarian main dishes and veggie burgers here like the Roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with Smoked Paprika Chipotle Sauce and Taco Black Bean Burgers, just to name a couple.

And don’t you dare forget the drinks! Try our lightning fastFinnish Long Drink, Berry Kombucha Margaritas or Boozy Strawberry Basil Lemonade. Or bridge the gap between after dinner cocktails and desserts with our Pimm’s Cup Recipe Boozy Popsicles.

Grilled Potatoes

If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for an hour prior to grilling. Preheat grill to a HIGH temperature. If using a Traeger, set the grill to 450ºF.

Thread like-sized potatoes onto the skewers. Brush the potatoes all over with the oil, then sprinkle the salt and pepper over to coat evenly.

Arrange the skewers on the grill with space between them. Turn the potatoes about every 5 minutes, until they are golden brown on the outside and easily pierced all the way to the skewer when with poked with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes.

Serve on the skewers or wait until they have cooled enough to handle to remove them from the skewers. Serve as is or topped with butter and fresh parsley.

*See Notes in the printable recipes for full instructions on how to cook other types of potatoes.

Grilled Potatoes

If you've ever wondered whether you can or how to cook potatoes on the grill, this grilled potatoes recipe has you covered. And the answer is that yes, you can, and yes, it is simple and ridiculously delicious.

Course barbecue, Side Dish

Keyword grilled potatoes, Grilled Potatoes Recipe, How to cook potatoes on the grill, how to grill potatoes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 79kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

grill
Optional: metal skewers

Ingredients

1 pound new potatoes also known as creamer potatoes or mini potatoes, see notes for instructions on how to grill other types of potatoes
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or another neutral, high smoke point oil like canola, light olive oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

If using bamboo skewers, soak them in water for an hour prior to grilling.
Preheat a gas grill to a HIGH temperature. If using a Traeger, set the grill to 450ºF.
If using a charcoal grill, build a bed of hot coals. If you're using a grill pan, place over medium high heat and brush with oil.
Lightly oil your grill grates.
Thread like-sized potatoes onto the skewers. Brush the potatoes all over with the oil, then sprinkle the salt and pepper over to coat evenly.
Arrange the skewers on the grill with space between them. Turn the potatoes about every 5 minutes, until they are golden brown on the outside and easily pierced all the way to the skewer when with poked with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes.
Serve on the skewers or wait until they have cooled enough to handle to remove them from the skewers. Serve as is or topped with butter and fresh parsley.

Notes

To Use Sweet Potatoes or Larger Waxy Potatoes

If you’re using sweet potatoes or larger red, white, or gold potatoes, you’ll want to scrub them an cut them down to about 2-inch chunks.

Place these chunks in a single layer on a microwave safe plate, cover lightly with plastic wrap, leaving a corner vented, and microwave for about 90 seconds to 2 1/2 minutes, or until they’re hot throughout.

If you prefer not to microwave them, you can add the potato chunks to boiling salted water and simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until they’re hot through and through.

Drain thoroughly, then proceed with the oil, salt, and pepper, and use a grill basket that has heated up on the grill or a pre-heated grill pan to grill them until tender on the inside and golden brown in places, about 10 minutes.

To Use Russet Potatoes:

Cut them into long, thin wedges before brushing generously with oil, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cooking them directly on the grill grates for the ultimate grill marks. You’ll get a crispy exterior and fluffy interior on these.

Nutrition

Grain Salad

Rebecca — Thu, 19 May 2022 15:08:25 +0000

This delightful chilled Grain Salad is chock full of nutty brown rice, herbs, garbanzo beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onions with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Make a batch of this to stash in the fridge and lunch is in the bag all week!

I’m so excited to introduce you to my current favourite salad… And you know I love a good salad.

(If you’re new here, I’ll just point your attention to this pizza salad, White Bean Salad, Asian Pasta Salad {Asian Noodle Salad}, Tex-Mex Cobb Salad, Dill Pickle Egg Salad, and heck, our whole Salad Recipes page. Like I said, I love salads.)

Not only is today’s chilled Grain salad easy on the eyes, but it comes together in a flash; leftover brown rice tossed with loads of fresh herbs, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, crumbled feta cheese, and red onions (pickled or raw). All of this gets the world’s simplest dressing made directly in the salad of fresh lemon juice, garlic olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Ta da! Seriously, that’s it. That’s all it takes!

But whoa, wait until you taste this Grain Salad. It’s substantial but it doesn’t make you feel like there’s a brick in your stomach.

As a stand alone vegetarian meal for the summer, this cannot be beat. It also makes a killer side dish for any number of grilled chicken, pork, or fish dishes.

But if you should feel so inclined, Grain Salad truly sings if you add some grilled Greek chicken to it. And if you’re feeling a little fishy, sub in some good tuna or canned salmon in place of the chicken.

Rice Salad

When you’re making a Grain Salad with rice, it’s important to make sure you have well-chilled leftover rice. If you don’t have leftover rice, you can cheat a little by spreading your cooked rice in a shallow layer on a baking sheet and stashing it in the freezer for an hour, or until it’s cold.

You want chilled rice both because you don’t want carry-over heat from the rice to cook the veggies or melt the cheese and also because the rice forms a nifty little coating on the outside of the grain as it chills. This process is called retrogradation and it helps prevent mushy rice in chilled salads and fried rice alike.

If you want to have a head-start on making grain salad any old time, you can cook a large batch of rice ahead of time and freeze it for both grain salads and fried rice!

Now let’s talk TYPES of rice, shall we? For our grain salad, I prefer brown basmati rice. The long, thin grains stay separate quite nicely but still have a lot of character.

Any long grain brown rice that you like should do the job well, though. I don’t advise using instant or quick rice, however, as it has been processed in such a way that the taste and texture are inferior to “regular” brown rice.

A word about herbs, too, if I may. My favourite combo for our grain salad is a mixture of parsley, dill, and mint for a taste of the Mediterranean. If your garden is positively bursting with cilantro, though, feel free to sub it in for the dill and/or mint.

If you do not have garlic olive oil, you can either make some using the recipe from my first cookbook or purchase some here on Amazon.com.

Grain Salad

Add the brown rice, feta cheese, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and onions to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine evenly.

Add the herbs, lemon juice, garlic olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper and toss gently to distribute everything evenly.

You can serve this immediately, but it benefits from at least an hour in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to meld and marry.

Grain Salad

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, vegetarian main dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chilled rice salad, cold rice salad, grain salad, rice salad, whole grain salad

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 263kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

1 mixing bowl
1 spoon
1 knife
1 cutting board

Ingredients

4 cups chilled leftover cooked brown rice
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 seedless cucumber diced
2 pints cherry tomatoes quartered
1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
½ a red onion peeled and thinly sliced or diced
1 cup fresh herbs use about 2/3 parsley, but add in some fresh dill and mint for maximum wow!
1 lemon juiced
⅓ cup garlic olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Add the brown rice, feta cheese, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and onions to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine evenly.
Add the herbs, lemon juice, garlic olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper and toss gently to distribute everything evenly.
You can serve this immediately, but it benefits from at least an hour in the refrigerator to allow the flavours to meld and marry.

Nutrition

Pickle de Gallo

Rebecca — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:27:35 +0000

Pickle de Gallo combines everything you love about garlicky dill pickles with the crunch of fresh cucumbers, red bell peppers, and onions, and the snackability of pico de gallo or salsa. It’s about to be your new favourite thing.

I didn’t know pickle de gallo existed until my sister served some store bought Grillo’s pickle de gallo at her son’s birthday party. My world. It was rocked.

This eminently snackable condiment takes garlicky dill pickles and the brine and adds some fresh cucumber, red bell peppers, and onions for crunch. If you’re into a little spice -as we are- a little minced fresh jalapeño and habanero pepper adds some tasty punch to your salsa.

Pickle Salsa

Pickle salsa is pretty darned easy to make. The process is simple: collect ingredients, do a little knife work, and mix everything together.

The crucial, as you can imagine, is picking a pickle you’d pick to eat ordinarily. Our homemade Claussen knock-off pickles are stellar in pickle de gallo, if you have them on hand.

If you don’t happen to have those, refrigerated style dill pickles are your best choice for pickle salsa. I love the aforementioned Grillo’s, Claussen, Wegman’s brand, and Bubbies, just to name a few.

Remember, you’re going to be using the pickles AND the brine, so you’d better like those pickles you choose! And for the love, please take a pass on bread and butter pickles or sweet pickles for this particular recipe.

Pickle Salsa Vegetables

You’ll want to use seedless English or Persian cucumbers along with your pickles. The skin on these cucumbers is thin and does not need to be removed before you chop it.

While the cucumbers are called seedless, there is often a center with fine seeds and a lot of liquid. You’ll want to slice your cucumber lengthwise and use the tip of a spoon to gently scrape out the seeds and liquid before you chop it.

You can opt for sweet onions like Vidalias or white onions for this pickle salsa. If you like more powerful onion oomph, feel free to change out the sweet onions for red onions or yellow onions.

Now, I like my pickle de gallo made with a very small dice, and I take pride in my ability to do that with my favourite chef’s knife, but you can really make this any texture you’d like. If you want it super fine, you can pulse it all in a food processor.

The key, really, is to keep everything a consistent size. You want some of everything in each bite.

You can whip up a batch of pickle de gallo and eat off of it for five days. Why would you want to do that? I’ll tell you!

What do I serve with Pickle de Gallo?

The most obvious thing to serve with pickle de gallo is tortilla chips. I mean, pico de gallo and chips are a natural pairing, so it stands to reason that pickle salsa is, too.

This is not just based on theory, though. I have eaten close to my own weight in pickle salsa with chips.

That said, man cannot live by chips and pickle salsa alone, and there are many more delicious ways to consume this crunch-tastic snack. Here’s a list of my favourite uses for pickle de gallo.

Serve with grilled, fried, broiled, or blackened fish.
Serve on burgers.
Stir together equal parts by volume with mayonnaise for a sandwich spread or chip dip.
Serve with grilled or fried chicken or pork chops.
Stir an equal amount of pickle salsa by volume into black beans or black eyed peas for an instant bean salad that goes with just about anything!

And once you’ve got that pickle salsa rocking, you’re going to want to have something refreshing to drink with it!

May I recommend a fabulous Berry Kombucha Margarita or a Watermelon Margarita??

Pickle de Gallo

Toss together your cucumbers, pickles, onions, bell peppers, hot peppers (if using), garlic, and salt. Drizzle the pickle brine over the mixture and toss again. Cover tightly and refrigerate for an hour before using to give the flavours a chance to mingle and marry.

Store your pickle de gallo tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Pickle de Gallo – Dill Pickle Salsa

Course Appetizer, condiment, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword dill pickle salsa, pickle de gallo, pickle salsa

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 18kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

1 chef's knife or food processor
1 cutting board

Ingredients

1 seedless cucumber cut in half, seeds scraped out, finely diced or pulsed in the food processor
1 cup dill pickles finely diced (about 4 whole pickles, depending on pickles size)
1/2 cup sweet onion finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper stem and seeds removed, finely diced or pulsed in the food processor
1 clove garlic peeled and finely minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pickle brine

Optional but delicious:

1 teaspoon fresh jalapeño minced, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh habanero minced, or more to taste

Instructions

Toss together your cucumbers, pickles, onions, bell peppers, garlic, hot peppers (if using), and salt.
Drizzle the pickle brine over the mixture and toss again.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for an hour before using to give the flavours a chance to mingle and marry.

Nutrition

Rice Noodle Stir Fry

Rebecca — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 22:23:59 +0000

Chewy rice noodles scandalously loaded with crisp tender vegetables, a flavourful garlic and ginger sauce, and eggs make up our divine Rice Noodle Stir Fry. Serve it as a side dish for any number of Asian inspired dishes or as a great, stand-alone vegetarian main dish.

This naturally gluten-free* recipe is crazy easy and comes together at the speed of light. It’s as fast as ordering take-out and even tastier! Don’t let the long-ish ingredient list scare you!

*To keep this recipe gluten free, be sure to use tamari sauce or gluten-free soy sauce. To make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

I love that this rice noodle stir fry is positively bursting with crisp-tender bell peppers, carrots, sugar snap or snow peas, and green onions. Even more, though, I love that it comes together in one pan with just about 15 minutes total cooking time.

You have to soak your noodles in hot water for about 30 minutes, but that gives you time to chop your vegetables and herbs and whisk together your sauce. You’ll be shocked how simple this meal is because of the dynamite flavour it delivers.

Flat Rice Noodles

What kind of noodles do you need for stir fry noodles? For our rice noodle stir fry, we use Asian style flat rice noodles. There are several varieties and thicknesses available, and you can choose whichever you like best. Just be sure to follow the soaking instructions on the packaging.

I prefer the wide, pad thai style, flat rice noodles. If you prefer thinner noodles, feel free to use them. Whichever thickness of rice noodles you choose, be sure to soak -not boil- the noodles.

Rice Noodles

Soaking the noodles softens them enough to make them pliable, but keeps them from getting mushy. To soak your noodles, find a bowl or container long enough to fit your noodles without breaking them.

Your rice noodles should have instructions for boiling or soaking them on the packaging. Keep in mind, you will be cooking them in the sauce. If your package gives a range of time to soak the noodles, go with the shorter time.

Lay the noodles in the container and fill the container with very hot tap water. Do not pour boiling water over the noodles; just use the hottest tap water you can muster forth from the tap.

Use your hands to swirl the noodles in the water a little bit to prevent sticking. After between 10 and 25 minutes -depending on the width of the noodles- drain them thoroughly.

Now here’s a fun tip! If you really want to streamline your dinner prep, you can soak your noodles several hours before dinner time, drain, and toss with neutral oil. Cover the noodles tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to make your rice noodle stir fry.

Stir Fry Noodles

If you pre-soak your noodles, pre-cut your veggies (storing them in the refrigerator), and pre-stir your sauce ingredients in the morning, all that remains is to cook your rice noodle stir-fry and you’re 15 minutes from dinner!

Now let’s address how to stir fry noodles because there is a method! It’s EASY, but it is a method.

Before you put your pan on the heat, make sure all of your ingredients are ready to go; carrots are cut into matchsticks, snow peas or sugar snap peas are clean, bell peppers are cut into strips, green onions are thinly sliced, garlic is minced, sauce ingredients are stirred together, eggs are whisked, cilantro and peanuts are chopped.

The reason for this is because once you start cooking, things move very fast and you’ll be at that pan ’til you’re done. Don’t fret, though, because it’s just 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.

If you have baby taste buds and can’t handle heat, you can omit the Szechuan chili crisp or chili garlic sauce called for in the recipe. It DOES add some zip and zing to the overall dish, so leave it in if you can!

As for which you should use, my current vote is for the chili crisp, which you can make at home using our recipe for Happy Lady Sauce {Homemade Chinese Spicy Chili Crisp}. I love the extra hit of umami that it delivers.

If you don’t have it, and do have chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek, though, you can definitely substitute in an equal amount. It’ll be slightly different but no less delicious.

Rice Noodle Stir Fry

While the noodles are soaking, stir together the chicken or vegetable stock, soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, ginger, chili crisp or chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set the measuring cup aside.

Be sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, then put a wok or deep-sided 12-inch everyday pan or skillet over high heat. Drizzle in about 1 teaspoon of the neutral oil and swirl to coat the pan.

Carefully add in the bell peppers, pea pods, and matchsticked or grated carrot. Toss with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.

Add in the minced garlic and the whites of the green onion and toss until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push the vegetables to the side to create a well in the middle.

Drizzle another teaspoon of the neutral oil in the well, then pour in the eggs and let them sit undisturbed for 30 seconds before stirring to scramble. Scramble the eggs for 15 seconds, then stir the vegetables into the eggs. Cook for 10 more seconds and transfer to a plate.

Return the wok or pan to the heat, drizzle in the remaining teaspoon of neutral oil, and toss the noodles into the oil. Stir fry for about 1 minute.

Stir the sauce once more, pour it over the noodles and toss to coat. Bring the sauce to a boil, gently tossing the noodles in the sauce constantly until most of the sauce has been absorbed.

Add the vegetables and eggs back in and toss to evenly distribute. Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped cilantro and peanuts.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Looking for great dishes to serve with our Rice Noodle Stir Fry? Try these:

Asian Turkey Meatballs

Air Fryer Salmon

Slow-Cooker Five Spice Pork Roast

Rice Noodle Stir Fry

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword rice noodle stir fry, stir fry noodles

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Soaking time for noodles 15

Servings

Calories 449kcal

Author Rebecca Lindamood

Equipment

12-inch stainless steel every day pan or wok or frying pan.

Ingredients

1 pound pad thai style rice noodles soaked according to package instructions
¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup low sodium soy sauce For gluten-free, use tamari sauce, Bragg's liquid aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 to 3 teaspoons szechuan chili crisp chili garlic sauce, or sambal oelek, according to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon neutral oil like grapeseed sunflower, canola, light olive oil, or vegetable oil, divided
2 bell peppers seeded and cut into thin strips
1 ½ cups snow pea pods or sugar snap peas
1 large carrot scrubbed and cut into 3-inch long matchsticks or coarsely grated
6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
6 green onions sliced thinly, whites separated from greens
3 eggs
½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
2 tablespoons salted peanuts roughly chopped

Instructions

While the noodles are soaking, stir together the chicken or vegetable stock, soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, ginger, chili crisp or chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set the measuring cup aside.
Be sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, then put a wok or deep-sided 12-inch everyday pan or skillet over high heat. Drizzle in about 1 teaspoon of the neutral oil and swirl to coat the pan. Carefully add in the bell peppers, pea pods, and matchsticked or grated carrot. Toss with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
Add in the minced garlic and the whites of the green onion and toss until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push the vegetables to the side to create a well in the middle. Drizzle another teaspoon of the neutral oil in the well, then pour in the eggs and let them sit undisturbed for 30 seconds before stirring to scramble. Scramble the eggs for 15 seconds, then stir the vegetables into the eggs. Cook for 10 more seconds and transfer to a plate.
Return the wok or pan to the heat, drizzle in the remaining teaspoon of neutral oil, and toss the noodles into the oil. Stir fry for about 1 minute.
Stir the sauce once more, pour it over the noodles and toss to coat. Bring the sauce to a boil, gently tossing the noodles in the sauce constantly until most of the sauce has been absorbed.
Add the vegetables and eggs back in and toss to evenly distribute.
Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped cilantro and peanuts. Serve hot or warm.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition