Creamy Coleslaw

This is a simple, basic recipe for coleslaw. It has a wonderful creamy taste and is great for BBQ’s or potlucks.

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*Camala*

Brown Rice with Kale and Blackeye Peas

This Brown Rice with Kale and Blackeye Peas dish is full of flavor and delicious. This would be a wonderful side dish to any main dish or you can eat it as a main dish as I typically do.

Blackeye peas are a good source of fiber and iron and they are also rich in magnesium, a mineral needed for strong bones and an active metabolism. Once you have soaked your Blackeye Peas, this dish is quickly thrown together and easy to whip up. I love making up stuff like this for my family to eat. It is kinda like okay this is what I have in the fridge to get rid of and I throw it together and see what I get, in the case of this dish it is definitely a keeper!

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Green Veggie Risotto–vegetarian

This recipe used green veggies; green beans, asparagus, peas. 
I also used a mixture of wild rice, brown rice and red Bhutanese Red Rice.  This made the risotto really nutty and flavorful. 
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup peas
1  1/2 cup cut green beans about 1 1/2 inch
1 cup cut asparagus
1 cup rice (mixture of anykind you like)
1 can vegetable stock
water
fresh cut basil
2 T olive oil

Saute onion in olive oil for about 2 minutes.  Add green vegies and saute until tender–about 5 minutes.   Measure vegetable stock and add enough water to equal 2 cups of liquid.   Add this to veggies.  Chop up fress basil to equal about 1 tsp.  Cover and simmer until rice is fully cooked.  Continue to cook until creamy adding water to keep from sticking.
Cook about 10 to 15 minutes until rice is creamy.  Season with salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese.  This can be served as a side dish or main course.  I absolutely loved the wild rice in this dish.  Of course, if you are trying to go Vegan leave out the Parmesan cheese and substitute veggie cheese. 
   *Christine*

One Pot Macaroni and Cheese

YES, Only ONE Pot, Stove Top, Macaroni and Cheese.

I heart macaroni and cheese, I even have a shirt that says so…

I had BB (my 4 year old son) take this picture of me yesterday in my shirt, He took a pretty good picture, huh? He said to Gramma C, “It took me a long time to take mom’s picture and I missed a lot of my TV shows”…whatever I so did not make him take pictures of me all day long!

This recipe very much intrigued me because it was cooked on the stove and in one pot, which is awesome because I constantly do dishes and the less dishes the better, right? This recipe was a bit time consuming, like cooking Risotto because you are just standing over the pot stirring but I thought it was interesting to cook the macaroni in the milk and thought it was fun to be creative and experiment with different cheeses, I used a mixture of cheddar, jack, asiago and parmesan cheeses, DELISH!

Visit us at CCRecipe.com to get this One Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe.

Zucchini & Cheese Gratin

This dish has a flavor similar to quiche and very cheesy. 
INGREDIENTS
4 fairly large zucchini–washed and sliced
2 Tbls. fresh chopped herbs  (the recipe calls for tarragon and mint) Since I was out of tarragon, I used mint and cilantro and sage.
2/3 cup half & half
1 egg
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
3/4 cup other cheese (grated)  I used havarti, gouda, and vermont creamy cheddar
Saute sliced zucchini for about 5 minutes in 3 Tbls of butter or olive oil for 4 to 6 minutes.  Drain on paper towel.  Butter small casserole dish and layer one row of zucchini.  Sprinkle herbs on top of that.  Sprinke 1/2 cup cheese over that. Repeat zucchini, herbs, cheese, and then zuchini again.

Save remaining cheese for top.  Whisk together egg, half & half, nutmeg and salt and pepper  and pour over top of zucchini.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 35 – 40 min in 400 F degrees oven.
  *Christine*

Corn Pudding

Corn Pudding, a slightly sweet, custard consistency side dish, a wonderful comfort food.

Ingredients:
butter to coat baking dish
3 cups frozen corn kernels (could use fresh)
3 eggs, well beaten
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1 cup cheddar cheese
pepper to taste
paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8×8 baking dish with butter.
2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the corn kernels and cook 1 minute, regardless of whether the water returns to a boil. Drain; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cornstarch, maple syrup, salt and cheese. Add pepper to taste.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with paprika. Bake until it is puffed and golden, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

This is a baked side dish that is so simple and delicious, serve this side dish alongside anything you want to serve with a side. This corn pudding is mostly savory and only slightly sweet with the addition of the maple syrup but the main flavor in this dish is the corn itself.

*Camala*

Baked Beans–vegetarian

These baked beans are a little different from your usual Boston Baked Beans.  Not as sweet and no meat, but really good.  I never realized how LONG they took to cook until I had actually started to cook them.  5 hours!!!  So if you have some spare time on your hands–they are definitely worth it.  I adapted this recipes by taking all the things I liked from several recipes.
INGREDIENTS
about 1 lb of dry navy beans (4 cups of beans after soaking overnight)
1/2 large onion chopped
1/2 cup broccoli slaw or chopped celery
1 — (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbls. molasses
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cummin
1 clove garlic chopped
1 Tabls brown sugar
salt and pepper

Start by soaking dry beans overnight.  When soaked, remove any debris and skins and rinse well.  Place in pot and cover with water.  Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes.    After cooking transfer beans to casserole dish but keep liquid for later. 
In separate pot, saute onion, broccoli slaw  just until tender in about 1 Tbls. oil.  Add tomatoes, spices, brown sugar and molasses.  Add 1 1/4 cup of reserved liquid to that.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Pour into casserole dish and stir with the beans.  Bake at 300F degrees for 5 hrs.  Check beans after each hour and if necessary add more water to keep moist.  Serve hot!!!
  *Christine*

Roasted Green Beans

Roasted Green Beans, add some Color to your Main Dish.

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp lemon zest
parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. In a bowl add the green beans, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon zest. Toss with your hands to coat the beans.
3. Spread out green beans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from baking sheet and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

This roasted green beans side dish recipe is a simple way to enjoy green beans and add some green to your main dish. Green beans are such a wonderful side dish to compliment many main entree’s. Roasting green beans is such a easy way to cook this veggie and it really brings out the flavor of the green beans. Simple enough to add to any weeknight meal!

*Camala*

Chive & Onion Scalloped Potatoes

Creamy, Scalloped Yukon Gold potatoes made with Chive & Onion Cream Cheese.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) tub Chive & Onion cream cheese
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
10 slices turkey bacon, chopped and cooked
12 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cook cream cheese spread, broth and milk in saucepan on medium heat until cream cheese is melted and mixture comes to boil, stirring constantly with whisk.
3. Reserve 2 Tbsp turkey bacon for topping. Layer half each of the potatoes, onions and remaining bacon in 9×13 inch baking dish; repeat layers. Add cream cheese sauce; cover.
4. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender, uncovering and topping with shredded cheese and reserved turkey bacon the last 10 min.

This is a delicious, full of flavor and easy side dish to go along with any of your favorite main dishes. If you don’t have or don’t like chive and onion cream cheese sub it with plain cream cheese. I brought this side dish to a get together and it was a big hit with all the guests, even the kids!

*Camala*

Side Dish Week

We have dedicated the next 7 days to side dish recipes, 7 days of side dish recipes created or tested and tried by us!

Most people think first of the main dish when planning a meal but, side dishes are what make a main dish a meal, a good side dish can make or break a meal! A side dish, sometimes referred to as a side order or simply a side, is a food item that accompanies the entree or main course at a meal. A side usually refers to a smaller portion served as a side dish, rather than a large main dish serving. For example, a “side salad” is usually served in a small bowl or salad plate, in contrast to a large dinner-plate-sized entree salad.

Side dishes can be hearty or healthy, hot, cold, and just about anything you can think of, pasta, rice, couscous, beans, vegetables, fruit, salad, potatoes, soups and bread, all of these foods make fantastic side dishes that complement a variety of main dishes.

Simple additions can give your side dishes a little something extra. Try adding a few fresh or dried herbs to mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables for extra flavor. Add sauces to your side dishes to create elegant additions to the meal, and add a bit of fresh lemon, lime, or orange juice to fresh vegetables to bring out their flavor and color. Cook or dress your pasta with flavored oil, such as garlic oil, to take it from bland to outstanding.

Some Side Dish Ideas:

• Try adding dried fruit, nuts, or chopped vegetables (such as green onions, garlic, broccoli, or others) to cooked rice. It will give the rice something extra and added texture.
• Cooking vegetables too much will make them mushy and tasteless. Cook until they are still a bit crispy, and they’ll taste better and retain more of their vitamins and nutrition.
• Create non-traditional type side dishes like stuffing or fresh fruit to add variety to your weekday meals. Have fun and experiment!
• Don’t forget the crock-pot, Crock Pots aren’t just for main dishes; you can create a variety of side dishes and casseroles in Crock Pots, too!

Looking for side dish recipes? Well then stay tuned for the next 7 days for side dish recipes created or tested and tried by us.

Featured Recipes:
Chive & Onion Scalloped Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans
Baked Beans – Vegetarian
Corn Pudding
Zucchini & Cheese Gratin
One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Green Veggie Risotto

C and C Dish
Camala and Christine