Sides | Simple By Cindy

Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemons

May. 20
2016

Smashed potatoes are quickly becoming more common as an alternative to french fried potatoes. They are similar to mashed potatoes but have more substance. They take less time to cook and prepare than french fried potatoes. You can parboil them a day or two in advance which cuts down the cooking time considerably.

In addition, you can also use a variety of potatoes, such as red potatoes or baby potatoes.

This recipe was absolutely delicious! The outside of the potatoes are crispy and the inside stays smooth and creamy. I love the lemony flavor of the dressing.

There is a lot of lemon zest in the dressing, so if you are not a big lemon fan, you can either cut down the amount of lemon zest substitute your favorite herb. I thought the tartness of the dressing worked perfectly with the potatoes.

But, be extra careful with the garlic. Time it well or it will burn easily!

I think this recipe is perfect just as it is. It is so easy to make and a nice upgrade to “fried” potatoes. It is tangy, full-flavored and just plain yummy!

This recipe is another fantastic one courtesy of Giada De Laurentis. It serves 4.

Ingredients for Fried Smashed Potatoes

2 pounds baby or fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra as needed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Dressing:

3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 lemons, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the potatoes:

Put the potatoes in an 8 quart stockpot with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches.

Bring the water o a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow to dry for 5 minutes.

Using the palm of your hand, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed.

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown, about 1 minute.

Remove the garlic and discard.

In batches, add the potatoes and cook, without stirring, until the bottoms turns golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Using a spatula, turn the potatoes over and cook, drizzling with oil if needed, until golden brown on the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.

For the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, thyme and lemon zest.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently until coated.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl and serve.

It’s that simple!

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Parsley and Breadcrumbs

May. 18
2016

I love to try new and innovative ways to make pasta. It may not always be diet-friendly, but it is worth it.

The cauliflower and red onion in this recipe are roasted to perfect tenderness in the oven. The cauliflower offers a nice crunchy texture. It is then tossed with the reserved pasta water that ensures a scrumptious, silky sauce.

All of the ingredients combine to make this a full-flavored, hearty, healthy dish while also managing to stay light and fresh. It is outrageously good!

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart. I made a few changes. For example, the recipe called for cavatappi pasta. Since I wasn’t sure where I was going to find that, I used fusilli pasta instead. Any wide, short pasta would be great with this. It also called for white-bread breadcrumbs, which had to be tossed in the food processor with oil. I used my own home-made breadcrumbs that I keep in the freezer. This made my prep time much shorter. You can use any kind of breadcrumbs and it will still be fantastic.

And, as always I used 1-2 more garlic cloves than the recipe called for. If you’re like me, you will too.

This recipe serves 4. It would be great to have for lunch the next day, but make sure you reserve extra pasta water so you can heat it up.

Today’s Hint: Buy some Italian bread, whole wheat bread and Semolina bread at your grocery store. Leave them on the counter for a day. Then place in the food processor and blend. Mix all the breadcrumbs together in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer. Now you will have fresh breadcrumbs when you need them. They last a long time. Take out as much as you need and put them back in your freezer.

Ingredients for the Pasta with Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds) cores and broken into small florets
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of breadcrumbs
12 ounces fusilli pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 475.

Place racks in upper and lower thirds.

Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together cauliflower, onion and garlic with 2 tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

pasta cauliflower cauliflower onions garlic in pan

Roast on lower rack in oven, until lightly browned and tender, about 20-25 minutes, tossing once.

Spread breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake on upper rack of oven until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes, tossing once.

Cook pasta in boiling water 3 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the package.

RESERVE ONE CUP OF PASTA WATER!

Drain pasta and return to pot.

Add cauliflower mixture, Parmesan cheese, and half of the parsley.

Mix to combine.

While mixing the pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats the pasta.

Serve topped with breadcrumbs and parsley and, if desired, more Parmesan.

It’s that simple!

Brussels Sprouts Hash with Crispy Sage and Walnuts

May. 11
2016

This recipe appealed to me (as many do) because of the combination of ingredients.

The brussels sprouts, sautéed with butter, onion and pancetta, topped with walnuts and fried sage leaves sounded too good to pass up. It was a fantastic, flavorful dish which exceeded my expectations!

This is not a “simple” recipe. You have to be vigilant with the cooking time while preparing it or you will have a soggy mess of brussels sprouts. Although I was very careful, my sprouts did not look nearly as appetizing as the one in the picture accompanying the recipe!

I know the brussels sprouts in that picture had to be close to raw to be that beautiful shade of green!

So when you make this recipe (and you should), just follow the instructions carefully and I am sure you will be as happy with the results as I was. It is a delicious, savory side dish that I will definitely make again!

You can also substitute apples in place of the pancetta if you keep kosher (which sounds delish as well!).

This recipe is courtesy of thekitchn.com. It serves 6.

Ingredients for the Brussels Sprouts

3 tbsp. butter, or margarine, divided
6 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup of walnut halves, closely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) diced pancetta or bacon
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
1/4 cup of chicken broth
2 tsp. sherry or cider vinegar

Heat 2 tbsp. of the butter in a small (8 inch) skillet over medium heat. As soon as the foam subsides, add the sage leaves to the skillet and fry for about two minutes, turning once with a fork or tongs. Don’t let the leaves get brown-they are done when they stop sizzling and water is no longer bubbling to the surface.

Transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and set aside. Do not wipe out the skillet.

Turn the heat to down to medium-low, then add the chopped walnuts to the skillet. Cook the walnuts in the butter until they are aromatic and a bit toasted, about 3 minutes. The butter will be well-browned. Turn off the heat and set the skillet aside.

In a large (12 inch) skillet or sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of butter over medium heat.

Add the diced onion and the pancetta. Sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the Brussels sprouts, stirring to mix evenly with the onions and pancetta.

Pour in the broth, cover the pan, and let cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.

Sauté until all of the liquid is evaporated and the hash is beginning to sizzle, about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat.

Pour in the vinegar and stir everything one last time, using a spoon to nudge down the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the hash to a serving bowl and top with the walnuts and sage, crumbling the sage leaves evenly over the top. Serve hot.

It’s that simple!

Haricots Verts with Mustard Vinaigrette

May. 9
2016

It does not get any easier than this.

Haricot verts, french green beans, are a smaller variety of green beans that are thinner, longer and crisper than the “standard” green bean. They are more delicate than a regular green bean and cook more quickly. If you have trouble finding haricot verts, you can use regular greens beans; just cook them a minute or two longer.

This takes just minutes to prepare. You do have to be careful about the length of time you cook the haricot verts. Make sure to stop the cooking process when they are bright green. The cold water and ice bath are essential to this recipe. This will ensure you get a tender, more flavorful outcome!

The vinaigrette dressing whips up in no time and is a delicious accompaniment to the beans. You can also substitute creamy Dijon mustard if you prefer.

This recipe is perfect in every way and an easy go-to side for any weeknight meal.

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart and serves 2.

You are going to love this one!

Ingredients for Haricots Verts with Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 pound haricots verts
1/2 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 tsp. red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. grainy Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Prepare a bowl with ice and water.

Add salt to the boiling water.

Add haricot verts: cook until beans are bright green all over, 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain beans; immediately rinse with cold water and transfer to ice-bath. When chilled completely, drain and pat dry.

Put shallot and vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Whisk in mustard.

Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.

Set aside until ready to dress beans with vinaigrette. Whisk vinaigrette until just before using.

It’s that simple!

Charred Eggplant with Chermoula

May. 4
2016

Chermoula is a Moroccan condiment that is frequently used in Middle Eastern cuisine.

It is a sophisticated sauce that is spicy in every bite. It is a delightful mix of cilantro, parsley, lemon, cumin and coriander.

Of course you may delete any ingredient you do not like. I chose to use half the amount of cilantro the recipe called for, as I am not a huge fan. It was still delicious.

This recipe may sound effortful, but it really did not take much prep time. If you prepare the ingredients before you begin, you will be much more efficient.

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light and serves 6. You can always cut it half if you need to. I had way too much eggplant leftover. I have to figure out who I will be giving it to!

Ingredients for Charred Eggplant with Chermoula

2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. grated lemon rind (about 2 lemons)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Cooking spray
2 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch slices

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add cumin and coriander seeds. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat.

Crush seeds with a mortar and pestle or a small heavy skillet.

Add the rind, salt, paprika, red pepper and garlic. Mash to form a paste.

Place spicy mixture, cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

With processor on, slowly pour olive oil through the food chute, processing just until blended. Set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

Arrange one-fourth of eggplant slices in pan. Cook 3-5 minutes each side until browned and tender (slightly charred is even better).

Repeat until all of the eggplant has been cooked.

Drizzle cilantro mixture over eggplant.

It’s that simple!