Sides | Simple By Cindy

Cauliflower With Tomatoes

Jan. 4
2016

Everyone is always looking for a quick and easy side dish to make for dinner.

Happily, there is no need to look any further.

This one met all my requirements, and it was delicious!

This recipe is adapted from The Food Network Kitchen.

The spices are unique and blend well with the cauliflower. You can add some red pepper flakes to give it an extra zing to it. The original recipe added some cilantro after baking with the lemon. Since my family is not fond of cilantro, I didn’t add it in. If you like cilantro, then toss it in.

It has a lot of wonderful flavor and is healthy and uncomplicated.

Give it a try! I think it might become a family favorite!

Todays Hint: Always read the entire recipe before cooking. The recipe is only a guideline. Always feel comfortable substituting one ingredient you don’t like with something you do. If you don’t like cilantro, try using some parsley. You can also delete that ingredient entirely!

Ingredients for the Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 450.

7 cups of cauliflower florets (1 head)
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. turmeric
A pinch of cayenne
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Toss cauliflower, plum tomatoes, olive oil, cumin seeds, cayenne, salt and pepper together in a bowl.

Place on a baking sheet.

Roast for 25 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle with lemon juice and cilantro.

As you can see in my photo, I chose to leave out the cilantro. My family is not a fan! Feel free to try it with the cilantro! Chopped parsley would be a good choice as well!

It’s that simple! (And Delicious)

Roasted Mushrooms

Dec. 30
2015

My family has always loved mushrooms. They are a staple at my Thanksgiving celebrations every year.

My mother always made her mushrooms by boiling them down in a flavorful liquid. We enjoyed them that way for years until I discovered the roasting technique that I will share with you today.

Ann Burrell (one of my favorite chefs and author) always says that brown bits are good.

I have discovered that she is right.

Roasting and scraping up those tasty brown bits give a recipe a whole new flavor dimension.

This is a combination of my mother’s recipe and my own. I learned to roast the mushrooms first and then combine them with the delicious liquid to cook them down.

Browning the tomato paste also adds to this luscious recipe.

It may seem like a lot of steps, but the recipe is easy and worth every minute!

Ingredients for the Roasted Mushrooms

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 cup), soaked in 1 1/2 cups of warm water for a few minutes.
2 1/2 pounds of mixed fresh mushrooms
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (tied with cooking string)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (tied with cooking string)
2 sprigs of fresh sage (tied with cooking string)
1/4 cup of good extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup of shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup of Marsala wine
1 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp kosher salt, divided in half
1/2 tsp. pepper

Squeeze out the water from the dried porcini mushrooms and roughly chop.

Clean and chop the fresh mushrooms into medium slices.

Take the thyme, rosemary and sage sprigs and wrap a piece of cheesecloth around them.

Place the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

When the butter has melted, place the onion and shallots and half of the salt and stir. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until the onions are soft and shiny but not brown.

Take the onions out of the pot, and set aside.

Place the mushrooms in the pan. Do not mix or move them for about 2-3 minutes. You want them to brown. After 2-3 minutes, give them a stir and do not move them for another 2-3 minutes. You might have to do this in batches.

When mushrooms are roasted, take them out of the pan and set them aside.

Place tomato paste into the pan and let it brown (about 2-3 minutes).

Add the mushrooms back into the pan along with the onion mixture.

Pour in the Marsala wine and let it cook down for 5-7 minutes. Scrape up all of the brown bits that are sticking to the pot. This is the caramelization that produces the tastiest part!

Add the chicken broth and herb bouquet to the pan. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat back to medium low and cover 3/4 of the pot.

Let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Mushrooms will start to shrink down.

You may need to add a little extra chicken broth to the pot as the liquid starts to evaporate. Watch carefully!

When the mushrooms are softened, and the sauce has thickened, remove the herb bouquet and season with remaining salt and pepper.

So Good!

It’s that simple!

Stewed Lentils and Tomatoes

Dec. 10
2015

Here is another great recipe from Ina Garten.

Save this for a cold, winter evening. It is a hearty, warm dish that leaves you feeling satisfied and content.

Serve it on one of those blustery days when you need something soothing and comforting.

My family loved it. There were no leftovers. I am sure your family will enjoy it as well.

If you make it, send me an email and let me know, I would love to hear from you!

Ingredients for Stewed Lentils

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced yellow onion
2 cups diced carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can plum tomatoes
1 cup french green lentils (uncooked)
2 cups chicken stock
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.

Add carrots and onions. Heat for 8-10 more minutes, then add garlic for one more minute.

While this is cooking, empty a can of tomatoes (juice and all) in a food processor and pulse a couple times so the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.

Rinse the lentils.

Add the tomatoes, broth, curry powder, thyme leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.Once at a boil, bring the mixture down to a simmer.

Cover and cook for 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Take off heat, but keep covered for 10 more minutes.

Add red wine vinegar. Serve hot.

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Honey

Dec. 8
2015

This is delicious dish from The Food Network Kitchen.

It is simple, fast and easy— my three favorite criteria for choosing a recipe.

The balsamic-honey is a wonderful accompaniment to the brussels sprouts. This tart, yet sweet sauce really compliments this vegetable. It may even persuade your children to taste them and enjoy them!

Whether you are cooking for a crowd or weekday dinner, this recipe is a winner!

Try it for your next holiday celebration!

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Honey

8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt (plus 1 tsp. reserved)
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper (plus 1/2 tsp. reserved)
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. honey
1 bay leaf
Shaved pecorino- romano or parmesan cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine the garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly golden crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat, transfer the garlic to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.

Season the garlic with salt. Reserve the garlic oil.

Toss the brussels sprouts with the reserved garlic oil on a baking sheet and spread in an even layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast until the brussels sprouts are tender and slightly charred, 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, honey and bay leaf in a saucepan and whisk until combined. Simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until slightly syrupy, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat; let cool until thick and glossy, about 6 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.

Transfer the brussels sprouts to a platter; spoon the vinegar syrup on top and sprinkle with the fried garlic and shaved cheese just before serving.

This recipe can be made up to 2 hours ahead.

Serve at room temperature.

Saffron Cauliflower

Dec. 3
2015

I made many delicious side dishes for Thanksgiving this year. This one was one of the most successful!

This recipe is courtesy of Yotam Ottolenghi, found in his “Plenty More” cookbook. There are so many wonderful recipes to choose from in all of his cookbooks. They present an unusual take on vegetables, grains and legumes that are combined with fresh ingredients to make wonderful dishes.

I choose this one because I wanted to learn how to use saffron, which quickly has become my new favorite ingredient. To tell you the entire truth, the picture he had in his book looked so beautiful I knew this would be on my Thanksgiving menu.

I will definitely be making this dish again sometime soon!

Ingredients for the Saffron Cauliflower

1 1/2 tsp. saffron
1/3 cup of boiling water
1 medium cauliflower, divided into medium florets

1 large red onion, sliced
2/3 cup of golden raisins (if they are dry, soak them in water for a few minutes, then drain)
1/2 cup good quality green olives, pitted and cut lengthways in half
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 cups of roughly chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400.

Put the saffron strands in a small bowl and pour in the boiling water. Leave to infuse for a minute, then pour the saffron and water into a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, and mix everything together with your hands.

Transfer the mix to a medium ovenproof dish, cover with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender but still a bit firm, not soft. Remove the dish from the oven and stir it around, then recover and return to bake.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and allow to cool down slightly before stirring in the parsley.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve warm or at room temperature.

It’s that simple!