Category Archives: Side Dishes

November 5, 2009 · 8:54 am

Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs and Cheese

Just a quick post today for a great potato side dish. These have everything I love in a potato dish: butter, crispy edges, fresh herbs, gooey cheese, did I mention butter and cheese?

The recipe at the end has quantities for 4 large potatoes, but this is a recipe I usually don’t measure for. You can use any kind of potato, peeled or unpeeled. I usually use unpeeled, but these red potatoes had skins that had seen better days, so off they came.

Start by cutting the potatoes into slices, but not all the way through. You want the bottom edge of the potato to remain intact. An easy way to do this is to place wooden spoons on either side of the potato as a cutting guide.

Cut until you hit the handle

Place your sliced potatoes in a baking dish. Melt butter and pour over the potatoes, using your fingers or a fork to get butter in between potato slices. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt (again trying to get some between the slices).

I love using fresh herbs with this, but in the winter I will often use dried Italian seasoning. Push a little between the slices. I used fresh oregano and thyme between the slices this time, and then sprinkled fresh chives over it all. The potato slices will open up more as they cook.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Once or twice during cooking, spoon melted butter from the bottom of the pan over potatoes. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Ooey-gooey-cheesy-crusty-herbed-potato goodness!

RECIPE:

Sliced Baked Potatoes with Herbs and Cheese

Servings: 4
Print

4 large baking potatoes
¼ cup melted butter (plan on 1 Tbs per potato)
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2-3 Tbs chopped fresh herbs (or 2-3 tsp dried):
try basil, thyme, oregano, chives, or Italian seasoning
¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan (other cheeses would be good as well)

Wash and dry potatoes; peel if desired. Cut into thin slices, but not all the way through the potato (use the handle of a wooden spoon placed alongside the potato to prevent cutting all the way through). Place potatoes in a baking dish. Sprinkle with butter, salt, and herbs, getting some between each slice.

Bake at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Once or twice during cooking, spoon melted butter from the bottom of the pan over potatoes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes.

NoEmptyChairs.me

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Tagged as baked potatoes, cheese, fresh herbs, hasselback, potatoes, sliced potatoes

October 13, 2009 · 9:15 pm

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic Almonds

Green beans are one vegetable that everyone at our table will eat. That and broccoli. So I try to change up the presentation every now and again, so that it doesn’t look like we are eating the same vegetable every night. This is a simple to prepare side dish that pleases even my picky eater (she’s the one helping out below!).

Start with enlisting the help of someone to wash and snap your fresh beans (even if she won’t look at you when you are holding a camera).

Copy of DSC01630 Copy of DSC01638

Wash beans and put into a pan with a small amount of salted water.

Cover and cook until just barely crisp-tender. Drain beans and set aside. In the same pan, melt 1 Tbs butter. Add about 2 Tbs sliced or slivered almonds.

Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle almonds with a small amount of garlic powder. Continue cooking (and stirring) until garlic powder just begins to brown (don’t overcook). Add beans back to the pan and stir to reheat.

RECIPE:

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic Almonds

Servings: 4-6
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1 lb fresh green beans
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sliced or slivered almonds
Garlic powder

Wash and snap beans. Place in a pot with a small amount (about ¾ cup) of salted water. Cover and cook until just barely crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.

In the same pan, melt 1 Tbs butter. Add about 2 Tbs sliced or slivered almonds. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle almonds with a small amount of garlic powder. Continue cooking (and stirring) until garlic powder just begins to brown (don’t overcook). Add beans back to the pan and stir to reheat.

NoEmptyChairs.me

Grilled Asparagus with Garlic & Lemon Thyme

This is the side dish that accompanied the Grilled Peruvian Chicken Thighs.

Asparagus is great on the grill, just be careful not to overcook it, or to let it fall through the grill slats.

This is a simple recipe for grilling vegetables. In a large Ziploc bag, combine olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon thyme (other good herbs to use: fresh rosemary, oregano, basil, Thai basil, cilantro, sage) and salt & pepper. I leave the garlic cloves whole, but then smash them somewhat while they are in the bag with the olive oil. Add washed and trimmed asparagus. To know where to trim your asparagus: hold a stalk in your hand and start to bend it near the bottom. The asparagus end will snap off at the perfect spot. No more tough ends!

Let asparagus sit in the marinade at room temperature for 30-60 minutes for best flavor. (It can also be cooked right away if you are short on time; the garlic just will not be as infused into the oil).

Remove asparagus from oil and place on a hot grill, turned to low (for gas grills). I like to grill the garlic as well, but I do often lose some through the grates. You could use a grill screen to avoid this. Grill 5-7 minutes, depending on the temperature of your grill. Watch them carefully, turning often.

Grilled Asparagus1 Grilled Asparagus2

This is also great with fresh zucchini. The zucchini in our garden overproduced this year, while our tomatoes were sadly underperforming. But now, the only things left in the garden are the green tomatoes that never ripened. I need to pick those today before I lose them to frost! Maybe some Green Tomato Salsa.

RECIPE:

Grilled Asparagus with Garlic & Lemon Thyme

Servings: 4-6
Print

1 bunch asparagus
2-3 Tbs olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, whole or crushed
2 Tbs fresh lemon thyme (or other fresh herb)
¼ tsp coarse sea salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Combine asparagus with oil, herb and seasonings in a Ziploc bag. Marinate 30-60 minutes at room temperature for best flavor. Cook 5-7 minutes on a hot grill (turned to low, for gas grills), turning often.

NoEmptyChairs.me