This recipe is for a side dish, but you could definitely make it an entrée by adding cooked shrimp or sliced chicken breast. The cranberries and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) will add wonderful autumn flavors to your simple celebration!
Pearl Couscous with cranberries
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups pearl couscous cooked according to package directions
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup scallions diced
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup basil sliced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Make couscous according to package directions.
- Let couscous cool and add all other ingredients.
- Serve at room temperature
Whether you need to bring a side dish to a pot luck, are having a crowd over for dinner, or want to serve a light meal to your family, try this orzo recipe – you won’t disappoint! This dish can be put together the day before needed. Just bring it to room temperature and serve. Top the orzo with cooked shrimp or sliced chicken and you will have dinner done!
Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, Mozzarella, and Raisins
Servings 6
Calories 222kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup orzo 10 oz.
- 3 Tbsp pine nuts
- 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts drained
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus a little more for pasta
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp sea or kosher salt
- 1/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped basil
- 2/3 cup fresh mozzarella cubed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package and drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water and add a little olive oil so pasta doesn't stick together.
- Lightly toast the pine nuts in a skillet, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Drain the artichokes and quarter.
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- To the bowl, add the artichokes, orzo, pine nuts, tomatoes, raisins, basil, mozzarella and zest. Toss together. Serve at room temperature.
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These smashed potatoes are easy and so good you need to be sure to have at least 4 per person. The recipe below serves 2 people – maybe!! We found this “Hot Steve” salt at William-Sonoma in the Ponce de Leon Market on the belt line in Atlanta. It has a spicy chili flavor and was made right in Atlanta. The garlic olive oil is from the Kalamazoo Olive Oil Shop located in our hometown, St. Petersburg, FL. Purchasing a few local ingredients while you travel turns a normal recipe into something special!
Garlic and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes
Servings 2
Calories 298kcal
Ingredients
- 8 small honey gold potatoes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- spicy salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Place potatoes in a pot and cover with salted cold water.
- Boil potatoes until done, about 20 minutes.
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place cooked potatoes on parchment paper and smash with the bottom of a juice glass.
- Mix garlic and olive oil (if not using garlic oil) and brush the tops of each potato.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crunchy.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle grated cheese over each potato. Serve warm.
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One of the hassles of preparing polenta is having to constantly stand over the stove and stir the pot until you get the desired consistency. This recipe, thanks to our friend Mary Jo, is baked in the oven and comes out perfect every time!
Easy, Foolproof Polenta
Servings 6
Calories 182kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup polenta
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/6 cup cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese or blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix polenta and broth in a 9 x 9 baking pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes, stir, then bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir in cream and cheese.
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Couscous is a funny starch, it doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own, but it works well as a base for vegetable or meat dishes. It also mixes beautifully into salads and can be flavored with herbs like oregano, basil or mint, or even studded with fruit like raisins or apricots. It’s a very neutral — and nutritious — base for all sorts of dishes. We like using the “pearl” sized couscous to make the dish more substantial. This recipe can be changed to incorporate any vegetables or herbs you have on hand.
Pearl Couscous with Grilled Vegetables
Servings 6
Calories 215kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 4 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano minced
- 1 1/2 tsp + 1/4 c. fresh chives minced
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 medium size zucchini
- 1 medium size yellow squash
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
- Add couscous and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until golden.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat to simmer and cook for ten minutes.
- Fluff the couscous with a fork and place in a medium bowl to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine two Tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, chives and salt and pepper.
- Add to cooked couscous.
- Slice pepper, zucchini, and squash in half. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Grill for a few minutes on each side.
- Chop the vegetables and add to couscous. Mix together and serve at room temperature.
This dish is perfect for picnics – it can be made the day ahead and it is best served room temperature.
Mediterranean Rice Salad
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp salt divided
- 1 1/2 cup jasmine rice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 1 tsp fresh chives or mint
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2-3 cups spinach leaves chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup green onions sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives optional
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling add rice and 1/2 t. salt. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit, still covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and put in large bowl.
- While rice is cooking, make the dressing by whisking together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, chives/mint, 1 tsp salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Add the dressing to the rice, mix, and immediately add the spinach and toss. Let this sit until the dish is no longer steaming, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
To make this dish a meal, sprinkle 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp (deveined and shelled, tails on) with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Sauté in a tablespoon of hot oil until shrimp curls and turns pink. You can also use sautéed chicken breasts instead of shrimp.
Need a quick side dish and have no time to run to the store? Keep a can of seasoned black beans (we like Bush’s) and rice in the pantry, and a tasty side dish is on the table in 20 minutes. Left over chicken, shrimp, or pork? Add it to the dish and it becomes a meal!
Rice with Seasoned Black Beans
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1 can Bush's Seasoned Black Beans undrained
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add rice and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add water and bring to a boil.
- Once water boils, add the bouillon, turn heat to simmer and cover.
- Cook rice for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until all water is absorbed.
- Add black beans and stir until heated through.
- Top with green onions and serve immediately.
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Having some friends or family over for an afternoon of swimming? Make this deli pasta salad in the morning and lunch will be on the table in no time. Also, there is no mayonnaise in this recipe which makes it is a great dish to take to the beach or on a picnic!
Deli Pasta Salad
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 16-24 ounces spiral multi colored pasta
- 8 ounces salami sliced in thin strips
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese sliced in thin strips
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1 red or orange bell pepper sliced in thin strips
- 1 small red onion sliced in thin strips
- 1/2 cup sliced olives
- 2/3 bottle or more of Italian dressing - we like Paul Newman's
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente, drain and rinse with cold water - make sure pasta has cooled before adding remaining ingredients.
- Stir everything together before adding dressing.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Serve with nice Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and a baguette.
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This is truly scrumptious! One of best parts about this recipe is that it is served at room temperature. We like it as a side dish, but you can make it a main meal by adding cooked chicken, shrimp or beef. Is it very spicy? It has about a medium heat. To make it more or less spicy, increase or decrease the chili oil.
Spicy Asian Peanut Sesame Noodles
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger minced
- 3 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp hot chili oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles look in produce section of grocery store
- 8 green onions thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup roasted peanuts roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil sliced
Instructions
- Start the water to boil for the egg noodles.
- Heat the peanut oil in a small skillet until hot. Sauté the garlic and ginger for one minute.
- Place in a large bowl and whisk in the next 6 ingredients.
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water once cooked. Rinse until pasta becomes cool.
- Add pasta to sauce bowl and stir until pasta is well coated.
- Add sliced green onions and stir.
- Leave pasta at room temperature for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Before serving, add peanuts and basil and thoroughly mix all ingredients.
Notes
To make it more or less spicy, increase or decrease the chili oil.
This dish keeps in the refrigerator for several days. Be sure to bring to room temperature before serving.
We love tomatoes – their bright color, their savory flavor, and their versatility. Here is a recipe for a no-cook sauce that can be used to top pasta, bruschetta, cooked fish, chicken, the sky’s the limit. One more thing, the aroma of this recipe is absolutely mouth-watering!
"No-Cook" Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh, ripe plum or other garden tomato seeded and diced
- 1 cup fresh basil plus more for a garnish chopped
- 1/4 cup chives minced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup good-quality olive oil
- 2 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Sauce
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese for garnish.
To Make Bruschetta
- Thinly slice baguette bread, lightly oil each side, and broil for about 5 minutes, turning once (keep an eye on it, it can overcook quickly).
Notes
Sauce can be made 2-3 hours ahead and left on counter for ingredients to meld together.
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