I don’t have nearly enough recipes for side dishes.  My go to sides are generally rice and a green vegetable tossed into the microwave to steam for 5 minutes while I hastily set the table.  I am generally so overwhelmed just by getting the main course onto the table that the timing and effort required by complicated side dishes is beyond my ability.  Yet, sometimes it is nice to have slightly more complicated veggies.  Especially when that little boost of flavor is enough to get people to eat what they wouldn’t necessarily try.  Of course every thing is better with bacon.  Top it off with a little brown sugar and its almost dessert right? 

These Brussels sprouts aren’t exactly standing in for dessert.  There is neither enough bacon nor brown sugar in them to negate their vegetably goodness.  They are simply tender and just barely sweet-just sweet enough to offset that Brussels sprouty bitterness-tossed with crisp crumbled bacon and finished with a little butter.  They are a wonderful way to serve what is typically a maligned vegetable. 

The best part is the delicious sweet, buttery flavor.  The next best part is that they aren’t complicated at all, leaving you plenty of mental capacity to get the main course done properly. 

Brown Sugar Bacon Brussels Sprouts

serves 4, prep 10 min, cook 20 min, adapted from Southern Living, December 2008

• 4 bacon slices, roughly chopped
• 14 oz chicken broth or drippings plus water to make 14 ounces
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (may omit in the case of sweet drippings such as from a honey or brown sugar ham)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• butter

1. In a medium pot, saute bacon until crisp and remove to a paper towel.  Pour off fat if desired.
2. Bring chicken broth or chicken or ham drippings, plus enough water or broth to make 14 ounces, to a boil.
3. Stir in brown sugar and salt.  Add Brussels sprouts and cover.
4. Cook brussel sprouts 6-10 minutes or until desired tenderness (tender but not mushy).
5. Use a slotted spoon to remove Brussels sprouts to a serving dish.
6. Top with a bit of butter while hot and the crumbled bacon. Serve.

I made these with the drippings from our Easter ham which had a brown sugar glaze, making the additional brown sugar and bacon fat unnecessary.  Try them, try them!  I love Brussels sprouts but mrChaos doesn’t and yet he really enjoyed these.  FTW!

Oh, potato salad.  Tangy, smooth with bits of crunch, drenched in creamy mayo.  Why do you have to be so bad for me?

I have been craving potato salad something fierce lately, but I have also been doing very well in my commitment to eating healthier and lighter.  So what’s a girl to do?  Make this healthy potato salad.  Potatoes and garlic, roasted with grainy mustard and coriander seeds then stirred into creamy, tangy yogurt with fresh bits of green and onion, this potato salad has all of the flavor elements of a great deli potato salad yet with much fewer calories and far less fat.

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

• 3 lbs medium or small red potatoes, cut into small pieces
• 1  tablespoon oil
• 1  tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• 2  teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
• 6  garlic cloves, halved
• 1/2  cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2  cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/3  cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing mixture to coat.
3. Spread potato mixture over prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake 30 minutes or until tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Cool to room temperature.
5. Combine parsley, yogurt, green onions, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled potato mixture, and toss gently.
6. Serve salad at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with green onion, if desired.

It is very important to cool your potatoes before stirring them into the yogurt mixture.  Otherwise, the hot potatoes will soak up all of your yogurt and your potato salad will not be very creamy.

I have been in the mood for salads lately-big, flavorful, complex salads.  This one really fit the bill.  The vegetables were flavorful and crisp, dressed with a thin peanut sauce.  In fact, it would be delicious with noodles as well.

I love my julienne peeler.  I actually dragged out the madoline last night to do these vegetables and quickly discovered it was much harder to use and yielded the same results as my little hand held peeler.  I would suggest picking one up if you like your vegetables julienned in salads or sautees.

Bang Bang Chicken Salad

• 1 lb or 2 large chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp oil
• several dashes soy sauce

For the dressing:

• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp Sambal Oelek or Sriracha Chili Sauce
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water

For the Salad

• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 large cucumber, julienned
• 1 celelry stalk, julienned
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, julienned
• 4 large mint leaves, julienned (about 1 tbsp)
• 1/2 head of romaine lettuce, sliced thinly
• 1 serrano pepper, sliced thinly into coins
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
• 4 green onions, sliced thinly

1. Sautee chicken breasts in oil over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Splash with soy sauce and turn to coat.  Remove from heat.
2. Combine dressing ingredients, except water, in a large measuring cup, whisk to combine.  Add water until dressing is thin and pourable.
3. Prepare veggies for salad, toss together in a large bowl.
4. Slice chicken breasts and serve over salad, drizzle with dressing.

I have always loved food.  All my life I have been especially enamored by the various Asian and Mediterranean cuisines, albeit the Americanized versions I’m sure.  Indian food, though, was one I had to learn to love.  Yet, love it, I do.  Spicy, flavorful Indian food-like this or this-has become one of my very favorite, crave-able meals.  I comb the Internet looking for home cooks who have mastered the Indian recipes I love and through that search I have found so many wonderful food blogs.  Blue Jean Gourmet is one of them-although there are so many delicious recipes there one is hardly confined to the Indian ones.  Not only does Nishta post wonderful recipes, she is also another Houstonian and was even recently named one of Houston’s “Blog Stars” by the Houston Press.

I was so excited when she posted this recipe for kheer, I knew I’d be making it soon.  This cooling and subtly sweet rice pudding has long been my favorite way to round out the spicy flavors of Indian food, and now I can make it at home as well!

Kheer

• 4 cups milk, 2% or whole
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 tbsp ground cardamom (or 2 cardamom pods)
• 1/4-1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• chopped roasted, salted pistachios

1. Rinse rice.  Meanwhile, heat milk over medium low.
2. Drain rice and add to the milk.  Cook on medium low about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the milk from browning on the bottom.
3. After 30 min check the thickness of your kheer.  I cooked it about 20 more minutes from that point for a thicker, more pudding like kheer than you would get at a restaurant.
4. When your rice is done and it is as thick as you’d like, remove from the heat and stir in cardamom and sweetened condensed milk.
5. Chill or serve warm topped with chopped pistachios.

Thanks for all of your comments on my last post.  I guess there really are people out there who aren’t completely in love with spaghetti.  Crazy.