Category Archives for Side Dish

Sesame Ramen Noodles – Spend With Pennies

This Sesame Ramen dish is such an addictive treat. Crisp green onions are sauteed in sesame oil & tossed with instant ramen in a spicy garlic ginger sauce.

To Make Ramen Noodle Sauce

It’s best to have all your ingredients ready ahead of time so that you can just toss everything in the hot pan.

  1. Prepare green onions, garlic, and ginger.
  2. Boil the instant ramen (see recipe below).
  3. Make the sauce and toss with the noodles. Top with extra green onion and sesame seeds

    Ingredients

    • ▢2 packages ramen noodles seasoning packets discarded
    • ▢2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (ADD EXTRA IF ADDING MEAT)
    • ▢2 cloves garlic (ADD EXTRA IF ADDING MEAT)
    • ▢3 green onions finely sliced & whites/greens divided
    • ▢3 tablespoons oil 
    • ▢Toasted sesame seeds for serving
    Sauce
    • ▢1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
    • ▢1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • ▢½ teaspoon brown sugar or honey
    • ▢¼ teaspoon red chili flakes or sriracha
    • ▢1 tablespoon water
    • ▢2 teaspoons rice vinegar

    Instructions

    • Boil ramen noodles 3 minutes or just until tender, drain well. Do not overcook. Meanwhile, whisk sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
    • Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic and whites of green onions. Cook just until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
    • Add remaining sauce ingredients and ½ of the remaining green onions. Simmer 1 minute.
    • Stir in ramen, cook 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining green onions and sesame seeds.

How to Toast Sesame Seeds

When it comes to sesame seeds, toasted definitely has the best flavor. You can also purchase toasted seeds to keep on hand.

To start, preheat a dry skillet on medium. To save dishes, use the same pan you plan to make the noodles in.

  • When hot, sprinkle the raw sesame seeds in the pan and shake or move the seeds around with a spatula until they start to turn slightly brown. Watch carefully that the seeds don’t burn. This should only take about 30 seconds to a minute.
  • Once you see a color change, scrape the seeds into a bowl immediately.

Source: Sesame Ramen Noodles – Spend With Pennies

Asparagus Dish

Some of you have asked me for this Recipe. Thanks to Chef Andrew Masciangelo of Savona Restaurant for teaching me to make this delicious dish many years ago. Head on over to their website to order tonight’s dinner – pickup or delivery!

For you who asked – the recipe for Creamy Mushroom Asparagus. Ingredients – 1/2 Lb assorted Mushrooms (3 different types – crimini and trumpet are two good choices); 2 TB chopped shallots; 1 cup white wine; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 pint heavy cream; 1 tsp chopped parsley; 2 bunches medium asparagus. Saute mushrooms & shallots in extra virgin olive oil, until liquid has extracted and evaporated. Add white wine and reduce until majority of liquid is gone. Add chicken stock and reduce until majority of liquid is gone. Add heavy cream and reduce by 1/4 and season with salt & pepper. Blanch asparagus in boiling water and when time to serve, spread mushroom sauce over asparagus and finish with chopped parsley and grated parmesan. Note: peel asparagus stalks with vegetable peeler before blanching. Gets rid of stringiness!

Source: Pat Nogar

Barbara’s Corn Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (I used 1/2 regular & 1/2 light)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup raw sugar & a couple Splenda)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream ( I use light sour cream)
  • 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) cornbread/muffin mix
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained – can sub Hominy
  • 1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn

Important to have the butter soft & the eggs room temperature.

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I use a large serving fork.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Gradually add muffin mix alternately with milk. Fold in corn.  Sometimes I add a tablespoon of dried onion and a tablespoon of dried green/red peppers (not the hot kind).
  • Pour into a greased 3-qt. baking dish or 13×9-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until set and lightly browned, 45-50 minutes.  It usually takes at least 50 to 55 minutes when I bake it in a 13X9 inch glass pan. I turn the pan once at about 35 minutes.
  • Enjoy!           BTW  – You can always leave the sugar out or use less if you’d like.

Mustard-Green Onion Potato Salad

Get Mustard-Green Onion Potato Salad Recipe from Food Network

Ingredients

3 pounds new potatoes, boiled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 a red onion chopped fine

1 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons whole grain mustard

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or a squeeze of lime

1/4 cup chopped fresh Dill

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Source: Mustard-Green Onion Potato Salad

Tims Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad

Three Bean Salad Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 8

Prep the onion first. Soak the chopped onion in a small bowl of water to take the edge off the onion while you prep the other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup), soaked in water to take the edge off the onion
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup loosely packed, fresh, finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fresh finely chopped rosemary

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (more or less to taste)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 Make the salad: In a large bowl, mix the 3 different types of beans, the celery, onion (drained of soaking water), parsley, and rosemary.

2 Make the dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

3 Chill and Serve: Transfer the salad to the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to soak up the flavor of the dressing. Let come to close to room temperature to serve.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/three_bean_salad/

 

Pasta With Zucchini, Feta and Fried Lemon Recipe

This is a less saucy, more pasta-salad-like pasta, which is to say it’s best served at room temperature after being carted to an outdoor location and eaten directly from the container The zucchini mixture should be deeply flavorful and concentrated, rather than loose or watery If you’re looking for something saucier, add more olive oil (not pasta water) as needed to coat each piece of pasta before serving.

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces pasta, such as spaghetti or bucatini
  •  Kosher salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • ½ cup walnut pieces (optional)
  • 2 large shallots, 1 medium onion or 1 large leek (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
  •  Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1 ¼ pounds zucchini (about 2 medium), thinly sliced
  • 2 ounces feta, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 cup parsley or dill leaves, or a mix, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

    PREPARATION

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water to stop cooking and toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking; set aside.
  2. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add walnuts, if using, and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until walnuts are toasted and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the walnuts to a small bowl (leaving the oil behind) and season with salt; set aside.
  3. Add shallots and lemon to the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until both the shallots and lemons are totally softened and have begun to caramelize, 5 to 8 minutes. Add capers and stir to coat in the oil, letting them sizzle a minute or two.
  4. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. (Do not be alarmed at the amount of zucchini in the skillet; it will cook down by about half.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until much of the water has evaporated from the zucchini and it has totally softened, become translucent and is beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. (This mixture should be very flavorful and lightly saucy.)
  5. Remove pan from heat and add pasta, tossing to coat. (If your skillet is very full, you can always transfer everything to a large bowl and toss to coat there.) Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and top with toasted walnuts, feta and herbs, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil.

Source: Pasta With Zucchini, Feta and Fried Lemon Recipe