Posts Tagged ‘side dish’
Miso-Marinated Eggplant
Posted on: November 22, 2009
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I like eggplant. But I don’t like the fact that it absorbs too much oil when I stir-fry it. So, I decided to find new recipes to cook eggplant in a less greasy manner. On One Hot Stove, I found a recipe for grilling eggplant.
Miso-Marinated Eggplant
What you’ll need:
- 1 Asian eggplant, sliced into thick rounds (any variety will work, but I find Asian eggplants are naturally sweeter)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1/2 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
- 1 – 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (apple cidar vinegar will also work)
- 1 – 2 teaspoons sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
- Hot water
What to do:
- Turn on the broiler. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- While the oven preheats, prepare the marinade. Simply combine all the ingredients and stir well. Add in hot water slowly to thin out marinade to desired consistency (I like the consistency of a thick yogurt).
- Dip eggplant rounds into marinade, making sure both sides are well coated. Place eggplant slices on a single layer on cookie sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds on each piece.
- Broil for 20 minutes, turning once, until eggplant rounds are nicely browned and cooked thoroughly.
My thoughts: This is my first attempt at grilling eggplant, and it sure tasted different from stir-frying eggplants. By marinating eggplant in miso sauce and then broiling it in the oven, eggplant comes out tender, soft (not mushy!) and takes on an unique, completely new flavour that just kept me eating one after another!
What’s so great about eggplant? Eggplant belongs to the nightshade vegetable family (other members include: bell peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes). It is loaded with different nutrients, especially phytonutrients which have potent antioxidant properties. These compounds have protective effect on the heart and protect our cells from free radical damage. Find out more at WHFoods.
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A few weeks ago when I tried roasting cauliflower for the first, I thought it was already the best way to enjoy cauliflower. But now I have found an even more delicious way to cook it. When I came across Cookin’ Canuck‘s blog, I got immediately attracted to the delicious photo of the cauliflower side dish. Right away, I put it at the top of my to-make list and made it for dinner on the next day!
I followed the recipe for the most part, with a few minor amendments. I used 1 whole jalapeno pepper (I like it spicy!) and instead of stirring in brown rice, I just served it as a saucy side dish.
This side dish turned out amazing. It was rich and creamy… so filling and satisfying!!
Ginger, Jalapeño & Coconut Cauliflower
Adapted from Cookin’ Canuck’s Ginger, Jalapeño, & Coconut Brown Rice with Cauliflower
What you’ll need:
- 1/4 cup canola oil (I used my oil mister)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 large jalapeño pepper, finely diced (use less if you don’t like it as spicy)
- 1 pound cauliflower (about 2 cups), cut into tiny florets (smaller florets will hold the sauce better)
- 1 cup coconut milk, stirred well
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
What to do:
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil on medium heat (I gave it a good 2 to 3 sprays with my mister).
- Add onion and sauté on medium-heat until it turns brown (takes quite a few minutes). Add garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper, stir well and sauté until fragrant.
- Add cauliflower and continue to sauté until it starts to soften, about 7 – 8 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low and let it simmer until cauliflower is tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Transfer to serving plate, stir in cilantro leaves and serve hot.
Serves 2 (original recipe serves 4, but at my house we serve gigantic vegetable portions :))
Cauliflower may not be very popular, but it can be made into a very tasty dish! Plus it offers a wide array of health benefits. I’ve praised the goodness of cauliflower before, but just in case you’ve missed it, here’s my little blurb on what’s so great about cauliflower…
“…belongs to the cruciferous family which includes broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and kale. Different studies have indicated that consumption of cruciferous vegetables can help to reduce the risks of developing cancer. Sulphur-containing compounds, in particular sulforaphane, have been suggested to have a potent ability to trigger liver to produce detoxifying substances. These substances inhibit enzymes from activating cancer-causing agents in the body and enhance the activities of other enzymes involved in disabling and eliminating carcinogens. “
This vegetarian side dish is a scrumptious (and healthy!) way to enjoy cauliflower. If you have never been a cauliflower fan, now’s the time to give it another chance! Try roasting it to bring out its nutty flavour, or try making this spicy, coconut-y cauliflower dish.
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Simple and delicious roasted crimini and portabella mushrooms.
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This is a dish that can be assembled in no more than 10 minutes.
This is a dish that uses minimal ingredients to create itnense flavours.
This is a dish that will fill your house with a divine, mouth-watering aroma.
It is THE side dish that will spice up your ordinary dinner!
Simple Roasted Portabella and Crimini Mushrooms
Adopted from Epicurious
What you’ll need:
- 3/4 pound Cremini mushrooms, rinsed, stemmed and cut lengthwise into halves
- 1/4 pound Portabella mushrooms, rinsed, stemmed and cut into thick slices
- 1 – 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 5 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil (I used my olive oil mister)
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- In a large roasting pan, stir in all the ingredients. (I gave the mushrooms 3 – 4 good long sprays with my mister.) Make sure the mushrooms are well coated with rosemary and give your black pepper grinder a few good twists! Save the salt for now, we’ll add it at the end. Try to use a large enough roasting pan so that mushrooms are on a single layer (but it’s okay if they overlap too).
- Roast mushrooms for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent mushrooms from sticking to the pan. The mushrooms are ready when the juices are almost all evaporated and mushrooms are nicely browned.
- Before serving, sprinkle on some more black pepper and just a pinch of salt to bring the flavours all together. Mix well and transfer over to bowl. Serves 4 as side (or makes 2 generous servings if you’re an mushroom addict like me! :))
Other types of mushrooms will also work well in this dish – I’m trying shitake and king oyster mushrooms next time!
Roasted mushrooms make a simple, delightful and healthy side dish. Without using calorie-dense ingredients like heavy cream or butter, this recipe utilizes herbs and spices to jazz up the flavour of the mushrooms. Light and delicious!
So what’s so great about mushrooms?
They are a great source of selenium and B vitamins. Selenium helps to reduce the level of damaging free radicals in our body by keeping our antioxidant system working properly. It can play a role in reducing the amount of cancer-causing toxins and repairing DNA. Adequate intakes of selenium has been associated with reduced cancer risks. On the other hand, B vitamins are vital co-factors in nutrient metabolism. When there is low levels of B vitamins, the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins will be compromised, leading to suboptimal health status, exposing you to a wide array of possible health problems, including anemia, depression, weakened immune system, etc.
For more in-depth information, visit World’s Healthiest Foods’s page on Crimini mushrooms.
Do you like mushrooms? How do you like to enjoy them?
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A simple and delicious sweet chili dressing makes this salad taste amazing!
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This is a very simple recipe that I put together for a light lunch. It is perfect for times when you want to enjoy healthy food that takes little time to prepare. All you need to do is just takes whatever veggies what you have in your fridge or pantry and whip up some dressing. Putting together this salad probably took no more than 10 minutes. (Eating it will probably take even less ;))
The dressing is slightly sweet, balanced out with a splash of fish sauce and lemon juice. Quite refreshing and has a slight hint of Thai flavour. I highly recommend adding in cilantro; it really greatly boosts the flavour!
Salad of Lost Jewels with Sweet Chili Dressing
Serves 1 – 2 (depending on how much veggies you want to have~)
What you’ll need…
- 1/4 cup pomegranate
- 1/2 cucumber, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 avocado, diced into small chunks
- 1/4 cup cilantro, plus extra for garnish
For thedressing:
- 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 drop soy sauce
- A drizzle of sesame oil
- Salt and pepper
- Dice half an avocado into small chunks. Add in lemon juice and set aside.
- Peel and slice cucumber into very thin strips. Sprinkle sliced cucumbers with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let stand for a few minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
- Combine sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, water, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small and mix well. Stir in cilantro.
- In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, corn and avocado. Pour dressing over salad and mix well.
- Sprinkle in pomegranate (here’s a simple guide on how to open pomegranate). Add garnish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or cooled.
I intentionally made this salad meatless, but you can definitely add in some meat (chicken or seafood perhaps?). Also try tossing in a handful of nuts or some feta cheese to top it off! Use this recipe as a basis and play with it!
Healthy and Delicious!
The Silly Nutrition Undergrad has moved. Come to Juicy Fresh Bites for new content on health and nutrition!
What’s so great about cauliflower? It belongs to the cruciferous family which includes broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and kale. Many researches have indicated that consumption of cruciferous vegetables can help to reduce the risks of developing cancer. Sulphur-containing compounds, in particular sulforaphane, have been suggested to have a potent ability to trigger liver to produce detoxifying substances. These substances inhibit enzymes from activating cancer-causing agents in the body and enhance the activities of other enzymes involved in disabling and eliminating carcinogens.. For a more in-depth discussion of cauliflower’s health benefits, visit The World’s Healthiest Food.
To me, cauliflower has always seemed to be a boring food. It doesn’t have a distinct flavour and so it’s never good eaten alone.
Until one day when I was flipping through Ellie Kreiger’s amazing cookbook, The Food You Crave, I bumped into a recipe for roasted cauliflower. Tempted by Ellie’s promise that roasting will breath new life into cauliflower, I adopted her recipe for making roasted cauliflower and tweaked it slightly to my liking.
The end result? A light and delicious healthy vegetable side dish to complement my homemade cheese pizza on Saturday night (post on the pizza dinner coming soon)!
Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard-Mayo Sauce
Adopted from Roasted Nutmeg Cauliflower by Ellie Kreiger (my tweaks)
Ingredients
-
- 1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into small florets
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (2 good long spray with my olive oil mister)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 -2 tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (can be substituted with regular mayonnaise)
Directions:
-
- Preheat the oven to 350F (since I was using a toaster oven, I set the temperature higher, 400F).
- Place cauliflower into a large baking dish (ideally the cauliflower should fit snugly on a single layer). Toss (or spray) with the oil, and sprinkle with nutmeg and salt.
- Cover the dish and roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cover, give the cauliflower a good stir. If it looks dry, give it another good spray with the oil. Then, roast another 30 – 45 minutes uncovered, until the cauliflower is tender and nicely browned. Make sure to stir occasionally to ensure even browning.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard and Japanese mayonnaise.
- When done, remove from the oven and mix in the mustard-mayo dressing. Serve hot!
Photo by Laurel Fan — I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed one from Flickr…
The recipe is very simple and requires little ingredients. First try the cauliflower without adding in the dressing and see how you like it. When I tried it, I found it to be lacking a special kick and so I got creative and added on the dressing!
The sharp mustard was balanced out by the mild Japanese mayo and the end result was delicious! The mustard added just the special kick I wanted, and the dressing really enhanced the flavour and the dish felt much more full-bodied and fulfilling. Yum!
Try this dish out! The key step of this dish is really to make sure the cauliflower browns nicely. When that is done right, the cauliflower will taste good no matter what spices or what dressing you add to it!
The next time I make this, I think I’m going to give it an Oriental taste by adding in turmeric, curry powder, and cumin seeds.
How do you like to eat cauliflower? Share your recipe here!
The Silly Nutrition Undergrad 