Archive for the ‘SIDES’ Category
Fried Cabbage & Egg Noodles
This is German in origin, and is probably the reason fried cabbage is prevalent in the US, migrants bring their common dishes with them, then prepare them using ingredients from the local region. This is a simple dish with only four ingredients, and it is delicious.
Ingredients
- 500 grams egg noodles, (1 lb)
- ½ cup butter
- 1 head cabbage, medium size, cored and chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender, drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large non stick pan on low heat then add the cabbage and season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook the cabbage, turning often, until it starts to just turn brown.
- Add the pasta to the pan and toss with the cabbage to mix. Cook until the pasta starts to turn brown, maybe 5 minutes, turning and mixing often.
- Serve as a side dish. Enjoy.
Braised Quail Eggs & Mushrooms
Quail eggs and mushrooms, sounds good to me. This is Chinese in origin. Served as a side dish or a light main dish when served with steamed broccoli or cauliflower. I made this on 24 June 2018 and is perfect as written. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 24 hard boiled quail eggs, peeled, or canned, Shortcut
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 spring onion, cut into 1 inch pieces, green and white
- 2 cups fresh baby button mushrooms, or canned
- cooking oil, for frying and sauteing
For the Sauce
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- black pepper, as desired
For the Thickener
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- If using fresh hard boiled quail eggs, peel those and place in a shallow bowl. If using canned canned eggs, drain, rinse, and place in a bowl. Add the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and mix together. Set aside and marinate for 15 minutes.
- If using canned mushrooms, drain and rinse those, and set them aside. If using fresh mushrooms, steam those to precook them, then set those aside.
- In a bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients, and in a measuring cup, mix together the thickening ingredients.
- Heat a wok or large pan with about ½ inch of cooking oil, while the oil is heating, take a toothpick and poke each egg a few times through the white into the yolk. The reason for this is you are going to fry the eggs in hot oil, the pricks from the toothpick should reduce the chances of an egg bursting. When the oil is hot, add the eggs and fry for a few minutes, stirring them as well until starting to brown up. Remove the eggs and drain.
- Pour out the oil from the wok or pan, and return 2 tablespoons of oil back to the pan, heat and when hot, saute the spring onion until fragrant.
- Add the mushrooms and the sauce to the pan and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the thickener then the eggs. Stir to mix together and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Serve as is as a side dish or serve with steamed vegetables for the light main dish.
Notes
Low cost as a light main dish.
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Quail Eggs.
Quail Eggs in Soy Sauce II
This is an American rendition of soy sauce eggs, more like a pickled egg in way, but sounds like these would be great in a salad or as appetizers or snacks. On my to cook list. I will update the servings, prep, and cook times after I have made this. My goal is to make two pint jars. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 25-35 hard boiled quail eggs, peeled, or canned, Shortcut
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Bird's Eye Chilis, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
- 2 pint mason jars
Instructions
- In a pot, add the soy sauce, vinegars, garlic, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stir, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temp.
- If using fresh hard boiled quail eggs, get them peeled, rinsed, and place in the mason jars. If using canned eggs, drain, rinse (they are already peeled), and place in the mason jars.
- Add 1 chili (both halves) to each jar. Place a wedge or two of onion in each jar.
- Pour the cooled brine into each jar, pack in more eggs as needed and push them down into the liquid so they are covered. Place lids on the jars and set in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, then the eggs are ready to be enjoyed.
Notes
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Quail Eggs.
Quail Eggs in Soy Sauce I
This sounds very good, and this recipe is Indonesian in origin. Normally served on a skewer as a side dish, appetizer, or snack. On my to cook list. This recipe assumes you have fresh hard boiled quail eggs or for folks in the states, feel free to use canned. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 30 hard boiled quail eggs, peeled, or canned, Shortcut
- 200 grams palm sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 cups water
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- salt, as desired
- 2 bay leaves, Indonesian if you have them
- 1 inch galangal root, chopped, (3 cm)
- 6 wooden skewers
Instructions
- If using fresh hard boiled eggs, get them peeled the set aside. If using canned, just drain and rinse (they are already peeled) and set them aside.
- Add the chopped shallots, galangal, coriander, and a pinch or two of salt in a mortar and mash with a pestle. No mortar? No problem, use a food processor or blender. Set aside.
- Add the water to a pot and bring to a boil. Then stir in the mashed ingredients, bay leaves, sugar, soy sauce, and finally add the eggs.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook until the eggs are a nice brown color then remove from heat.
- Remove the eggs and drain.
- Place 5 eggs on each skewer.
- Serve.
Notes
Shortcut: Perfect Hard Boiled Quail Eggs.
Fried Oyster Mushrooms
This comes from a good friend, and this recipe is Chinese in origin, and my friend is Chinese as well, so I will take her word on this, and it not only sounds very good, it is delicious! Using Oyster mushrooms as the base and adding to this, this is wide open to adapt to your liking. Lot of photos here as I used 3 types and want to show how to prep these if you have not used these before. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 400 grams fresh oyster mushrooms, (14 oz)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup corn starch
- salt and pepper, as desired
- 1-2 cups lard, or cooking oil, for frying, OR make from a shortcut
Instructions
- Remove the root end of the mushrooms, rinse the mushrooms and squeeze dry. Using your hands, pull apart the mushrooms into 2 or 3 pieces and place in a mixing bowl.
- I misjudged the amount of Oyster mushrooms I had so I used two more types of mushrooms, first I used a package of white Shimeji mushrooms, 150 grams (5-6 oz). These are in clumps in the package. This photo is I just took them out of the package.
- To prep these, cut off about 1 inch of the root ends of the clumps as shown, rinse, squeeze dry, add to the bowl with the Oyster mushrooms.
- Next mushroom used was a package of Enoki mushrooms, 200 grams (7 oz), in the states, these are also known as Golden mushrooms, and can be found canned as well in the Asian markets there. This photo is the mushrooms taken out of the package, these grow in a large clump and are long slender stems.
- To prep these, cut off about 1 1/2 to two inches from the root end, and cut the mushrooms in half as shown, rinse, squeeze dry and to the bowl with the other mushrooms.
- Use your hands and toss the mushrooms together. This photo really shows how slender the Enoki mushrooms are.
- Sprinkle the corn starch onto the mushrooms and gently mix together to coat the mushrooms.
- Then add the egg, salt and pepper to taste, heavy handed with the pepper works well, and mix together to coat the mushrooms fully.
- Heat the lard or oil in a large non stick pan, when hot but not smoking, carefully slide or place (using tongs) the mushroom in the oil.
- Fry until golden brown, turning them often as you fry them.
- Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- Place on a serving tray or large plate, serve with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Notes
Low cost.
Shortcut: Rendering Lard.
Variant: 1. Reduce the amount of Oyster mushrooms and add in other types of mushrooms.
This recipe for Fried Oyster Mushrooms is from China Sichuan Food.
Spaghetti with Leeks
Sounds very good, and the beauty of this is, it is a one pot dish, always a bonus when it comes to clean up. I think this would be a very nice side dish or a light meal with a salad on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 3 spring onions, chopped, white and green parts
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced, rinsed well
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 1-2 anchovy fillets
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 500 grams dry spaghetti, broken in half, (1 lb)
- 3 3/4 cups chicken stock, fresh or from powder
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil, when hot, add the garlic, spring onion, leeks, and shallot and cook stirring often until the leeks are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the anchovy fillet(s) and mash that up, then add the red pepper, stock, cream, spaghetti, and salt as desired and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the spaghetti is tender and a sauce forms, about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in the chives and cheese, season with salt as desired.
- Serve with additional Parmesan cheese on the side as a topping.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry
Oyster mushrooms are excellent cooking mushrooms in Asia, and many restaurants prefer them over the even better Straw mushrooms because they last much longer. Keep in mind, cooking this type of mushroom, the goal is to remove the moisture and just soften the mushrooms. I made this on 13 May 2018, and this is excellent, very well liked by the family.
Ingredients
- 400 grams fresh oyster mushrooms, (14 oz)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 spring onions, cut to 1 inch pieces, white and green separated
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- fresh coriander, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Cut off the root ends of the mushrooms, wash, shake dry and even gently squeeze out any water. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, saute the white parts of the spring onion and when softened, sprinkle in the ginger powder.
- Add the mushrooms, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. Mix together then let the mushrooms cook with less stirring, think sauteing. This only takes 1-2 minutes. Reduce the liquid in the pan to almost gone.
- Season with black pepper as desired and mix in the green parts of the spring onions, give it a few stirs, then remove to a serving dish. Top with fresh chopped coriander.
- Serve as a side dish or over rice for a light meal. (For this photo, the liquid you see is chicken gravy, not liquid from the mushrooms, however, I will say the mushrooms with the gravy is very good as well.)
Notes
Low cost.
Variant: 1. For a more authentic flavor, use ground Szechuan pepper. 2. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink, then serve as a main dish over rice.
This recipe for Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry is from China Sichuan Food.
Spinach, Cheese & Rice Casserole
Sounds great, on my to cook list for sure.
Ingredients
- 280 grams frozen spinach, thawed, chopped, squeezed dry, (10 oz)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
- 2-3 spring onions, sliced, white and green parts
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1-2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F) and grease with butter a 7x11 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the rice, butter, spinach, Cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, spring onion, garlic, milk, and eggs, season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered, then optionally top with Mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Let casserole rest for 5 minutes (there is a lot of hot cheese in there), then serve as a light main dish or as a side dish with say, chicken or fish. Enjoy.
Notes
Figure 180 Baht for the Cheddar, 90 Baht for the Parmesan, and 90 Baht for the Mozzarella. For 6 servings, this is about $1.88 per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Mushroom Herb Gravy
This sounds like a really good gravy. On my to cook list for sure, along with a lot of mashed potatoes 😉
Ingredients
- 225 grams fresh mushrooms, Shiitake is good, (8 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth, fresh or from powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or 3 sprigs fresh
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wash the mushrooms, if using Shiitake remove stems, and thinly slice. Set aside.
- Heat a large non stick pan on medium heat and add the butter and garlic. Cook the garlic until fragrant, maybe 1 or 2 minutes but do not let the garlic or butter brown.
- Now add the mushrooms and cook until nicely browned and any water they released has cooked off.
- Reduce heat to low or medium low and add the flour, continue to cooking, stirring often until the flour turns golden brown.
- Whisk in the stock and whisk until all the flour has dissolved into the stock, then add the thyme, sage, season with black pepper as desired. Increase the temp to medium, as the gravy starts to simmer, it will thicken. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, the salt will depend on the type of stock or broth you used.
- Allow the gravy to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to reach your desired thickness, and keep in mind, the gravy will also thicken as it cools.
- Serve over mashed potatoes.
Notes
Low cost.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Kidney Bean Salad
Excellent salad if you like kidney beans, after I mixed I taste tested, perfect. When chilled, it is excellent. If one does not like that much cilantro, just cut back on that. To make this vegetarian/vegan simply leave out the cheese. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 can red Kidney beans, drained, rinsed, or 1½ cups you cooked, Shortcut.
- 1 can corn, drained, or 1½ cups fresh cooked or frozen
- ½ cucumber, diced, if small cucumber, use all of it
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2-3 spring onions, sliced, white and green
- ¾ cup Feta cheese, crumbled
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss together.
- In a small bowl, add the dressing ingredients and whisk, taste and adjust as needed.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Place in the fridge for a few hours, serve as a side dish. This can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. (I chose to add the Feta cheese after this is chilled, that is why you do not see it in this.)
Notes
Shortcut: Kidney Beans (Pressure Cooker).
Variants: 1. Add halved cherry tomatoes. 2. Use black beans in place of red kidney beans. 3. For vegetarian or vegan, omit the cheese.
