Tag: Side dish

Czech Heritage and Dishes

Houbový Kuba

cathysmahaLeave a comment

This Czech dish has been on my ‘must make’ list for some time. I did not enjoy this dish growing up, but I knew that this frugal, earthy dish must have been made by my Czech ancestors. I cheated and used Quick Barley, greatly shortening the cooking time.

Houbový Kuba is often made at Christmas served with a side of pickled vegetables. I did not have pickled vegetables on hand, but enjoyed this as a side dish. I also enjoyed leftovers with a little sweet Thai chile sauce…I know it’s weird but it was quite tasty. My Czech ancestors would be embarrassed, I’m sure.

Houbový Kuba

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup dried mushrooms
  • 1½ cup cold water
  • 1 cup pearl barley (I used Quick Barley)
  • 2 tablespoons butter , divided
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or broth
  • 2 large onions , finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • Salt and pepper , to taste
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Place the dried mushrooms into a bowl or large jug, pour over 1½ cups/400ml water, and leave to soak overnight.
  2. Place the pearl barley into a suitable-sized bowl or jug, and add enough water to cover by 2-3” (5-8cm). Leave to soak overnight.
  3. The next day, drain and gently squeeze out the mushrooms but keep the soaking water, and set it aside.
  4. Drain the barley (discard the water), rinse it well.
  5. In a medium-large skillet, heat half of the butter over a medium heat, and gently toast the barley for a few minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Keep it moving around the pan to prevent it burning.
  6. Stir the mushrooms into the barley, and add 1 cup (250ml) of the mushroom soaking water.
  7. Once that has been absorbed, add the rest of the mushroom water, and half of the vegetable stock. Give the barley and mushrooms a stir, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes or so, until the barley is soft. Stir occasionally, and add more stock as necessary.
  8. While the barley is cooking, over a low heat, gently fry the onions and garlic in the rest of the butter, until they start to caramelize.
  9. When the barley and mushrooms have around 10-15 minutes to go, pre-heat your oven to 350F/180C.
  10. Once the barley is cooked, remove the skillet from the heat, and mix in the onions and garlic, plus the caraway seeds and marjoram. Season with salt and pepper.
  11. If you’re not using an oven-proof skillet, transfer the houbový kuba to a greased oven dish, then bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes.
  12. Serve with pickled vegetables.
  13. Store leftovers for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe from 196flavors

Pastas

Creamy Lemon Feta Zucchini Orzo

cathysmaha1 Comment

One bite of Creamy Lemon Feta Zucchini Orzo is like a taste of spring. I added diced cooked chicken for protein to complete the meal but this would also be a great side dish. Next time I will add asparagus to the dish, completing the springtime theme. This is a new favorite and so quick to make!

Creamy Lemon Feta Zucchini Orzo

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 tbps olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced (large shallot)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb orzo pasta uncooked
  • 2 medium zucchini, grated
  • 1 large lemon, zested + juiced
  • 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3½ cups low sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tbs fresh dill, chopped
  • Optional: olive oil, lemon juice, chili flakes, cooked, shredded chicken
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a large skillet, heat your olive oil on medium. Add in the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the orzo and stir for one minute to coat. Toss in the zucchini shreds and stir for 2 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, Italian herb seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender. If it needs more liquid, add some broth in to keep the texture creamy, not dry.
  2. When the pan is off the heat, stir in your crumbled feta and dill.
  3. To serve, top with a nice drizzle of olive oil, chili flakes and enjoy!

Recipe from hungryhappens

Book Club · Casseroles · New Traditions · Vegetables

Quinoa with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pine Nuts, Feta

cathysmaha1 Comment

Quinoa with roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, pine nuts and feta…what’s not to like! I often try new recipes to share with others so my Book Club buddies were once again Guinea Pigs.  This recipe takes a while to prepare but well worth the effort!

QUINOA WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PINE NUTS & FETA

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large onions, sliced
2 pounds cubed butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
salt
French Vinaigrette salad dressing (add generous amounts of dressing to individual portions)
1/2 cup Feta cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes, about 2 pounds. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
  • Put butternut squash on the greased baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Cool slightly before adding to the salad.
Caramelize the Onions:  
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat in a large skillet.  When oil is heated, add onions and cook on high heat for about 10 minutes, constantly string with wooden spoon. The onions will start to brown, but not brown.
  • Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 10 additional minutes, continuing to stir as onions brown even more. Add a pinch of salt over the onions.
  • Continue cooking the onions for 10 more minutes on medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure the onions don’t stick to the pan.  Add a bit of water if the onions begin o stick.  Total cooking time is 30 minutes.
  • Remove the onions from the heat and sprinkle onions with a small amount of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Using the wooden spoon, mix the onions scraping the bottom of the pan and coating onions with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Assembling the salad:
  • In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, and mix with the dressing. Add the dressing only before the serving, and add as much as you want to individual portions, as both quinoa and butternut squash tend to be on a dry side, and this dressing (when generously applied) fixes this beautifully!
  • Top each individual serving with Feta cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Note: This salad keeps very well refrigerated for up to a week, but only without dressing. Add the dressing before serving.

Breakfast · Family Favorites · Gluten Free · New Favorite · Vegetables

Quinoa Broccoli Cheese Bites

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Our girls LOVED Broccoli Rice Casserole when they were growing up and this recipe sounded delicious using quinoa instead of the traditional rice.  They were so yummy that I ate them for breakfast and as a side side for dinner. It would be great to add bits of ham or bacon for a ‘grab and go’ breakfast dish.

QUINOA BROCCOLI CHEESE BITES

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water (or vegetable or chicken broth)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups broccoli florets, finely diced
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
crushed red pepper (optional) to taste

  • In a medium sauce pan, combine quinoa and water (or broth) and cook according to package directions. Let cool.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins.
  • In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, eggs, broccoli, onion, garlic, cheese and paprika.
  • Put a heaping tablespoon of quinoa mixture into prepared muffin tins.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes and then gently remove from pan to cool completely.

 

Family Favorites · My Roots

Old Fashioned Potato Salad…just like Mom used to make

cathysmaha4 Comments

Potato Salad was a must-have side dish for every picnic and barbecue.  My Mother made THE BEST potato salad ever and I can replicate it pretty well. There are no measurements, just a ‘pinch of this and a pinch of that’ type of preparation. When my Mother made it, she used onions from the garden and eggs from our farm.

My Potato Salad is pretty darn good, but you can never top what Mom could do!

POTATO SALAD

SALAD:
Boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes
Boiled, peeled and chopped eggs
chopped green onions (or sweet white onion)
celery seed (or chopped celery)

DRESSING:
mayonnaise
milk
prepared mustard
sugar
salt

  • Mix together potatoes, eggs, onions (and celery if desired).  Sprinkle with celery seed.
  • In separate bowl, mix mayonnaise with enough milk to thin to consistency of salad dressing. Add sugar and salt to taste.
  • Refrigerate for several hours before serving. The flavor is best the next day.