Here is another wonderful vintage recipe from my mom’s friend Sue. We have made it with Sue’s original recipe, but we’ve also tweaked it to be a bit lighter. Try it the old fashioned way or the basmati way – either way it’s absolutely delicious! The perfect side dish to accompany beef or pork!

Rice Casserole
from my mom’s friend Sue

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
2 cans beef consomme
2 small cans mushrooms
3/4 stick butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the onion with the tablespoon of butter.

Wash the rice in water 3 or 4 times, draining the water completely. Place in an oven-safe casserole dish. Add the onion, consomme, and mushrooms with liquid. Cover and bake in oven for 45 minutes. Remove and toss lightly to combine.

Mushrooms and Basmati Rice
adapted from Sue’s recipe

1 pint fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups basmati rice
1 3/4 cups water
1 3/4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, or more

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sautee the mushrooms with the olive oil.

In an oven-safe casserole dish, combine the sauteed mushrooms, the basmati rice, the water, the beef broth, the butter and the salt.

Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove, add the parsley, and toss lightly to combine.

Sometimes I like to consider myself a sophisticated foodie:  a worldly woman with high-class taste in food, wine, and the finer things in life.  Other times, all I want to do is sit down in front of the TV with a big bag of sour cream and onion potato chips and an icy cold coke.

Well, you might consider this dish a combination of those two sides of me . . . because these colorful, flavorful, and decadent mashed potatoes actually taste like a delicious sour cream and onion potato chip.  The fresh herbs add a punch of flavor, and the sour cream brings a hint of creaminess.  Leaving the skins on your red potatoes puts that perfect colorful touch on this delicious dish.  Enjoy!

Sour Cream and Herb Mashed Potatoes

4-6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed clean
2/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Place on the stove and bring to a boil; cook until fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove the potatoes to a bowl, reserving the liquid in the pot.  Mash potatoes until coarse.  Add the sour cream, chives, and parsley.

Continue to mash until desired consistency is reached.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Our family strives to put mostly seasonal fruits and veggies on the table.  Not only is it more economical, but veggies that are in season tend to be more nutritious because they don’t have to travel from the other side of the globe before they reach your plate!

Seasonal produce in the spring come as such a refreshing change after the winter.  Asparagus, strawberries, and avocados are such a welcome change!!  Here is a delicious way to prepare asparagus that will tempt even the asparagusphobes in your household.  It also really captures and highlights those fresh-from-the-garden flavors that just sing out “It’s Spring!!!”

Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus

1 large bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle over the cheese and the salt ad pepper. Use your hands to toss the ingredients together until the asparagus is completely coated with the oil, cheese, and seasoning.

Bake for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

You may remember my post about my cousin, the Meat Lady.  She is the one who introduced me to this up-and-coming new cut of meat: the flat iron steak.  You can read all the details here, but basically meat scientists like my cousin are finding new ways to cut meat so that you can get a really tender steak without having to pay $15 per pound.  I got the steak here for about $4, and it was more than enough to feed both me and the husband (right around 16 ounces).  The best part, though, is that this steak has the texture, flavor, and irresistible melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of filet mignon.  Pretty good deal, huh?

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Onions and Peppers

1-2 flat iron steaks
Montreal Steak Seasoning (or other steak rub of your choice)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2″ slices
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons butter

Preheat your grill to medium heat.  Generously season both sides of the steak(s) with your chosen rub.  Grill the steak(s) on both sides to your desired done-ness.  As I’ve mentioned before, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer for these sorts of tasks.  You don’t want to over-cook your steak!  When it is done, remove the steak to a platter to rest for at least 10 minutes.  This will ensure that your steak maintains its juiciness instead of leaking all the goodness all over the plate.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet.  Add the onion and the bell pepper slices.  Sautee until the onions are trannslucent and the peppers are tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the butter over the steak before slicing, against the grain.  Top with the sauteed peppers and onions, and serve immediately.

Fiesta Rice

2 cups white rice, cooked
1 cup fresh or canned Mexicorn
3/4 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the rice, the Mexicorn, and the shredded cheese, tossing lightly with a fork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

There is nothing my husband loves more than a dinner of plain ol’ pinto beans and cornbread.  In fact, his family still loves to tease us, saying that they know I was “the one” for him when I sat down on a dusty roadside at a fall festival a few months after we first met, and ate pinto beans and cornbread with him for lunch.  I didn’t think much of it at the time – I just thought it was a pretty yummy lunch.

So here is the recipe that my husband loves most.  Enjoy!

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed with cool water
Water
3/4 cup diced ham
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
Cornbread

Pour your rinsed beans into a large pot.  Cover with water about 2-3 inches above the tops of the beans.  Cover and allow to soak overnight.

The next day, drain the beans in a colander.  Return them to the pot, and cover with fresh water, at least 1 inch above the tops of the beans.  Add the diced ham.  Simmer the beans on low for 4-5 hours, or until the beans are nice and tender.  Alternatively, you can cook the beans on low in the crock pot for about 6 hours.

After the beans have cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, sprinkle each serving with salt on top and fresh diced onions.  Serve with cornbread to soak up all the delicious broth!

I’m always at a loss when it comes to a side dish for Indian cuisine. After making these tasty little fried eggplants thet other evening, I have a feeling that my Indian side dish crisis is officially averted.

These fluffy golden nuggets are crispy, ever so lightly battered, and rich with the flavors of a delicious yellow curry. The juicy eggplant inside perfectly compliments the spicy, golden brown crust. Once you taste one of these, it will be hard to stop.

Indian Fried Eggplant
from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook

1 medium eggplant (about 1.5 lbs.)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup salad oil

Wash eggplant. Beat remaining ingredients vigorously with a whisk until smooth. Heat oil one-inch deep to 375 in a large skillet.

Cut the eggplant into 1/4-inch slices (we had some long and skinny eggplants from our CSA farm basket, so I just cut them into little medallions). Dip the slices in the batter, letting the excess drip into the bowl. Fry in hot oil until golden brown – about 2-3 minutes – turning once.

Drain on paper towels. If desired, salt to taste.

To keep the slices warm and crisp, place in a 300 degree oven until ready to serve.

Here is a side dish that my green-thumbed hubby likes to make during the summertime when he has an abundance of tomatoes and okra in the garden. He likes to eat it served over rice.

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

2 cups okra, cut until 1/2 inch slices
2 cups ripe tomatoes, cored and then diced
4 medium cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown rice, cooked

Combine the okra, tomatoes, garlic, and water in a medium saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, cover, and lower the heat to a simmer.

In true southern fashion, my husband says that you should cook it “until it’s mushy.” But I think about 1-1.5 hours is usually plenty to make the veggies nice and tender, the flavors nice and melded. Stir occasionally and add extra water if your veggies begin to dry out. Serve over hot rice. Enjoy!

I, dear readers, like many other home cooks, completely idolize Julia Child. I mean, what American cook wouldn’t want to be her?! Learning to cook in France, bringing a new cuisine to home cooks in America, the whole shebang – she’s pretty much just the best.

Not surprisingly, I, like many other food bloggers, went to see Julie & Julia, the recent film about a blogger who worked her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking – all in one year. In fact, every time the trailer for this film would come on the television, my cute hubby would say, “Wow, that is so you. We’ve got to see that!”

Well, the movie was quite nice – even the hubs enjoyed it. So when we ended up with a bunch of random veggies in the fridge (thanks to our wonderful CSA farm), I thought it was a great idea to use them up by making a classic French-Provençal dish: ratatouille. And of course, whose recipe would I use but Julia’s!?

Well, I have to admit that Julia was right when she said that ratatouille “is not one of the quickest dishes to make.” Although a bit time-intensive, the techniques are not difficult, and the results completely justify the effort. It’s hard to imagine a dish that is this simple in its seasonings and ingredients, and yet this rich in its layers and layers of flavor.

Without further ado, let me give you the recipe, in the words of Julia Child herself. . .

Julia Child’s Ratatouille
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
1 teaspoon salt

A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)
Salt and pepper

A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. I actually just sliced it in half lengthwise and then cut it into half-moons.

Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. I cut mine into medallions because we had a really long, skinny one!

Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, saute the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish. I found it helpful to add a bit more olive oil with each batch to get them nice and golden brown.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.

Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated. I tipped the skillet and used a spoon instead of a baster, and it worked very well.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. I went with one of my trusty Le Creuset pieces.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.

Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold. Yields 6-8 servings.

Here is a tasty, tangy, and well-balanced side-dish that’s perfect for everything from a potluck gathering to a romantic dinner for two. The toasty walnuts and pungent bleu cheese compliment the sweet beans just perfectly for a lovely trio of flavors.

Beans with Walnuts and Bleu Cheese

3 big handfuls of green beans (or purple pole beans, like we used here!)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ounce of good bleu cheese, crumbled

Rinse the beans well and place them in a large saucepan. Cover with water, and bring to a simmer, cooking for approximately 7-8 minutes, until the beans are tender.

Meanwhile, add the walnuts to a dry skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the nuts just begin to brown, and are nice and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the beans are done, drain them well and place them in a bowl. Toss them with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the toasted walnuts and the bleu cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.