This time of year starts to bring gatherings of people to celebrate. Most often, these celebrations involve food. Over the next two weeks, I will be bringing you new ideas for these gatherings. If you’re like me, you are always looking for fresh ideas. While certain dishes are always asked for, I like to switch things up.
Today, I am sharing with you three different side dishes. The first one, Spring Succotash, is a vegetarian options with a few different vegetables. The second, Cajun Roasted Potatoes, is a basic yet tasty dish. Lastly, we have Bacon Oyster Dressing. It can give an occasion a holiday feel. So gather your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!
Spring Succotash
Succotash is a dish native to North America. It consists primarily of sweet corn with lima beans and other beans or peas. You can take this dish to another level by adding shrimp or corned beef.
2 cups frozen baby lima beans
2 cups frozen acre peas
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pint assorted baby tomatoes, halved
8 ounces small fresh mozzarella cheese balls, drained and halved
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
In a 3-quart saucepan, bring beans, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat: cook until vegetables are crispy-tender, about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Drain warm beans and add oil mixture. Add tomatoes, cheese, corn, onion, parsley, and basil, tossing until combined. Serve warm or cold.
Cajun Roasted Potatoes
Roasted potatoes are my favorite way to eat potatoes. You can use whatever seasoning you wish. Here’s one way to bring more flavor to your potatoes.
2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
3 large shallots, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Garnish: fresh rosemary sprig
Preheat oven to 425℉.
In a large bowl, toss together potatoes, shallots, oil, Cajun seasoning, garlic, and chopped rosemary. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Garnish with rosemary sprig, if desired.
Bacon Oyster Dressing
While this recipe usually shows up during the holiday season, it’s great for other times as well. The key is the oysters. While they are better during the month’s with an R in them, they can be eaten year round. This recipe is a great way to eat oysters in the summer months.
6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups cubed stale French bread (1-inch cubes)
6 large eggs, beaten
2 cups chopped oysters, liquor reserved
1 cup seafood stock
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large saucepan, cook bacon over-medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan.
Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
In a large bowl, stir together vegetable mixture, half of the bacon, bread, eggs, oysters and reserved liquor, stock, green onion, parsley, Creole seasoning, hot sauce, and black pepper. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining bacon. Cover with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown and set, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
This week was all about side dishes. Next week, we will head out to the back yard. So clean up your grills, get ready to fire them up, and come back for some new ideas!
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