Category Archives: Side Dishes

Irish Potato Cakes

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I think we all can agree that Potatoes are a very important staple in an Irish Household. Anyone familiar with History can retell the horrors that struck Ireland in 1845 during the Potato Famine.  With out this Main crop as a source of food and income tens of thousands of Irish families fled the island. I think we can all count ourselves lucky that we don’t have to worry about a fungus that killed the potatoes.  So now we can enjoy mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, gnocchi,  potato skins, hash browns, french fries, and most importantly we can have Irish Potato Cakes!

These potato cakes can be served savory or they can be served the traditional way with butter and sugar not unlike our pancakes.  Breakfast, lunch, or Tea are a perfect time to serve these.

I love how dense they are and seasoned properly they are an amazing side dish. A fun twist from the same ole boring baked potato!

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Irish Potato Cakes

Irish Potato Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 and /12 lbs any kind potato peeled and diced for quicker boiling times
  • 2 tsp unsalted butter
  • 1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • dash onion powder

Instructions

  • boil the peeled and diced potato until fork tender
  • drain the water and mash the potatoes
  • mix in butter, salt and pepper and onion powder
  • let cool a bit so it is easier to handle
  • flour your work surface very well
  • turn out the mash and slowly knead the flour into the mash to make a dough
  • this will be a stick mess at first but it will come together to make a rollable dough
  • roll out dough to 1/2' thick and cut triangles
  • heat a non stick skillet to med high and cook each triangle 2 min on each side
  • you don't need any butter or oil in the pan, just dry cook them
  • serve with butter alongside your meal
  • Enjoy!
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Not So Fried Rice

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I have really been running behind this whole month! I don’t know how I was able to stay more organized during the crazy holiday months than I have been able to in January?! I mean I am behind in blogging and laundry and house work and everything! I just got caught up at work this week and let me tell you it was a scramble! I have no explanation for my running behindness {yes I just made up that word} Thank Heavens I have a week of vacation coming up where I plan on doing nothing but baking and blogging! Yay for time off work! So while I have been running do far behind on things I have been making super easy super quick no fuss meals lately.  We love take away Chinese in this house almost as much as pasta! It’s fast, delicious and I don’t have to do anything but send the boy out to pick it up! Perfect if you ask me.  One draw back? It is getting pricey! Our go to place has raised their prices and minimum order.  Not so much fun anymore….. So while we all had a hankering {I think that is an awful word and preppy girls should never use it} for fried rice, I did not feel like having to order more than what we wanted to eat.  So I whipped up a homemade version of this for us.  I liked it better actually because I did not have to spend all my time picking out the gross peas!

As you can see this dish is not as “brown” as what you get in take away.  The reason for that is you don’t have to load it down with sodium heavy Soy Sauce when you make it at home.  Also this is Not So Fried Rice as it was not doused in oil and pan fried.  {See Not So Fried} This lighter and healthier version is a snap to whip up and your family will love it! I made this as a main dish but you could pair down the amounts to make it a side dish.  Fried rice is best made with day old or slightly dried out rice.  I did not have any rice leftovers so I just boiled my rice in the morning and left it on the counter to cool all day and get that traditional slight crunch with it. This way no Frying is involved. Then I used it to make my healthy version for you.  Feel free to mix up the kind of veggies that you use.  I had frozen broccoli on hand and it is a vegetable that I can eat mixed up in things.  Unlike the yucky peas that are normally served with it. I hope that when you see and taste this you won’t think anything is yucky about it but that you love it!

So next time you have a taste for Chinese don’t waste you money or add extra calories just whip up a batch of Not So Fried Rice!

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Not So Fried Rice

Not So Fried Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups uncooked white or brown rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/4 of an onion diced
  • 1 package of frozen broccoli thawed
  • 10 grilled chicken nuggets diced {not the breaded kind] or ready to use grilled chicken strips diced
  • 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
  • 3 tbs soy sauce
  • salt and white pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot add the rice and water and bring to a boil
  • reduce heat and cover pot, simmer for 15 min or till water is absorbed
  • remove from heat and lift cover and let set out for a few hours to dry the rice out
  • {for a moister dish skip this step]
  • in a saute pan saute the onions in 2 tbs vegetable oil {olive oil will change the taste]
  • toss in the Broccoli and the chicken peices and cook through till heated
  • add the onions and the broccoli to the stock post of rice and turn stove top to Medium
  • stir in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and spices
  • make a well in the rice by pushing it out the edges where there is a hole in the middle
  • turn heat up to Medium High
  • pour in the eggs and scramble in the well
  • once cooked stir the eggs through the rice
  • serve in bowls with chop sticks
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Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Skillet Potatoes

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Can I tell you just how excited I am about “Fall”?  I feel like running around my back yard screaming,”It’s Here! It’s Here! Fall is Here!” A little over the top maybe but that is exactly how I feel! After a record breaking drought and heat wave of a Summer this dip in temperatures is so very welcome in the Mid West this year! This means that football has arrived, (and I happy to report that my two fav teams won this week!) pumpkins are out and about, the leaves are starting to change.  Although it is not quite cool enough to wear sweaters just yet, I have them all out of winter storage and I am just dying to get in them!!  For my next few posts I thought I would add a few pictures of my home and the surrounding area.  This time of year is just the most photographic and there is so much going on that I would love to share with you all.  These are a few photo’s of my back yard and a really great pumpkin and apple farm here in the Kansas City, Mo area.

 Ahhhh, this just makes me want to call in sick to work and just run around and play all day.  Wait I want to do that everyday…….. Ce la Vie, I better be good and finish this post and then I have to go to work.  Blah blah blah…… Apple Picking sounds a whole lot more enticing.

 

 

Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Skillet Potatoes
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Recipe type: Main Dish and Side Dish
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
There is a little prep work with this meal but it is so simple and it shows beautifully that your guests and family will be wowed!
Ingredients
  • 2-3lb Pork Tenderloin
  • 3 apples sliced ( I used Fiji but you can use any apple you like)
  • ½ onion sliced
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt, pepper, and onion powder
  • For the Potatoes:
  • 3-4 Russet potatoes skins on ( again you can use any potato, Yukon, red…)
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 3 tbs butter
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Season the pork generously
  2. In a hot skillet sear the pork on all sides let it get a nice golden crust
  3. Let the meat rest for 5-7 min
  4. Slice small slits in the pork (be careful not to cut too deep or all the way through)
  5. Place an apple slice in each slit
  6. Layer the remaining apples and the onion slices in the bottom of a slow cooker to make abed for the meat. Place the meat on top. Pour in the cider and the water. Cook on low 4 hrs or high for 2.
  7. For the potatoes:
  8. Wash and pierce skins
  9. Microwave for 6 min till almost soft. Cool for a min or two and quarter. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and place the quarters and butter in the pan. As the potatoes are cooking and getting golden brown, take a masher and squash the quarters. You may have to drizzle a bit more olive oil if is starting to get too dry.
  10. Add the garlic for last 2 min of cooking and heat through.
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Colcannon Casserole

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So it is Improv Reveal time again! Where does the time go?  It seems just like a week ago I was sharing with you my Carrot Cake Ice Cream.  This month’s ingredients are potatoes and Cheese.  Yum I say Yum!  This close to St. Patrick’s Day my first thought was COLCANNON!!! I grew up on this stuff.  Cabbage and potatoes….. you can’t get more Irish than that!

If you are not familiar with the Improve Challenge it is a great fun Link Party that is put together by our friend over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker   Each month she gives us 2 ingredients and let’s us go crazy!!! Sometimes Crazy is just where we go….

Now about this dish, I don’t how many people I thought I was going to be serving when I made this dish. For some ungodly reason I used 5 lbs of potatoes?!!!  I have so much of this stuff that it is popping out of the 9 x 13 dish I made it in.  I knew I wanted to take the classic Irish side dish and make it the main dish by making it a casserole but holy cow! You are all welcome to come over for some because I have plenty!!!!

See? Popping out! But oh my doesn’t it look good?!  You can also use your left over corned beef and cabbage if you don’t want to make this much, just use less potatoes and a smaller baking dish.  I wrote 2 -3 lbs of potatoes because unless you are serving the Irish Republic Army you really don’t need to use 5 lbs like I did!!!

Colcannon Casserole
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Main and or Side Dish
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 2-3 lbs russet potatoes
  • 1 corned beef cooked and cubed
  • 1 head of cabbage shredded and cooked
  • 2 cups shredded Dubliner Cheese (or Swiss Cheese)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 stick of butter
  • approx 1/2 cup milk (more or less depending on how you like your mash)
Instructions
  1. quarter your russets (skin on please) and boil til fork tender
  2. mash with 1 stick butter and milk
  3. whisk til desired consistency
  4. fold in your cubed corned beef and cabbage
  5. salt and pepper to taste
  6. fold in one cup of the cheese
  7. mix till all is combined
  8. put in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish
  9. sprinkle remaining cheese on top
  10. bake uncovered at 350 for 30 min
  11. broil for 3-5 min to make cheese brown and bubbly
  12. serve with Guinness….
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Beef Rouladen and German Potato Salad

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I should name this the Post that almost wasn’t!  WordPress and I have not been getting along the past few days and this is the Third time I am writing this post! Arrrg! Ok enough of my whining… On to the good stuff

My Great Grandparents immigrated to America when Ellis Island was still open and they made their way from NYC to Chicago. Once settled there they opened a Bakery. I love my Grandpa’s stories of living above the bakery and growing up in downtown Chicago during The Great Deppression!  I never met my Great Grandpa Schmidt but I spent much time with my Great Grandma.  She spoke with a heavy accent and with broken English. My Grandmother’s kitchen was always alive with the sights and smells and sounds of great cooking! German cooking is heavy and filling and quite frankly not that healthy.  We are a robust people. This is not my grandmothers recipe the sauce has no bacon fat or heavy cream in it like the traditional recipe calls for.  Trust me when I say you won’t miss it! This is a lighter, healthier and tastier version. Traditional Rouladen is braised for a long time and uses a cheaper cut of meat.  I get around this by using a leaner better cut of sirloin.  I pan sear it and finish it off in the oven.

Have your butcher cut and trim your sirloin steaks to about 1/4″ thick. Like this:

When you get home, you will need to pound them to about 1/8″ thickness.  Like this:

This recipe will be great for beginners learning cooking and knife skills, and also help hone some skills for those more advanced.  If you are a beginner do not be intimidated, this is a dish that is very forgiving.  If you cut one carrot thin and the other thick no worries…. We all have to learn and we all need to keep up our skills.  Here is how my veggies came out. Not that perfect, yet I don’t think too bad.

Layering and rolling and securing your steaks can also be a skill set to practice.  You can use kitchen twine or secure with toothpicks.  I used toothpicks.  You just have to be a bit more gentle when you turn the meat while you are searing it.

 I make the Potato Salad first.  You can always pop it in the microwave to heat it back through if it cools off too much.

Beef Rouladen and German Potato Salad
5.0 from 1 reviews
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen
Serves: 3-4
A healthy lighter version than the German Traditional Version
Ingredients
  • For the Potato Salad:
  • 1 lb small red potatoes quartered
  • 4 Strips Turkey bacon
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbs brown sugar (I use slpenda)
  • For the Rouladen:
  • 3-4 1/4″ inch thick sirloin steaks trimmed of fat
  • Stone Ground Mustard (for an authentic taste use a German brand)
  • 3-4 slices black forest ham
  • 1/4 white onion sliced thin
  • 1 long carrot peeled and julienned
  • 2 dill pickles julienned
  • handful of shredded red cabbage
  • 1 tbs tomato paste (I use the concentrated in a tube kind)
  • 1 can beef broth
  • 1 tbs cornstarch and 3 tbs cold water to make a slurry
Instructions
  1. For the Potato Salad:
  2. boil potatoes until fork tender, meanwhile
  3. slice turkey bacon into small strips and cook in a pan
  4. sautee onion with the bacon untill soft and translucent
  5. stir in the flour and cook til onions are thick. approx 1 min
  6. add vinegar and brown sugar
  7. simmer for 2-3 min and toss over the potatoes
  8. place in a serving dish and keep warm
  9. For the Rouladen:
  10. pound the steaks to 1/8″ thick pre heat oven to 300
  11. spread the mustard on the steaks and layer the black forest ham and the veggies on top of each steak
  12. roll the steaks up and salt and pepper to taste
  13. secure with toothpicks or kitchen string
  14. sear meat in a hot pan for approx 8 min on each side
  15. transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven to continue to cook. Leave in the oven for at least 10-15 min
  16. In the pan that you browned the meat in add the tomato paste and beef broth. Scrape up the good brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid to half
  17. add the slurry and cook about 3-5 min more til sauce becomes thick
  18. warm the potato salad up in the microwave if needed. You want this to be warm to almost hot
  19. plate the steaks and pour the broth over and serve with the potato salad
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I hope that you will enjoy this healthy and tasty meal.  I love the tangy flavors of German food, I also love how when I make this dish it smells like my Grandma’s Kitchen.  It feels like home and I think that we all really relish that feeling!

Yum Yum Asparagus

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Now anyone who knows me really well, knows I am not a fan of any green vegetable (especially such a pungent one).  Spinach is my only exception.  My Husband says of all the veggies to like you like the one most people hate.  Hee Hee that is me!  The boys love love asparagus so I make it quite often and I never taste it I just serve it.  I make it for them, for family, for guests, and I even have an asparagus appetizer that people love.  And I had never tasted ONE bite of any of them!!!  I know what you are thinking, how can a cook serve something that she has not tasted?  Well I make it the same way each time with rave reviews so it must be good! I have 3 ways I make it. This is my quick stove top version. 

1 bunch fresh or frozen asparagus
olive oil to drizzle
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 of one lemon

In a saute pan over med high heat drizzle olive oil and add asparagus.  Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle a bit more olive oil. Saute approx 3-5 min.

Add the juice of half the lemon and toss the rind in the pan.  The heat will help release some of the essential oils and raise the citrus flavor.  Cook about 1-2 min more and then serve immediately.
I actually had a bite of this one.  I still don’t like it……….

Scalloped Potatoes

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Rich, hearty, cheesy, creamy, savory, delightful…. let’s see what other adjectives can I use to describe this dish?  I tweaked this recipe a few years ago and it has been a show stopper each time I make it.  This was the best accompaniment to my Wine Pot Roast (post coming on Friday so check back) and the whole family was super happy with dinner! I first made this the way it was posted and it was all runny and kinda blah… I have since then cut back on the amount of milk I use and added more CHEESE!

1 1/2 lbs of russet potatoes sliced thin on a mandolin. (be careful I just got my bandage off a week later.)
3 tbs unsalted butter or more
salt and pepper
3/4 cup milk
2 bay leaves
1 cup shredded Dubliner cheese (you can use white cheddar also)
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbs balsamic vinegar

Spray a 1 or 2 qt casserole dish with fat free non stick spray and arrange a layer of sliced potatoes and salt and pepper. Dot with a few dabs of butter.

add a second layer of potatoes and 1/2 of the dubliner cheese, then a third layer and remaining cheese.
In a small sauce pan heat the milk and bay leaves until just before a boil.  Little bubbles will appear on the edges of the milk.

remove from heat an pour over potatoes and cheese.  I always make a little flower on top with extra potato slices.

bake at 375 for 40-50 min until potatoes are tender and cheese is all melted. Remove and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and put under the broiler for 3-4 min until golden brown and bubbly

Drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top and you have a great side dish ready to impress!

Veggie Fries

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Who doesn’t like fried food? Crazy people that’s who!!! No seriously I know that the trans fat and artery clogging food is not good for our body or our soul….. but dog gonnit it is so darn tasty!!! So every now and then I have to indulge in a little bit.  Not too bad right?? Right??

See Vegetables and Panko bread crumbs.  I told you not too bad!!
You can use any veggie combo that you like.  This is just what I happen to have and also like!

1 eggplant peeled, sliced in french fry style and sweated. (that means after you slice it up place on paper towels and sprinkle a little salt and let the bitterness sweat out for approx 30 min.)

2 zucchini sliced in french fry style
2-3 potatoes sliced in steak fry style
flour to coat
1 egg and 3 tbs water combined
panko bread crumbs to coat
 canola oil to fry

In 3 separate bowls place flour, egg mixture and panko bread crumbs.  In small batches coat the veggies first in flour, second in egg mixture, third in panko. Try to use one hand for dry and one hand for wet. It will help keep the mess to a minimum.  Well sort of……
Heat 1/2 inch oil in a pan and in batches fry the veggies about 2 min per side till golden brown. Drain on paper towels for a few seconds….. And you all know the Rule by now right?  Right?  Place on a cooling rack to keep crispy!!!!
Now you have a healthy fried food!!!!

Greek Cauliflower

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My friend Ashley at http://www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com tells the best stories about her day and all about the inspiration that got her to make a particular dish.  I am not so good about that. I am like “hey I was hungry this is what I made and here it is”……. Not that I don’t have alot to say, just ask her or my husband! So as I struggle to find a good balance of how much back story to give you on a dish go ahead and make this one and I will work this problem of mine out……
P.S. This cauliflower is amazing with Zeus Burgers!

1 cauliflower cut into florets
1/2 red onion sliced in rings then cut in thirds
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup feta cheese
2 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tomato diced
1/2 cup kalmata olives sliced

Boil salted water and cook cauliflower till tender but not soft.  Drain and keep warm.  Drizzle olive oil in pan and cook red onions till almost brown. Approx 8 min.  Add the cauliflower back in and all reaming ingredients.

Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook about 3-5 minutes.  This Dish is tangy, and savory and all around delish!

Grilled Cheese Pie

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This is an older post of mine, but when I saw that Baislmomma was looking for family and budget friendly meals I wanted to bring this back into rotation!  Please excuse the photo’s this was when I first started and had no idea what I was doing.  Not that things are much different now, at least my photo’s got better!   I hope that you like this recipe and will stay for a while and take a look around!

Do you have something called Cheap Night? No? Well I do.  Cheap night is, well just that, cheap.  The meal costs pennies to make and takes no time at all.  It is always 100% kid friendly and it makes the adults feel like it is ok to say sometimes we miss the food we ate as a child. It is quick, super super easy and vegetarian! Oh and did I mention YUMMY?!

Are you ready for this huge ingredients list?
3/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus 1/4 cup
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

mix all except the 1/4 cup cheese and pour into a greased pie dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 400 for  25 to 30 min.
Serve with a nice spring salad on the side!

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