Side Dish
4106 recipes found
Boxty (Irish Potato Pancakes)
Boxty, breadlike potato pancakes that originated in Ireland as early as the late 18th century, were created as a resourceful way to transform less-than-stellar potatoes into a hearty side dish. Variations of these crisp, chewy potato pancakes abound, but most involve some combination of mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, flour, baking soda or baking powder; buttermilk or eggs are sometimes added for richness. Popular in pubs but also made at home, they’re typically served as an accompaniment to stews and rich meat dishes. This recipe is adapted from “The Irish Cookbook” by Jp McMahon (Phaidon, 2020), who serves them in a more modern fashion, with smoked salmon, sour cream and pickled onions, which balance and brighten.
Farro e Pepe
While cacio e pepe, the classic Roman dish, is simple — made with only pasta and its cooking water; cacio, or Pecorino Romano; and abundant freshly ground black pepper — it’s not always easy to make. The trick to getting a thick, creamy sauce lies in combining the cheese and pepper with starchy pasta water in just the right way; this usually requires a lot of erratic stirring and sweat. This version bucks tradition in favor of simplicity and, well, farro. The technique for the cheese paste comes from Flavio de Maio, a master of cucina Romana and producer of one of Rome’s most beloved bowls of cacio e pepe. Simply blend grated cheese and a little cold water with freshly ground pepper until they come together into a creamy paste. Then toss a spoonful or two into just-cooked farro and watch it melt like butter to coat the grains in a layer of salt, pepper, richness and tang. The farro’s chewy, satisfying texture is a perfect foil for the creaminess of the sauce. Keep the leftover paste in the fridge — stir a spoonful into grits, toss it with boiled green beans and, of course, use it for a bowl of cacio e pepe. Use the technique with other hard cheeses: Asiago, Parmesan and even clothbound Cheddar make for fantastic versions.
Succotash With Sausage and Shrimp
Succotash embodies the proverb “If it grows together, it goes together.” This dish is a celebration of summer: fresh corn, ripe tomatoes and shelled butter beans (also known as lima beans.) Succotash has earned its place of pride in regions across the U.S. — the Midwest, the Eastern Seaboard, and perhaps most notably, the South. This succotash is Cajun-style and a worthy entree, thanks to spicy andouille sausage and seasoned shrimp. But feel free to leave them out for a satisfying meatless option. The andouille sausage adds kick, so if you use regular sausage or eliminate it altogether, you can add some heat with ground cayenne and hot sauce.
Pineapple Fried Rice
“It’s a whole balanced meal inside a tropical fruit,” writes Pepper Teigen about this pineapple fried rice recipe in her book “The Pepper Thai Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter, 2021). This is fried rice, which means in place of the bacon and chicken, you can use shrimp, beef or whatever vegetables you have languishing in your crisper drawer. The one thing you shouldn’t skip are the assertive seasonings, which merit a party: The full 2 tablespoons of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper are what make this dish tingle and trot with a hot, addictive savoriness.
Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Halloumi and Lemon
Inspired by Mediterranean and Moroccan dishes, this tangy, earthy roasted cauliflower salad is a satisfying vegetarian meal. Spiced cauliflower, salty halloumi, peppery arugula, buttery avocado and a honey-lemon vinaigrette fill it with contrasting textures, temperatures and flavors. There’s lots of room for substitutions or additions: Swap in orange zest and juice for the preserved lemon, smashed green olives for the avocado or kale for the arugula. If looking to bulk it up, you could toss in some seared shrimp, roasted chicken, pearl couscous or whole grains.
Blistered Green Beans With Shallots and Pistachios
The bittersweet taste of blistered green beans shines through the strong flavors of soy and lime in this side dish, where fried shallots, garlic and pistachios add crunch. Cutting the beans in half makes them easier to maneuver in the wok and helps them cook evenly. For a bit of heat, toss in a minced bird’s-eye chile or sprinkle some red-pepper flakes over the dish when adding your garnishes. You can serve these blistered beauties alongside your Thanksgiving turkey — but they’re equally at home on the dinner table, regardless of the season.
Potato Salad With Tartar Sauce and Fresh Herbs
Most potato salad recipes call for tossing together all the components, but this one calls for assembling the dish in layers, and for brightening — and loosening — the traditional mayonnaise dressing with pickles and their brine. The steps are simple, and the key is in the potato treatment: Boil the potatoes and slice them into rounds, then immediately douse them with fragrant pickle brine and olive oil, so they soak up flavor and retain moisture. Prepare your potatoes and tartar sauce in advance, then assemble before serving, draping your seasoned potatoes on a platter, drizzling them with the loose tartar sauce and sprinkling with herbs and lemon zest for a modern update on a classic.
Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
From-scratch dumpling dough requires only two ingredients — flour and water — and the water temperature yields different types of wrappers. Cold water is best for boiled dumplings because it causes the flour’s proteins to form the gluten that makes dough chewy and able to withstand vigorously boiling water. Hot water denatures flour’s proteins, resulting in dough supple enough to roll very thin and into tender wrappers ideal for pan-fried and steamed dumplings, such as chile crisp dumplings. The hot water for this dough should be hotter than warm and cooler than boiling and can come from the faucet’s hot tap. Letting the dough rest allows it to more fully absorb the water and relax, which will make rolling even easier.
Farro With Mushrooms
Farro is chewier than Italian rice and doesn’t release starch when it’s cooked, so there’s no need to stir it the way you’d stir a risotto. This hearty dish has a rich, earthy flavor. Although it takes about twice as long as a risotto to cook, it doesn’t require tending.
Arugula Salad With Parmesan
Emulsifying a dressing isn’t essential for a sublime salad: Instead, think of the oil and acid as seasonings for a vegetable. For this recipe, that’s spicy arugula, dressed with olive oil, lemon and shards of Parmesan to create a salad classic in many Italian restaurants and homes. But whether olive oil or lemon should come first, like all seemingly simple questions, is complicated. James Beard, Marcella Hazan, Deborah Madison and Judy Rodgers all concurred: For a brighter-tasting salad, start with olive oil, which better adheres the liquids to the greens and doesn’t obscure the lemon. Be sure to use full-flavored greens, then taste the dressed leaves and adjust seasonings until the arugula tastes like its greatest self.
Frijoles de Fiesta (Fiesta Refried Beans)
Fiesta refried beans are a must for quinceañera celebrations in the state of Sonora, and variations can be found in just about every carne asada gathering, taqueria and home. They belong to the category of frijoles maneados, a name that comes from having to constantly use your hands, manos, to stir the pot to get the texture right. Maneados are made with creamy pintos or buttery mayocoba beans that are cooked, mashed and cooked again in lard or oil. As they thicken, melty cheese is added. Fiesta refried beans go a step further by including fresh, dried or pickled chiles, and meats like chorizo. This version gets its peppy flavor from Colorado chiles and its smoke and spice from chipotles in adobo sauce. Salty crumbled Cotija crowns the dish. Aside from being fundamental to Sonoran carne asada tacos, these beans can also be slathered on flour tortillas for burritos, dipped with chips, filled in quesadillas, layered on tortas, scooped next to grilled meats or have eggs sitting over them. They are so accommodating that they end up in almost every Sonoran meal, becoming essential.
Greek Lemon Potatoes
For the dreamiest roasted potatoes — with creamy insides and very crispy outsides — follow this classic Greek method of roasting peeled potatoes in equal parts olive oil, lemon juice and chicken stock. The potatoes soak up the flavorful liquid, allowing the insides to remain tender while the outsides crisp in the oven’s high heat. You can follow the same method for russet potatoes, though the final result will be less moist.
Gamja Salad With Cucumber, Carrot and Red Onion
Gamja (“potato”) salad is likely to be included among a sea of other banchan at Korean restaurants, and is typically mounded on a plate using an ice cream scoop. It’s similar to mashed potatoes in texture, mayo-laden like many potato salads, and studded with crunchy vegetables and hard-boiled egg. It’s generally a restaurant food, but when home cooks do make it, the salad might be sandwiched between two slices of soft white bread and eaten for lunch. The world is your oyster when it comes to gamja salad: It may include apples, peas, corn kernels, raisins and even nuts, and you can add whatever you like and nix whatever you don’t. But the cucumber is gibon (“standard”), and essential, because it adds a vegetal freshness that pulls this dish back from feeling heavy in any way.
Roasted Carrots With Turmeric and Cumin
These are based on Suzanne Goin’s turmeric-spiced root vegetables from her wonderful new book “The A.O.C. Cookbook.” I use her technique for roasting the carrots, and use the same spices she uses, but I make the dish with a little less olive oil and butter. Suzanne serves her mix of carrots, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas with Greek yogurt seasoned with makrut lime juice and zest, and mint chutney. They are also delicious on their own.
Baghali Polo
Home to one of the world’s largest Armenian populations outside Armenia, Burbank, Calif., is also home to Adana, where the chef Edward Khechemyan serves food that reflects his Armenian-American upbringing and his Iranian father, and is tinged with Russian influence. This Iranian dish, adapted from Mr. Khechemyan, is a combination of basmati rice, garlic powder, fava or lima beans and fresh dill. It's easy to make and pairs well with kebabs.
Instant Pickled Carrot With Ginger
Pickle culture in India is as vast and diverse as its people, which is why Usha Prabakaran collected 1,000 recipes for her cult classic cookbook, “Usha’s Pickle Digest.” Her recipe for an instant carrot pickle, made with ginger and chile, is a simple one to master. It comes together quickly, and lasts for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Have it with rice and yogurt, or even in a sandwich with melted cheese.
Vegan Broccoli Soup With Cashew Cream
This nourishing, three-vegetable soup is thick and creamy, even without dairy. It takes very little skill and only 25 minutes to make, but success lies in proper blending: Use a high-powered blender for the creamiest soup, or let it go a few minutes longer in a standard blender. Fennel and celery provide welcome depth, and the quick cashew cream feels luxurious spooned over the top or stirred right in. Save any extra to drizzle on other blended soups or even roasted vegetables. Finish this vibrant bowl with celery leaves, parsley or dill, and two basic but crucial ingredients: an extra drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of freshly ground pepper.
Naan (Indian Flatbread)
In spite of its ancient origins and utter simplicity, the tandoor produces startlingly sophisticated results, including smoky flatbreads that puff like pillows, and roasted meats of uncommon succulence. But you can make naan just as easily in an oven.
Pasta With Gorgonzola and Arugula
The main characters here are Gorgonzola and arugula, the first of which appears in a number of different pasta sauces, all unsurpassed for their creaminess. But in many instances, to me at least, Gorgonzola-based sauces tend to be too slick and rich. This makes the addition of the fresh-tasting spicy arugula from the supermarket even more welcome. Not only does it provide a little bit of crunch, but its odd version of heat also gives a bit of an edge to what could otherwise be a soft, almost insipid sauce. Don't forget to finish up with a few hearty cranks of the pepper mill. A full teaspoon for the entire dish is not too much. (The original recipe called for 1/4 pound of Gorgonzola and 2 tablespoons of butter, but after many readers commented that the dish needed more sauce, we tested it and agreed. The figures you see below are for doubling the sauce, but if you prefer it the old way, just halve the Gorgonzola and butter.)
Asparagus Salad, Japanese-Style
Here, ribbons of raw asparagus are simply dressed with a nutty vinaigrette of toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and rice vinegar.
Olive Oil Refried Beans
Use whatever variety of beans and chiles you’ve got in your pantry to make this recipe, which is inspired by the silky, lard-fried, pinto bean version available at nearly every Southern Californian taqueria. Eat these however you like, whether alongside rice and greens, smeared onto garlic-rubbed toast or spread onto a warm tortilla and with a perfectly fried egg on top. The overnight soak allows the time for both water and salt to penetrate the beans, cutting down the cooking time and leading to better seasoned, more evenly cooked beans. But if you’re short on time, you can skip the presoak; the beans will just take longer to cook through, and might not cook as evenly, which isn’t the end of the world if you’re mashing them up. You can also skip simmering altogether and use the drained, rinsed beans from two (15-ounce) cans and begin with Step 3.
Creamy White Beans With Pecorino and Pancetta
These superfast, incredibly delicious beans are inspired by pasta alla gricia, a classic Roman dish that is similar to pasta carbonara but without the egg yolks. Because the dish is so simple, it helps to use good pancetta (or guanciale, if you can find it) and not the pre-diced kind. (It often comes in a roll; just unroll it and slice it up. You could even use good thick-cut bacon instead of pancetta, if that is easier to find.) Cut into fat batons, the pork crisps up into chewy, salty little nuggets that contrast with the soft beans. The starch from the beans along with the fat from the pancetta plus Pecorino cheese and hot water all emulsify into a creamy, peppery sauce when stirred together vigorously. Because of its salty ingredients, this dish is unlikely to need added salt, but taste at the end and add it if you like.
Homemade Fritos
The beauty of a Frito is in its simplicity: a little cornmeal, lots of salt, not much else.
