Fun vibes with this Okra Fried Rice. It's a fusion of cultures that results in high flavor. The best part is it comes together easily for a quick weeknight dish. But it's also fancy enough to serve to guests at a weekend celebration.
Side Dishes
The last of the recipes featuring harissa sauce, I think. I'm tempted to make another batch and create more recipes to pair it with. Keeping the simple + elegant vibe these glazed harissa carrots will put a smile on your face. No fuss, but high flavor.
Charred Asparagus may just be the perfect side. Less than 5 ingredients, Less than 10 minutes total cook time including prep, and backed by an ever so versatile and killer harissa sauce. Don't worry the sauce is not too spicy, as the honey and lemon juice tames the heat from the chili paste.
Nothing like a quick and easy side dish with incredible complex flavor. This blanched spinach salad is simple, unique, and everyday! Put it on your weeknight menu in less than 10 minutes.
A few years ago my family got invited to the premiere of the movie "The Hundred-Foot Journey," which is a movie produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey about an Indian family seeking asylum in France. The son becomes a famous chef introducing the French to Indian spices and cooking techniques. I remember thinking at the time how similar Indian cooking was to "soul food" in terms of the use of spices and seasonings to take humble ingredients to extraordinary. I was reminded again during our Thanksgiving trip to Dubai when we ate a Masala based fried cabbage dish which was very similar to the southern fried cabbage I grew up. I bought a lot of spices from the local Souk including the garam masala I used in this dish. This dish tastes as great as it smells so be prepared.
Had the chance to team up with Parmigiano Reggiano brand cheese for this cheesy whole roasted cauliflower recipe. I like this dish personally because, besides being easy to make, it's versatile as both a side dish and meatless main entree. With the focus being on real Italian cheese, I thought it appropriate to call on Aretha Franklin's version of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing." Enjoy
Belgian Fries - the perfect side, period! Pillow soft, moist and deliciously crispy with a golden brown color and enhanced flavor from duck fat. Full disclosure these fries are highly addictive. Before figuring out a recipe, I've on more than one occasion brainstormed ways of getting to Brussels, hence the song choice - Kari Faux's "Law of Attraction." Enjoy, and after you've tried them, feel free to give me a shout and let me know your thoughts.
A big green salad just in time for Thanksgiving side dish plans. It's a unique salad featuring an unlikely mix of ingredients that work magic together. Collard greens, baby lima beans, smashed cucumbers, and lemongrass-coconut pickled celery make for soul food meets Asian cuisine mash-up. Requires little cooking to free you up to focus on other things. The recipe is powered by a soulful hip hop track "Greeny Green" from Atlanta's finest Goodie Mob featuring Ceelo Green.
Raw Beet Salad A delicious and easy salad that takes little time to make and is the perfect side dish for the holidays or quick weeknight dinner. This raw beet salad looks and tastes fancy but is SUPER EASY to make. It comes together in minutes since no cooking is required. It's just beets, radishes, …
Discover an easy side dish with our coconut rice recipe, enhanced by the bold flavors of ginger and garlic. This aromatic, creamy rice pairs perfectly with any main course, bringing a delightful fusion of richness and zest to your table in no time. Related Rice Recipes This easy coconut rice recipe is not just about …
Simple in execution, complex in flavor, this is an easy weeknight skillet corn is a side full of flavor and versatile enough to work with whatever ingredients you have on hand. This is a great summer cookout dish. It's super easy to make and can be eaten cold or at room temperature so it travels …
Sheet pan roasted vegetables - a no fuss, no mess way to cook delicious sides while multi-tasking or devoting time to your main dish. The beans and potatoes are well seasoned and roasted directly in a sheet pan. Take out two birds with one stone with this easy dish! MOOD MUSIC What main dish goes …
Delicious 10 minute take on a soul food staple featuring no slime okra and tomatoes prepared with one of the most simple cooking methods to allow the okra's natural flavor to shine augmented with lime and fresh mint. We eat okra in so many different ways in my house. But I understand not everyone is …
Crispy smashed sweet potato recipe featuring crispy, rich exterior with a sweet soft, and moist tender center for a perfect way to enjoy one of my favorite vegetables. MOOD MUSIC Duck fat and sweet potatoes are a perfect pairing. I buy duck fat from my local farmers' market from time to time, and then promptly …
Roasted Red Onion Flowers - beautiful, tasty, and irresistible vegetable side dish or fancy appetizer for your next party. The onions have a sweet tender center, with crispy outer edges. Onions are a big part of my cooking owing to my grandfather's influence. He always saw what an onion could become if used properly. Whether …
These roasted radishes are a simple, no fuss weeknight or special occasion side dish. This Sous Vide Vegetables recipe requires few ingredients and frees you up to work on your other offerings. You basically set the temperature of the water bath and forget about it. MOOD MUSIC I challenge my kids to be open and …
These simple smoked carrots represent a dish that is so simple to make yet has off the charts flavor. I feel guilty for even including a recipe. Who woulda thought that carrots would make the best smoked vegetables. Net net after about an hour and a half on the grill, these simple dapper orange beauties …
How many of you are like me and think grilled asparagus is a finger food vs. a side dish? Back in the day, my intention when making grilled asparagus was to get those nice grill marks and then serve it right along with the chicken breasts or steak that I had grilled. My thinking was …
The perfect side for a day of backyard grilling. Whether as an accompaniment to steak, fish, or a vegan item like portobello mushrooms, these grilled bitter greens topped with nothing except a flavorful pear vinaigrette are simple, no-fuss, and delicious. MOOD MUSIC Muddy Water's "Take The Bitter With The Sweet" seems self-explanatory as a song …
Badass collards shouldn't be reserved for just Sunday soul food dinners and holidays. These silky-smooth meatless braised collard greens were meant to be enjoyed on weeknights as well. Musical Inspiration for Wine Braised Collard Greens If I could only eat one food, it'd likely be collard greens. My love affair with this dark cruciferous aphrodisiac …
A very simple roasted broccoli recipe dressed flavorfully for an easy weeknight side. Garlic and parmesan are simple adds that deliver big flavor! MOOD MUSIC I find some of the simplest recipes are the best. This roasted broccoli qualifies as such and is one of our favorite staples. It's especially great in a pinch when …
A roasted beet salad is a regular go-to in our house. This version with black kale is the base version, but it's more than good enough to add to your salad rotation. The heart shapes were Valentine's Day inspired around a heart beets theme, but clearly aren't required for the dish. I know many have …
These baked kale chips are as good as they look. Crispy and flavorful they satisfy that similar salty crunchy snack fix of a cracker or potato/tortilla chip. MOOD MUSIC My son when he was much younger came home from school one day and asked if we had any kale chips. My first reaction was what …
Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar - Without a doubt one of the best roasted Brussels sprouts recipes you'll make; a simple, highly flavorful way to enjoy them! The sprouts are both savory and sweet, highly aromatic, and provides a unique mouth experience for the holidays or easy weeknight side. I never had brussels sprouts as …
For your next meatless meal try this sweet potato salad recipe or hockey pucks as my son calls the rounds. Cut them round, square, lengthwise or simply nice and fat. These oven-roasted steaks are enhanced by your choice of toppings. You can be as creative or plain as you want but this recipe strives for …
If you ever want to make a recipe "Southern" just fry it or smoke it. I doubled down in my Southernness for this smoked and fried eggplant recipe. The slow smoking of the eggplant infuses it deeply with smokey magic while leaving flesh moist. And because of the long cooking time in the smoker, the …
A mustard greens salad was in order after a recent trip to the farmers market. I hit the jackpot with a medley of mustard greens ranging from the spicy red mustards to the milder peppery mizuna. They make for a beautiful dish with different colors, shapes, and flavors. The apple cider-dijon adds just enough sweetness …
I love whole roasted carrots this time of year, but I love coffee roasted carrots even more. They're great plain or paired with a sauce like the spicy gochujang tahini sauce in this recipe. These are amazing for not only the simplicity of their cooking and prep, but more for the complex depth of flavors …
This is not your average bowl of eggplant stew. It's delicious, made with just a few ingredients, and seasoned with a South African Braai spice rub. The spice rub is made homemade and adds amazing flavor to a very simple dish that you will enjoy No Doubt! FOR THE MOOD Eggplant Ingredients For the eggplant …
Asian daikon salad, a most beautiful and tasty thing! One ingredient side salad with a simple but delicious vinaigrette. MOOD MUSIC WHAT IS DAIKON? Typically daikon is white and actually look like a thicker white carrot. They are common to Asian cuisine, particularly Chinese and Japanese. Not only are these daikon beautiful in color, they …
Indulge in the rich flavors of creamy vegetarian red beans and rice, a delightful and satisfying twist on the classic dish. Velvety textures, aromatic spices, and a medley of vegetables create a comforting meat-free option. This is soul food, vegetarian style! Related Bean Recipe Posts: Creamy vegetarian red beans and rice offer a delectable twist …
Tailgate with this grilled Corn on the Cob recipe, featuring simply seasoned fresh corn topped with a vegan crema. MOOD MUSIC One of my favorite tailgating songs is "Eye of the Tiger" from the Rocky IV soundtrack, partly because my fondest college football memories are from my days as a player were our intense workout …
Potatoes scream comfort to me! Quick Roasted Mini Potatoes with chili lime sauce that give them that big EXTRA something good! The chili lime sauce is simple, but packs a complimentary punch. The lime juice brightens the potatoes and helps bring out that roasted flavor. MOOD MUSIC WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROASTED POTATOES For …
Caribbean mashed boniato, infused with vibrant turmeric, aromatic thyme, and smoky paprika, offers a unique and flavorful twist. This side dish captures the essence of Caribbean cuisine, presenting a delightful blend of earthy sweetness and exotic spices in a creamy mash. Related Potato Recipe Posts: Creamy mashed root vegetables made Caribbean style for an alternative …
Nothing like some raw collard greens chiffonade to get me off that slide! Simply prepared, a tasty way to get collard greens in your life any day of the week. We eat collard greens in one form or another at least once a week in our household. This collard greens recipe made chiffonade style is …
Smoked beets with balsamic glaze combine the earthy essence of beets with a tantalizing smokiness, while the balsamic glaze adds a sweet and tangy finish. This harmonious blend creates a sophisticated and flavorful dish, perfect for those seeking a balance of savory and sweet notes in their culinary indulgence. Smoked beets are a modern take …
Miso Glazed Sunchokes Recipe - Simple, quick and tasty! Add pan-roasted Jerusalem artichokes a.k.a. Sunchokes to your root vegetable rotation. The miso sauce adds another level of flavor complexity and simply elevates the dish beyond the mundane and basic. "Glazed with miso sauce" just screams "special occasion" but it's a great weeknight monotony breaker as …
This turnip greens and quinoa tabbouleh salad is the result of my commitment to get greens into my diet on a daily basis. It's been my routine for years now and this recipe reflects a creative, tasty way to get them in. Turnip greens, mustard, collards, kale, etc. it don't matter. It's just greens by …
This recipe for simple roasted leeks has an intensely deep flavor that makes this weeknight side feel gourmet. I'm a huge fan of roasting vegetables due to their simplicity and the intense flavor that roasting brings out. Roasted leeks are true to this form and are perfectly scented with fresh herbs in this recipe. MOOD …
My daughter teases that a root vegetable salad is "old peoples' salad! But she never passes on fixing a large plate of this simple and delicious salad that brings together farm-fresh ingredients. When you grow-up with your grandparents and spend a fair amount of time with your grandmother and her crew of girlfriends and sisters, …