These smoked butternut squash halves prove vegetables can steal the spotlight. Slow-smoked until buttery and finished with a smoky-sweet ancho chili glaze, each bite balances caramelized edges, silky flesh, gentle heat, and wood-fired depth. Smoking transforms this classic fall squash into a bold side worthy of any barbecue or soul food spread. Serve alongside grilled …
Side Dishes
This month's focus is on staple recipes from South American countries. I'm a big fan of yuca fries which are the Latin American version of French fries.
These roasted sweet potatoes are a lab recipe gone well. I was literally toying around with Thanksgiving sweet potatoes recipes and stumbled into this one. It's easy, quick, no fuss and damn good. Don't feel like you have to wait til the holidays though. Its perfect on plain old weeknights and weekends too.
Sometimes when things feel like they're spinning outta control or you're just off your game, it's best to jump off the treadmill and just get re-centered or grounded. That's what this comforting bowl of black eyed pea soup represents for me. It's slow cooking and sustained eating for a few days. Just what I needed.
Simple and delicious roasted eggplant recipe that is bursting with bold flavors. This dish features a crispy brown outside with a creamy sweet inside then is topped with a garlicky Cuban mojo sauce. Silky roasted eggplant meets bright, garlicky Cuban mojo in a dish that eats like comfort but dances like a block party. High-heat …
Favorite to eat root vegetables is roasted. Roasting can turn any humble root vegetables into greatness. Baby turnips make the perfect foil for this technique. You get concentrated flavor and tenderness delived in 30 minutes. It's the glaze that actually puts the dish over the top. It's time to stop running from those root vegetables your grandparents tried to get you to eat. Actually these aren't your grand dad's turnips. They're way more flavorful.
Fried chickpeas are fairly comomn these days. But fried black-eyed peas are much better. The recipe is simple and takes less than 20 minutes to make. Try these out.
Grilled wedges are one of my favorite and easiest ways to enjoy sweet potatoes. The best thing about this recipe though is the perfect sweet heat chili lime sauce pairing. Just a few a few ingredients that net a lot of flavor. They go fast so make enough!
Cool, crisp, and straight-up refreshing — this Japanese sunomono salad is your go-to side for summer dinners, sushi nights, or when the grill’s running hot and you need a little chill on the plate. Your flavor DJ here, spinning something cool for your plate and your palate — this ain’t your average cucumber salad, baby. …
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.
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, …
Fluffy Coconut Ginger Rice with a Creamy Kick and Fiery Fresh Zing Yo!, food lovers and flavor chasers, this one right here is a groove—coconut ginger rice that hits like a warm bassline wrapped in sunshine. We're talkin’ jasmine rice simmered slow and silky in coconut milk, with fresh ginger sliding through like a smooth …
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 …
Smoked Carrots That Hit Different – Tender, Smoky-Sweet, and Dressed to Impress with a Silky Olive Oil Glaze and Just the Right Snap Smoked vegetables are fun! So listen up, flavor chasers—this smoked carrots recipe is dressed to impress, just like Domo Genesis’ “Dapper.” We talkin’ carrots smooth as a velvet blazer and smoked low …
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 …
Roasted purple Brussels sprouts deliver crispy caramelized edges, tender centers, and a sweet earthy flavor that gets even better with bursts of roasted grapes and a glossy balsamic vinegar finish. This modern take on a classic cool weather vegetable leans into high heat roasting to maximize texture while celebrating one of Europe's oldest cultivated brassicas. …
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 …
This mustard greens salad celebrates the bold, peppery character of fresh Asian mustard greens, dressed in a vibrant citrus vinaigrette that softens their bite without sacrificing their crunch. Inspired by Southern ingredients but served with fresh, modern flair, this raw salad delivers vibrant flavor, crunchy texture, and refreshing balance. Pair it with grilled chicken thighs …
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 …
Crispy oven potatoes kissed with chili lime heat and soul Potatoes have always been the soundtrack of comfort food - steady, soulful, and always right on time. These roasted mini potatoes come out of the oven with crispy golden edges, fluffy centers, and that slow-building roasted flavor that hits like the bassline on a classic …