Sides

Strawberry Poppy Seed Dressing

By in Condiments, Featured, GF Sides, Sides, Simple Bites 5 Comments Tags: , , , ,

strawberry salad

Every year I get more and more excited about cooking with the seasons and enjoying fruits and vegetables at their peak. We’ve been buying strawberries almost every week since they started showing up in the grocery stores. I’m sooo ready to stop buying apples and pears for a while.

My husband usually doesn’t like strawberry salads but we’ve had this one quite a few times already and he loves it. As do I. The flavours meld so wonderfully together and just sing of spring.

I created this recipe for my friend Aimée from Simple Bites who’s having a Salute Spring! series on her blog this week. Make sure to check it out for more yummy ways to celebrate spring.

“I have an early childhood memory of stumbling upon some wild strawberries on the top of a hill. They were so teeny tiny but I remember them being the best strawberries I had ever tasted. I’m sure in the mind of a four year old discovering wild strawberries and picking them on your own automatically qualifies them as tasting The Best!”

You can read more and get the recipe on Simple Bites. I’d love to see you there!

Cheesy Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes

By in Easter, Sides, Smithfield 3 Comments Tags: , , , ,

cheesy-scalloped-potatoes
Happy Easter! How’s everyones Easter planning coming along? Things are going to be very quiet for us again this year. In Norway everyone gets off Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Even the grocery stores are closed so any last minute shopping will have to be done on Saturday. The whole city get’s very quiet over the weekend because many people head up to their cabins in the mountains for one last skiing holiday.

I still haven’t planned an Easter menu and I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it for just my little family or if we’ll have something a little less traditional. But, I did have fun making these scalloped potatoes and dreaming of my family back home gathered around the table with the smell of cooked ham wafting through the air. Mmmm..

“My apartment has a teeny tiny kitchen and in that kitchen is an even teenier tinier oven. It’s a good thing the apartment is small over all because cooking for a crowd is nearly impossible. That’s why on special occasions, such as Easter, I have to be very particular about the side dishes I make because if I’ve got a ham in the oven there is absolutely no room for anything else. So, pretty much anything that needs to be baked in the oven for a long period of time is out of the question.”
 
Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com.
These just might make it back onto our Easter menu because not only are they delicious they can be made to feed as little as four people. Meaning there won’t be excessive amounts of leftovers. Yay!

What’s on your menu this year?

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don’t want you to miss out so here’s the recipe!

Cheesy Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheese, divided
  • 1.5 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced

Instructions

Melt butter in a small non-stick skillet. Add flour. Cook and stir for one minute. Slowly pour in chicken broth, mixing well after each addition. Bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup of cheese until blended. Add potatoes. Toss to coat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until a fork inserted into the potatoes is easily removed. Top with cheese and simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Serves: 4

Tips:

* A crust will develop along the bottom of the skillet, but that’s my favorite part. It will come off easily if you are using a non-stick skillet.

* If you want a caramelized top you can stick it under the broiler for a couple of minutes (if the handle is oven proof).

* Feel free to cook some onion and garlic in the butter before adding the flour for added flavor. Or add you favorite herbs and spices to the sauce.

Pea and Almond Couscous

By in Life, Sides, Smithfield 6 Comments

pea-almond-couscous

Greetings from the bleary eyed house of Neufeld. Slowly but surely we’re finding our groove. I’ve been so lucky to have my mom here. I’m not sure what I would have done without her. Two kids is just a zoo, there’s no way around it. A cute and cuddly zoo for sure, but still a zoo. :) I’ve only got one more week with an extra set of hands at home and I intend to fully enjoy it. Sitting around on the couch and sipping tea while gabbing with my Mom is pretty great too. And, that’s what I’ll miss most of all.

I finally got back into the kitchen last weekend. Oh how I missed it! It felt so good to be back in there working away. I whipped up this couscous one evening for dinner and we all enjoyed it. Fast is definitely the key these days and side dishes don’t come much quicker than this.

“Couscous is often confused as a grain but it’s really a pasta. It makes a quick and simple side dish because it’s cooked just like instant rice. You boil liquid, stir in the couscous and let it sit until absorbed. It’s also great for winter because it’s filling, comforting and carb-laden.”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

Oh yes, I also wanted to mention that I’ve been included in Circle of Moms “Top 25 Foodie Moms“. I’d love your vote to help me move up in the ranks. :)

One last thing. A little glimpse into my life as of late:

The sleepless nights are definitely worth it.

Simplified Stuffing

By in Fall, Sides, Smithfield, Thanksgiving 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Although I never spent much time in the kitchen growing up my mom”s simple, hearty and homemade cooking had a big impact on me and inspires a lot of the way I cook today. She”s an awesome cook and has produced some of my all time favourite recipes. Today I”m sharing her Simplified Stuffing. If you”re like me and have an aversion to soggy stuffing then I encourage you to give it a try. My mom has converted many a stuffing hater with this recipe.

“The best thing about this stuffing is that it”s so easy to make. No having to take the temperature to make sure it”s cooked through, no complicated steps or procedures and no need to use old crusty bread (fresh is actually best!). Just a simple and delicious recipe that can easily be multiplied to feed a crowd.”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don’t want you to miss out so here’s the recipe!

Simplified Stuffing

You can make this up to one day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Do not add water until just before baking.

  • 12 cups cubed bread (1 loaf)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1.5 cups chopped celery
  • 1 cup margarine or butter
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

Cook onion and celery in butter for 10 min or until softened.

Mix bread and seasonings until well combined. Stir in onions, celery and butter. Toss together.

Put into a large shallow casserole dish or crock pot and pour water around edges.

Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 45 min. or in crock pot on low for 4.5 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally to promote even browning.

Serves: 6

 

Mandarin Orange Broccoli Salad

By in GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 8 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

This is a twist off of my mom”s Broccoli Salad recipe. Hers is packed full of yummy goodness like grapes, sesame seeds, grated carrots and crumbled bacon. Although it is one of my favorite salads to eat, I”m much to lazy to make it for a weeknight dinner. This is my simplified version with a bit different ingredients which I think is just as yummy.

The dressing on this salad is sweet and tangy lending itself to all sorts of fruit and nut combinations. You could really mix this up with any type of fruit and nuts you like. Strawberries and almonds would be a nice change. Or, how about apples and walnuts. Mmm.. apple season. I”m actually getting quite excited about fall and all it”s produce.

I chose to fill mine with broccoli, mandarin oranges, cashews, dried cranberries and red onion. It”s a stunning combination. And, this is a great do ahead too, although you”ll want to add the nuts just before serving as they tend to get soggy.

What yummy combinations would your salad consist of?

Mandarin Orange Broccoli Salad

  • 1 head of broccoli florets (4 cups)

  • 1 can mandarin oranges, drained

  • 1/2 cup cashews

  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

  • pinch dry mustard

  1. Place broccoli, oranges, cashews, onion and cranberries in a large bowl. Set aside.

  2. Mix together mayo, sugar, vinegar, oil and mustard. Pour over salad ingredients and mix lightly to coat.

  3. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

* If making ahead leave out cashews until just before serving or they will get soggy.

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Barbecue Bean Salad

By in GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 10 Comments Tags: , ,

Our family is in the midst of kitchen renovations. We started tearing out the kitchen cupboards last weekend and are currently in the process of laying the flooring so we can get all the cupboards and appliances in over this coming weekend.

Right now, I”m doing food prep on the dining room table, dishes in the bathroom sink and haven”t done any laundry in almost a week (laundry hookups are in the kitchen). I”m more then ecstatic to get my new kitchen but I really don”t mind living in limbo. It makes it feel much more like home because we LOVE renovating!

This Barbecue Bean Salad is so easy to make and perfect to go along with whatever you have on the grill for supper. It can be made ahead but I highly advise tossing the tortilla chips in at the last minute or they”ll get soggy.

Thankfully my fridge and stove are so small that we can drag them in and out of the kitchen as needed, so I cooked up the dressing and then started the oven to slow-cook some beef dip to serve up beside. Such a perfect dinner at the (near) end of a hard working day.

P.S. To satisfy your curiosity (because I know I would be) I”ll be posting before and after pictures once the kitchen is complete.

Barbecue Bean Salad

adapted from Taste of Home

Barbecue Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard

  • 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

  • 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

  1. Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Lower heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes to meld flavours. Allow to cool slightly before using.

Salad

  • 2 cans beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1 small can corn (about 1/2 cup), drained

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1/2 onion, chopped

  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips

  1. Stir together all ingredients except chips. Add dressing and toss to coat. Stir in chips just before serving.

Makes: 7 servings

* I used one can of kidney beans and one can chickpeas.

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