Tag Archives: side dishes

Buttery Peas with Shallots

There’s nothing fancy or brilliant about this recipe, but when I saw it listed on the “quick sides” page of America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook I immediately knew I wanted it. And I wanted to eat it alongside some baked mac and cheese.

It was the perfect combination. Something about the rich, crusty, cheesy bites of macaroni interspersed with those tasty sweet peas swimming in a buttery pool just hit the comfort food buttons of my being. It may not have been the most calorie-conscious meal of my life, but who’s counting?

Certainly not I.

With the Christmas chocolate and candy finally gone, I need something to take the place of all those excess fat calories that suddenly went missing from my diet . . . right?

Anyway, I feel like this is the type of side that probably everyone makes already, except for me. I may be late to the game with frozen peas, but better late than never.

Ingredients

(Serves 3-4)

1 lb frozen peas
2 TBS butter (unsalted)
1 large shallot, minced
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 baby

1.  Melt the butter in a 12’’ skillet over medium high heat.

2. Add the minced shallot to the pan along with the salt and sugar, and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened.

3. Add frozen peas to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until heated through. Taste and re-season if needed.

4. Obtain baby from the baby store.

Any baby will do.

Who . . . me?

Yes. Sorry Alice–you’re the only baby we’ve got.

5. Kiss baby on cheek.

6. Kiss that baby again.

7. Again, again I tell you!

8. In fact, continue to kiss baby until baby squawks.

9. Temporarily relent from the kissing and serve peas hot.

At this point the baby may still be processing what the heck just happened.

What was with all that kissing, people? I thought we were making peas!

Hey, don’t blame me! I was just following America’s Test Kitchen’s instructions. I don’t question the masters at work. And neither should you.

So make those peas! And kiss a baby while you’re at it

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Couscous with Tomato and Arugula

These past few weeks, perhaps fueled by the knowledge that my maternity leave is coming to a rapid close, I’ve been cooking up a storm. Who knows if I’ll have the energy to make meals with multiple courses at the end of my workdays-to-come? So if the whim hits to make beer-braised brats and onions with a side of creamed spinach with bacon, the time is now. If my tastebuds cry out for baked mac and cheese with a side of buttery peas and shallots, the time is now. Arm me with a nice glass of red wine around 4pm, a cutting board and a knife, and I’m in dinner-making heaven.

But of course I don’t always come to the dinner hour with a complete notion of what I want to eat. In fact, for me, half the pleasure of menu planning is letting my taste buds be courted by recipes that I peruse and gazing at the food photography in magazines, cookbooks, and of course online.

During my enthusiastic searches for new ideas, I finally delved into a cookbook that had been sitting on my shelf since my friend Annie gave it to me for my baby shower: “The Naptime Chef: fitting great food into family life.” Kelsey’s recipe for couscous promised to pair perfectly with the salmon fillets I was practically drooling to make–and it did. I loved the tang of the vinaigrette, the fresh lemony-ness of it all, the sweetness of the tomatoes and the nutty flavor of the arugula. Plus, not only was this great warm with salmon, but it was also good piping hot the next day after a stint in the microwave, and topped with a perfectly cooked over-easy egg and blue cheese crumbles.


With my humble modifications, I present you one awesome side dish . . . which could easily be a main dish for a casual lunch by yourself on the couch, watching the latest episode of your favorite show. Just sayin’.

It made me almost as happy as Alice after a big meal . . .

 . . . almost.

It’s tough to beat the happiness of a drunk-on-milk baby, what can I say.

Et maintenant! I give you . . . le couscous extraordinaire.

Ingredients

(Serves 4-6)

10 oz uncooked plain couscous
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 pint golden sunburst tomatoes, halved
2 ½ oz baby arugula

1. Cook the couscous according to the package directions.

2. Fluff the couscous well with a fork.

3. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, vinegar, salt and pepper to form the dressing.

4. Stir the dressing, tomatoes and arugula into the couscous, tossing until everything is evenly mixed together. Taste and re-season if needed.

5. Serve warm, hot or cold!

And eat it with our without salmon . . . though “with” is highly recommended.

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