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Category Archives: side dishes

Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice

Posted on August 24, 2024 by nina in the kitchen
Black Beans and Rice
Lizano Sauce/Salsa Adds Great Flavor

This May my daughter and I spent 3 weeks in Monteverde, Rio Perdido and Nosara, Costa Rico. We loved the beautiful rainforest, cloud forest and Pacific coast. The yoga retreat near Nosara was unforgettable. All the local people were kind and helpful. Always relaxed and friendly

Black beans and rice was a standard served at every meal and at every location. What’s essential is using white rice (I used thai Jasmine), rinsing the raw rice till the water ran clear, and preparing the rice the day before to allow it to dry out a bit.

Red bell pepper is traditional, but today I used red and yellow. An essential ingredient is a sauce called Lizano. I ordered it online. It’s like a Worcestershire sauce. It’s added to the rice at the end of cooking and also served at the table if you want to add more. Use Worcestershire if you don’t have Lizano. But it’s easy to order Lizano from Amazon. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons light oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can black beans and liquid
  • 3 cups white rice, rinsed, cooked and refrigerated
  • 1/4 cup Lizano Sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and red pepper. Sauté until tender
  2. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. No more than 1 minute
  3. Add beans with it’s liquid and Lizano. Rinse out the can with 1/4 cup water and add that too. Cover and Simmer 5-10 minutes. Don’t evaporate the liquid. You can also make your own black beans from dried beans
  4. Add cold rice and stir and simmer a few minutes and it’s hot. If you want more of a bean and vegetable flavor add less rice.
  5. Season to taste
  6. Add cilantro just before serving
Black Beans and Rice Breakfast in Rio Perdido

Voila!

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Hard Cooked Eggs

Posted on April 3, 2024 by nina in the kitchen
Orange Center of French Style Hard Cooked Eggs

Christopher Kimball from Milk Street shared his method of hard boiling eggs which guarantee easy to peel eggs! It works perfectly!

The length of cooking time makes the orange yolk which is also creamy. This is the French style he learned in Paris

Check your eggs closely for cracks before you cook them! Don’t over crowd the eggs. Knocking eggs together while they boil may crack them

Ingredients

  • 6-12 large eggs
  • 1 large pot of boiling water
  • 1 large bowl of ice water with lots of ice

Instructions

  1. Choose eggs which don’t have cracks
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil
  3. Gently place the eggs in the water. Use a slotted spoon to set them in the water
  4. Bring to a full boil. Boil for 8 minutes 40 seconds! No longer!
  5. With a strainer or slotted spoon remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in ice water. Leave the eggs in the ice water 3 minutes
  6. Remove eggs from ice water and set them aside for Easter egg coloring or peeling to eat. They will peel easily and perfectly!

Voila!

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Original 3 Bean Salad

Posted on May 30, 2023 by nina in the kitchen
Canned Cut Green Beans, Wax Beans, Dark Kidney
Beans…I’ve added Cannellini Beans too!

This mid century recipe is easy because you don’t have to cook anything! Use all canned beans and slice up an onion and a green pepper. Whisk together a simple marinade and there you have it!

I’ve added the cannellini beans to make it a 4 bean salad. It’s not always easy to find yellow or wax beans. The cannellini are a good substitute if that’s the case. I also just like adding them to the 3 beans. You can also double the green beans if you don’t have the wax beans

Ingredients

  • 1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed well in a colander
  • 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained over kidney beans optional
  • 1 can cut green beans, drained over the kidney beans
  • 1 can cut wax or yellow beans, drained over the green beans
  • 1 small onion, peeled and slice horizontally into thin rings
  • 1 green pepper, sliced horizontally in rings, then seeds removed
  • 2/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

  1. Drain and rinse the beans in layers in a colander, first the kidney and cannellini beans.
  2. Then drain the green and wax beans over the kidney (and cannelloni)
  3. In a small bowl combine marinade and whisk until dissolved and blended
  4. Place beans in a serving bowl that has a lid
  5. Layer onions and green pepper rings on top
  6. Pour marinade evenly over everything
  7. Cover and shake or invert a few times
  8. Voila!
Main Ingredients
Rinse and drain kidney beans
Add Cannellini beans and rinse and drain them too
Add green and wax beans and drain
Whisk together marinade
This salad is tossed together in a bowl. It looks even better if you fill up a glass serving bowl with the beans, then layer the rings of onion and green pepper over all. Then pour the marinade over trying to distribute evenly. Place a lid over the salad and invert it a few times to distribute the marinade

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Amazingly Sweet Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Posted on October 22, 2022 by nina in the kitchen
Roasted Plum Tomatoes

This is a New York Times recipe I found to be especially delicious. Store them in an enclosed container in the frig for a few days. One day I floated them on top of bowls of tomato soup. Another day I layered them over pasta with tomato sauce and Parmesan. To allow these tomatoes to shine I placed a layer of roasted tomatoes in a small glass baking dish and then topped them with shaved pecorino Romano and melted them a few minutes in the oven

Ingredients

  • Plum tomatoes, 1-4 pounds
  • Coarse salt
  • Small amount of sugar
  • 1-4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven 300 degrees F
  2. Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut in half lengthwise
  3. Toss in a bowl with olive oil
  4. Place cut side up on a broiler pan or a rack over a baking sheet
  5. Sprinkle with coarse salt
  6. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of sugar
  7. Bake 1-4 hours until slightly dry and starting to wrinkle.
  8. Cool and store in an enclosed container in the frig

Voila!

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Pineapple Slaw

Posted on September 22, 2022 by nina in the kitchen
Pineapple Cole Slaw
Pineapple could be cut up smaller than this

One of my favorite new summer salads to quickly make. And the quantities are forgiving. Add more Cole slaw if you like. Or more jalapeño!! For sure prepare it just before serving.

This is another Half Baked Harvest recipe, one of the best food bloggers out there. Tieghan serves this with Hawaiian Hula Pork Fajitas. The link to the recipes for the pork, Coconut Rice and the Pineapple Slaw is here https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/hawaiian-hula-pork-fajitas-pineapple-slaw-coconut-rice/

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cups shredded cabbage
  • 2/3 cup sliced green onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped

Directions

  • In a large bowl whisk together yogurt, rice vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, orange zest, salt and pepper.
  • Add cabbage, green onion, cilantro, pineapple and jalapeño
  • Toss well and cover in frig till ready to serve. Don’t let it sit more than 2 hours for best presentation and crunchiness!
I made a huge amount of the Cole slaw marinade
Vegetables added to marinade. I should have cut up pineapple in smaller pieces!
Pineapple Slaw
Every bite is delicious!

This is exactly Tieghan’s recipe except I doubled it. If you like salads saucey you can make more marinade. Omit the cilantro for those who have a sensitivity to it. Substitute parsley if you like

Thank you Half Baked Harvest!

Voila!

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Cucumbers with Sour Cream

Posted on August 17, 2022 by nina in the kitchen
Cold Cucumber Salad with Dill and Sour Cream

The secret is marinating the cucumbers and then adding the sour cream just before serving Don’t make extra to have leftover. It’s quick to make and is not as creamy and crisp the next day.

PardonYourFrench introduced me to this recipe. The herbs I use are dill and chives. I also use less sugar than she does. Any combination of fresh herbs work well.

Ingredients

  • 1 large cucumber, partially peeled and sliced in half moons
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 small shallot, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon sliced chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon or more fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

  1. Place sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over them. Toss with your hands.
  2. Cover with a plate and allow to drain in the sink 30 minutes
  3. In a small bowl stir together sugar and vinegar. Add the pepper, shallot, chives and dill.
  4. Rinse cucumbers under cold water and drain well. Wrap them in a towel to absorb the water
  5. Place cucumbers in a bowl and toss in marinade. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  6. Just before serving mix in sour cream or creme fraiche and sea salt

Voila!

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Pickled Red Onions

Posted on August 17, 2022 by nina in the kitchen
Pickled Red Onions

Foolproofliving.com is the source of this recipe. I changed the seasonings a bit, but the lime juice marinade is hers. She grew up in Turkey and lives in the US now. I love the reminders of my travels to beautiful Turkey!

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, sliced thin
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 small jalapeño, sliced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon while allspice

Directions

  1. Place onions in a medium bowl
  2. Cover onions with boiling water and let sit 1 minute
  3. Drain well in a colander
  4. Fill a quart jar glass jar with the onions
  5. Pour over the lime juice and cider vinegar
  6. Add the jalapeño and seasonings
  7. Stir gently with a long knife or thin spatula
  8. Cover jar and refrigerate over night
  9. Serve as a colorful spicy addition to salads, eggs, sandwiches, soups etc
Pickled Onion with Custard Baked Eggs

Voila!

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Hard Boiled Eggs

Posted on April 13, 2022 by nina in the kitchen
Eggs cooking in 1 inch boiling water

Cooks Illustrated is a cooking magazine I use a lot. This is their perfected method of making hard boiled eggs which do not explode!

At Easter I make my Russian family’s eggs dyed in dried onion skins. I buy extra onions to make sure I have enough!!

Ingredients

  • 6-24 white large eggs
  • Dried onion skins from 3 lbs yellow onions

Directions to Cook Eggs

  1. Gather 6 large white eggs that are cold and straight from the frig. Check them closely for cracks
  2. In a 2-3 quart saucepan bring 1 inch water to a boil
  3. Either place a steamer in the water or use a pair of prongs to gently place each egg in the boiling water
  4. Cover and reduce to a low simmer for 13 minutes
  5. In a medium bowl place 2 cups of cold water and 2 cups of ice
  6. Place cooked eggs in ice water and let sit 15 minutes
  7. This method should give you perfectly cooked eggs ready fo dying or peeling
Use a pair of tongs that safely hold an egg

Directions to Onion Dye Eggs

  1. Peel dried brown skins from 3 pounds yellow onions and place in a 6-8 quart pot
  2. Cover skins with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Let cool to room temperature
  3. Add eggs. I usually make 18-24 eggs with this amount of onion skins
  4. The longer the eggs soak in the water the darker they get. Sometimes the dye seeps into the egg white
  5. You can get a marble like effect if you wrap the skin around each egg and keep them in place with string or rubber bands
  6. If you soak the eggs more than 2 hours, cover the pot and refrigerate
Cooked eggs soaking in dried onion skins and water
Russian style Easter eggs
I soaked these eggs for 5 hours

Voila!

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Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin or Gratin Dauphinois

Posted on April 13, 2022 by nina in the kitchen
Gratin Dauphinois

Also known as Gratin Dauphinois, this is the very popular style of potato served all over France! The recipe is from Julia Child’s The French Chef Cookbook. The recipes in this cookbook are all from her PBS cooking show.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 small clove garlic, peeled & smashed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 3-4 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cup oven proof and flame proof baking dish, 2 inches deep

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  2. Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and place in a bowl of cold water. I like to use a mandoline to slice the potatoes
  3. Bring milk to boil on the stovetop with salt, pepper and garlic
  4. Drain potatoes and add to milk
  5. Cut up butter into tiny pieces and distribute over potatoes
  6. Bake for 25 minutes or until milk is absorbed and potatoes are tender and browned.
  7. Use the broiler to brown if needed.
  8. Bon Appetit!!!
Bring milk, salt, pepper and garlic to a boil
Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick and place in cold water
Place potatoes in milk and distribute butter over potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin

As Julia always said at the end of each episode Bon Appetit!

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Lemon Tahini Dressing

Posted on February 10, 2021 by nina in the kitchen
Blanched Baby Broccoli Drizzled With Tahini Sauce
Tahini, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic & Water!
That’s all you need!

Rachel AMA’s “Vegan Eats” introduced me to this recipe. It reminds me of the flavors of Turkey. Tahini, lemon, garlic. The sauce can be drizzled over cold salads, hot steamed vegetables, as a dip with naan or pita bread, or a sauce for anything!

It’s a mix of tahini, lemon juice, water, olive oil, garlic, & salt. Whisk it all together in a bowl and you’re done. Keeps well in frig too. I use it up in a few days

I’ve used various brands of tahini. Some are thicker and heavy and some are thin and syrupy. Rachel lives in London, so metric weights are used. It was extremely helpful to know 50 grams of tahini was needed since the various concentrations of tahini make a difference in the same volume. I have a new OXO digital scale I love and I use it daily! It weighs in metric and non-metric.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

I grilled this baby broccoli on a grill pan. It was a new blackened broccoli flavor!

Ingredients

  • 50 grams tahini
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt, optional

Directions

  1. In a small bowl combine all ingredients
  2. Whisk together
  3. I added the salt. It’s up to you. I’ve been using more salt since reading “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat

Voila!

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