Patty's Pantry NYC - Food blog recipe ideas party tips etiquette simple recipes » Sides

String Beans with a Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing

Patty — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:38:27 +0000

Recently, I was given some fresh garden picked string beans. Growing up string beans were a staple in our house, although we really only ever had them served one way, steamed. I thought I would make this more into a summer salad instead.

1 Lb. of String Beans (cleaned with ends cut)

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 Shallot

¼ Cup of Olive Oil

Juice from 1-2 Lemons

3 Teaspoons of Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper

Steam the string bean (about 2-3 minutes) and then quickly place in cold water to make sure they stop cooking. I chopped the Pepper finely but afterwards thought it would look nice if they were cut julienne style (thinly sliced lengthwise) and then chop the Shallot. In a small bowl mix together Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Mustard, and Salt & Pepper. (Start with one Lemon and then see if you need more and how much lemon you like- I am not a good gauge since I love LEMONS!) Now toss together dressing, string beans, shallots, and peppers. It also might be nice to add fresh tomatoes as tomato season is here. This is perfect for a summer BBQ!

Grilled Pineapple Soaked in Rum and Brown Sugar

Patty — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:57:20 +0000

This past holiday weekend I went home with some friends. Since having people over to my tiny apartment is really not an option, I thought I would take advantage of space at home and I do enjoy cooking with my mom. One of my friends who came had just finished business school, now I know she worked very hard but I also know she become enriched from her travels. Her suggestion was that we grill some rum soaked Pineapple for the BBQ. That this is what she had done every/one night on one of her vacations in school. While it was served as a snack at this bbq – it also serves as a great topping for burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches. What we also found out that some people liked the burned wedges since some of our slices were not perfectly cut. This was a brilliant idea and a huge success they were loved by all!

1 Whole Pineapple (with skin removed and sliced ½ inch thick)

1 Cup of Dark Rum

¾ Cup of Brown Sugar

Fresh Ginger Zest about 3 Teaspoons

½ Cup of Water to dissolve the sugar in

Combine all ingredients into Pyrex dish and let pineapple marinate for at least 1 hour. Grill pineapple on each side for 1 minute.

Other ideas for flavoring: Honey, Lemon, Lime, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, and Vanilla.

Peach Salsa Recipe

Patty — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:56:48 +0000

I was in South Carolina last week and when I was on the highway, I saw baskets of peaches on a truck. I was tickled pink about this sighting because I had totally forgotten I was in peach territory. Of course now I was on the lookout for where I could buy my own basket of peaches. Alas right before heading back to the airport I found a farmers markets and literally got a basket of peaches and took them back with me to NYC.

Now what to do with my peaches! I didn’t want to make a cobbler had done that last week with some strawberries and rhubarb. Salsa is what came to mind. I was also told that grilled peaches were great…but I didn’t have access to a grill.

2 Peaches (diced into small cubes)

½ Green Bell Pepper (diced into small cubes)

½ Red Onion (diced into small cubes)

2-3 Tablespoons of Chopped Cilantro

Juice from two Limes

Jalapeño Pepper (that depends on the level of spice you would like…I got a little too aggressive when I made this Salsa!)

Mix all of the ingredients together and ready to serve. What I loved were all the colors together, I thought it looked so fresh and absolutely beautiful.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Patty — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:53:24 +0000

Yes, it has been a while since I have written…I have been thinking and cooking but just not writing. Well, with these two entries (Maple Blueberry Muffins/ Blueberry Pancake Cupcakes) I am back. Although, the season is a little early for tomatoes this past weekend’s heat and my burn definitely made me think it was summer time. It is always nice to find things that can be made in advance and be able to bring a full meal together. Recently, I was cooking dinner and I wanted to try my hand at slow roasting tomatoes knowing that they could cook all day while I was cleaning my apartment and reading the paper. This was something that was easy to prepare in the morning and by the afternoon my apartment was smelling like I had been slaving away in the kitchen all day.

Oven temperature 225

Tomatoes
Garlic (finely Chopped)
Basil (Chopped)
Thyme
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Cut tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet. (I lined it with foil for easy cleaning.) Evenly distributed the thyme, basil, and garlic over the tomatoes. Drizzle with oil and top off with salt and pepper.
Now you can run out the door for the day and return to a fragrant home with a delicious side!

Pear Sauce

Patty — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:26:15 +0000

I first saw Pear Sauce served with a cheese soufflé. I thought this was genius. I had never really thought about making Pear Sauce. This weekend I decided to try and was enormously please with the result. This is a perfect substitute for Apple Sauce.

2 Pears – Peeled, Cored, and cut into 1/8 Pear Cubes
1 Tablespoon of Super Fine Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

Boil the pears for about 10-15 minutes (test with a fork that they soft.) Remove from water and place pear cubes in a blender. Add sugar and cinnamon and blend together until smooth. Let cool before serving. Makes about 1 1/2 Cups of Sauces

Roasted Butternut Squash

Patty — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:07:56 +0000

Recently, I was given a home grown butternut squash. I like butternut squash but have to admit I am not the biggest fan. I want to be a big fan but just have not been able to get on board. But I finally figured out my problem. It is quite evident that I have a sweet tooth. Well when it comes to butternut squash outside of soup I usually have it prepared using brown sugars or maple syrups. What I discovered is, I like my butternut squash salty. Butternut Squash I think is one of those great vegetables for a few reasons: they last a long time, have great color, and can be simply prepared. So how did I learn to love it, by just roasting it.

Take a butternut squash peel the skin off, cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice the squash about 1/8 inch and place on a baking sheet. I lined mine with tin foil. Brush one side with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Chimichurri Sauce

Patty — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:18:09 +0000

I have no idea why I had a bee in my bonnet to make Chimichurri sauce. Maybe because it is grilling season and I really do love a good steak and what better than a good Streak Sauce. I have to say sometimes I think sauces are going to take a lot longer than they actually do. This Chimichurri sauce was a pleasant surprise how quick it was to prepare.

2 cups of Chopped Italian Parsley
1 Cup of Chopped Cilantro
1 Shallot Chopped
6 cloves of Garlic Chopped
1 teaspoon of Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
½ Cup of Olive Oil

In bowl place Parsley, Cilantro, Shallot, and Garlic and pour boiling water over the greens. Let stand for about five minutes and drain the water. (I was told this trick as a way to reduce some of the intensity.) Add the drained ingredients and the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. It is best to let this stand for a few hours before using to allow the flavors to blend together.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Patty — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:39:25 +0000

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Recently, I was cooking dinner for a few friends and told that it had to be as close to calorie-less as possible. They had a bet going on at work and the final weigh in was this week. So I made two summer soups gazpacho and cucumber soup. We decided this would actually be great also as a dipping sauce. I would then just add a little less broth if you decide to use it that way.

2 Peeled and Seeded Diced Cucumbers
1/3 Cup chopped scallions
1 Tablespoon of Butter
1 Cup of Vegetable Broth
1 Cup of Yogurt
1 glove of garlic chopped
¼ Cup of Fresh Dill
1 to ½ Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
½ Cup Chopped Pecans
Salt and Pepper

In a bowl place the cucumbers and 1 teaspoon of salt and let stand for thirty minutes and then drain water from the bowl.
In a saucepan lightly sauté butter and scallions with salt and pepper for two minutes.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except pecans and refrigerate for about 4 hours. In a blender blend together all ingredients and ready to serve. Top with some fresh dill. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as lemon juice and dill if you want a little more flavor.

Now, I served this with a lime and cucumber water. Just slices of lime and cucumber and refrigerated it in the water for about 4 hours.

Fried Broccoli

Patty — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:47:34 +0000

It is clear that I enjoy being in the kitchen and cooking for others, but definitely one of my other favorite past times is when someone else cooks for me. I think it is always a thoughtful gesture and a time to learn from others and how they do things in the kitchen. Recently, a friend of mine had me over to dinner to have one of my favorite meals- pork chops, potatoes, apple sauce and green vegetable, broccoli for this dinner. This meal was actual a staple in my home growing up. Now, I have never thought much about cooking broccoli, I usually have it steamed or stir fried in Asian cuisine.
Well my friend cooked his broccoli in olive oil and garlic. And told me this is how he cooks all his vegetables. I at first was taken back, because this was out of the norm from how I prepared my broccoli. In the end I loved it this way.

1 head of Broccoli
3 Cloves of Garlic (Sliced thinly)
¼ Cup of Olive Oil
In a frying pan pour olive oil and make sure base of the pan is completely covered and add garlic and Broccoli. Cook on medium heat and stir the broccoli around to make sure heat is distributed evenly. It will turn a bright green and ready to serve.

Couscous- with Cranberry and Chicken

Patty — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:38:34 +0000

I use to have a roommate that was Jordanian, and really did not like being in the kitchen. She made one thing, chicken couscous with tomatoes. I did not grow up eating couscous but have grown to love it. It is perect because you can use the couscous as a base and add what you like. This can be a quick and simple meal or side depending on what is added.

1 (10oz) Box of Couscous
1 Small Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 Large Garlic Clove (chopped)
2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon of Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped Carrots
2 Cups of Chicken Broth
3/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
1/3 Cup Chopped Mint
1 Scallions Chopped
1 Cup of Chopped Cooked Chicken
1 Cup of Dried Cranberries
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a saucepan cook onions and garlic with 1 Tablespoon of Oil and Butter for about 3 minutes add the carrots and Chicken broth. Once the broth starts to boil add Couscous. (It will take between 3-5 minutes of the couscous to absorb the broth- watch to make sure it is not over cooked) In a large boil mix together the remaining ingredient with the couscous. Can serve warm or cold.