Roasted Broccoli, Mushroom, and Barley Salad

Nothing like finding a delightful new side dish to complement your meals. This one comes courtesy of Real Simple-of course with a few tweaks to suit the pantry. 

The original recipe calls for an anchovy flavored dressing, but that's not really our jam. Instead, we substituted the anchovy paste with sriracha paste. Bonus points: this is very easy to make and you can substitute the vegetables with whatever you have handy.

Prep time: 10 minutes 
Cook time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 
  cup quick cook 
  barley
• 1 
  large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 1-2 shallots, cut into rings
• 1 
  pound 
  cremini or oyster mushrooms, halved if large
• 4 
  tablespoons 
  olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sriracha paste
• 2
   garlic cloves
• 3 
  tablespoons 
  fresh lemon juice
• Feta

What you'll do:

Wash and chop the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with foil. 

In a large bowl, mix the broccoli, shallots and mushrooms with the olive oil, salt and pepper. When they are coated, spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned.

While the vegetables are roasting, cook the barley according to directions. 

Mix the remaining tablespoon of oil, crushed garlic, lemon juice and sriracha. Set aside.

When the vegetables are done, mix with the cooked barley and toss with the dressing and sprinkle with feta. Serve hot or cold! 

Easy Warm Tofu Salad

With the holidays upon us, perhaps like us, you need a palate cleanser. This tofu salad has Asian flavors, mainly from the soy sauce and sesame seeds. Alone, it makes a light lunch, or a light dinner side salad. The flavors are mild, so if you're looking for something a bit bolder, toss the salad with our Thai Vinaigrette dressing. 

To keep the tofu from becoming too crumbly and losing its shape in the salad, be sure to pat it as dry as you can and properly brown it before mixing.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 bag mixed salad greens of your choice
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced (we went with the pre-sliced carrots...because why not)
• 1 large cucumber, chopped

In a small bowl, combine peanut oil, rice vinegar, honey and sesame seeds. Set aside. (If using other dressing, skip this). 

Heat up one additional tablespoon of peanut oil and 2 tablespoons of dressing in a large pan. Pan fry the tofu over medium-high heat, turning every 3-4 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat and combine with salad greens, carrots and cucumbers. Toss with remaining dressing

Tomato Tart with Fontina

A light savory tart is just the antidote to the winter blues. This gem comes from Southern Living, which is a twist on a lighter French classic. We put our own small kitchen twist on the the tart and made it a bit smaller and manageable. 

This can be a side dish, or you can pair it with a hearty salad for a light entree. It's a great potluck choice as well. 

Prep time: 40-45 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crust
• 1 garlic bulb
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cups shredded fontina cheese
• 2 medium sliced tomatoes, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450. Press refrigerated pie crust on bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Be sure not to stretch the crust too much, as it will shrink down during baking. Bake the crust for 7-8 minutes or until pie crust is lightly browned; set aside.
2. Cut off the pointed end of garlic bulb and place it on a piece of aluminum foil. Brush the bulb with the olive oil and fold the foil to seal it. Place the garlic on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. Cool then squeeze the pulp through the cut end and brush the pulp on the bottom and sides of the pie crust. 

Sprinkle 1 cup fontina cheese over the garlic crust. 

Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on paper towel and blot; let stand 10 minutes. Arrange tomato slices in concentric circles over shredded cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

1. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until tart is lightly browned.

Pasta Salad with Shredded Chicken

Pasta salad is no longer relegated to plastic tubs to be carted off to picnics. This version is a riff of a pesto pasta salad and uses spinach and almonds, instead of basil and pine nuts. It's light and tangy without being too cloying. 

Preparation time is minimal, with the bulk of time spent chilling the mixture. This dish is versatile  and can be a satisfying side dish or light main dish. As a main dish, expect 6-8 servings, and as a side dish, about 10-12 servings.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Chill time: at least 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs chicken breast, shredded
• 1 package rotini pasta, or other short pasta like ziti or penne 
• 4 cups of  baby spinach
• 3-4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• dash of salt
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• 1.5 cups sliced almonds
• option to toast for extra texture

Brown the chicken in a pan. Once cooked, shred and set aside. Cook pasta according to directions and cool under cold water when finished.

In a food processor, combine spinach, cheese, olive oil, salt, sriracha and water. Pulse until well combined. Mix mayonnaise and spinach mixture  with pasta. Chill for at least 4 hours. Serve over a bed of spinach and a sprinkling of sliced almonds. 

Asian Coleslaw

We're not big fans of normal coleslaw over there-a bit too much mayo. This coleslaw iteration gives the cabbage a bit more bite and savory flavor from an unexpected source: Ramen noodles. Yes, those Ramen noodles. One batch of this coleslaw could feed a bbq of 8-10 people and is a great complement to any bbq or friend chicken.


Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook's note: this does not keep its crunch and texture for more than one day. Eat it while it's good!


Ingredients:

• 16 oz coleslaw package
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 sugar
• 2 packages chicken seasoning from Ramen noodles
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (you can also toast these or have them raw)
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 packages of crushed Ramen noodles

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar and chicken seasoning. Toss this dressing with the coleslaw package. Right before you're ready to serve, mix in the almonds, sunflower seeds and crushed Ramen noodles. 

Side Dishes: Cheese Biscuits

Everyone has experienced the slight panic that comes with a potluck or group dinner. You never want to make the dish that has the least amount of traffic at the table, but you also don't want to be slaving in the kitchen for days. These cheese biscuits are an easy option and will appeal to every crowd because who doesn't love cheese?


This is a dish that requires a minimal number of dishes and space so it's great for apartment dwellers and students.

There are many variations of the basic biscuit recipe and a great place to start looking for interesting additions are right on the back of the biscuit mix box!

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 12-14 mins per batch

Kitchen tip: These are best made in muffin molds because they will not keep their shape as well if made as drop biscuits.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups biscuit mix (such as Bisquick or other all purpose baking mixes)
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (sharp cheese gives the biscuits more flavor)
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 cup of softened butter

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease the muffin pan.

Cube the softened butter and combine with biscuit mix until the butter is no longer in large pieces.

Stir in the cheddar cheese, sour cream and water.

Fill the greased muffin cups 1/2 full with the mixture. Bake until tops are golden brown.

Sides: Avocado Salsa

California has some of the best produce I've had the pleasure of cooking with. Everything seems to be ripened just right and it's always fresh.

This avocado salsa takes advantage of the great seasonal produce, and at the same time is super tasty and is a one bowl meal!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe medium sized Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ripe medium sized avocado
• 3/4 cup of fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced and seeded
• 1 minced garlic clove

Great 1 step dish: combine all ingredients together and mash with spoon.

Serve with tortilla chips or as topping for dishes.

Favorite Side: Pico De Gallo

I feel pretty healthy whenever I make pico de gallo. There's nothing in it other than some fresh vegetables and a squirt of lemon juice. The official ingredient list below:

• 6 plum tomatoes, quartered
  
• 2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded
  
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
  
• salt and lemon juice to taste
• 2 medium sized cloves of garlic, minced

Take out your handy food processor and pulse the garlic and salt, until they are minced to your liking. Place in separate bowl.

Pulse the tomato pieces until chopped, but not too juicy. Place in bowl with garlic and salt.

Next, pulse the jalapenos and onion until they are as big/small as you want.

Mix all the ingredients together, squirt in some lemon juice and enjoy with your homemade tortilla chips.

Macaroni Salad

So the title of this post is a bit of a misnomer, as I made this salad with rotini instead of macaroni. Other than the pasta change, the rest of the ingredients are from your standard macaroni salad. This is a great sandwich companion or it can be eaten as alone as a light lunch.

Macaroni Salad
Serves a lot

1 box of macaroni or rotini
1 diced red pepper
1 diced green pepper
1 diced small red onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1.5 tablespoons of sugar

Mix the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar until well blended. Toss the mayonnaise with the pasta and vegetables until coated.


This is one of the thriftiest meals, coming in under $10. If you're not making this for a crowd, this will feed you for a week.

The Weekend Meal: Chickpea Patties & Chinese Cole Slaw

I'm a recent convert to the cult of the chickpea. Cheap, full of protein-what else can you ask for in a food? The cole slaw part of this meal is also full of goodness, with almonds and sunflower seeds. I'm not quite sure what makes it Chinese, but it's delicious.

Cole Slaw
Serves: a ton

16 oz. package of cole slaw (I found them by the ready to eat salads)
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 packages chicken Ramen
1 cup sliced, toasted almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, and seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles. Crush Ramen noodles. Toss all the ingredients.

I find that this taste better when made a day before you plan on eating it.
Chickpea Patties
Makes about 8-10 patties

1 19 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 clove of garlic
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons of flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas, garlic, salt and pepper until coarsely chopped.

Form into patties, using a tablespoon. Coat the patties in flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the oil and cook the patties until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes a side.

Yum.

Total cost: less than $20, granted that you have olive oil, flour and garlic in stock