Seasonal Side Dish Suggestions!
Over Labor Day weekend I tried many new recipes and the following side dishes were the winners. I served them with grilled chicken, skirt steak, and brats.
Coleslaw Potato Salad
My neighbor loved this one so much that she asked for the recipe!
Ingredients:
4 c green cabbage shredded (or 1 package angel hair cabbage or coleslaw mix)
2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (any potatoes suffice), cubed (only peel off bad spots)
1/2 c shredded carrot (approximately 1 carrot)
3 scallions, sliced thinly (you could easily add more)
3/4 c mayonnaise (we use Hellman's vegan due to egg yolk allergies)
1/4 c buttermilk (I am certain there are dairy free substitutions for this item)
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp Cholula (or similar hot sauce)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
Sea salt
Optional stir-ins:
Celery, diced
Hard-boiled egg, diced
Instructions:
1.) Place potatoes and 3 Tbsp salt in large pot; add filtered water to cover by 1 inch; bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer until fork inserted into potato meets no resistance, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander and let sit until cool enough to handle, but still warm (10 minutes). (I used an ice bath to cool them down to speed the process).
2.) Whisk mayo, buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, pepper, celery seeds, and 1 tsp salt together in 2nd large bowl.
3.) Add scallion, cabbage, carrots, and potato.
4.) Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
Spicy Zucchini Salad with Chili Crisp
Some people really prefer or enjoy raw vegetables; my husband Chris typically falls into this category whereas Cascade and I generally prefer lightly cooked vegetables. For this recipe, I divided it in half and roasted half and served the other half raw. I honestly must admit that the RAW version was better--shocker!
Ingredients:
3 small-medium zucchini (I used yellow), sliced into quarters.
2 Tbsp gochujang (I found this at Coborn's!)
1 Tbsp honey (this could be omitted if you are watching carbs or limiting "sugar")
2 Tbsp chili crisp (I found this at Hugo's; we had been ordering it online previously!)
1 scallion, sliced (I really think you could add more...or substitute chives)
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
Toss ingredients in large bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Bitter Melon Stir Fry
I suspect many of you have never heard of this fruit, let alone tasted it! Last year I discovered a vendor at the local farmer's market that was selling this treasure, so I purchased ...and the whole family loved it. I was able to purchase 4 last weekend so we made it as one of our sides dishes and it was just as good as we recalled. Bitter melon is very bitter which is a taste for which most Americans have not fostered a love or appreciation. Bitter melon is excellent for blood sugar regulation and digestion and has been used for a long time in the Middle East (India, etc) and apparently is commonly eaten in Philippines as the farmer's market vendor is Filipino and has extolled its many benefits and importance in their ethnic cuisine. She recently shared with me that the bitter melon leaves improved her husband's abnormal/low red blood count parameters, and his doctor was stunned. I have been told that you can find this produce in Fargo/Moorhead, but it is pricy.
Ingredients:
1 lb bitter melon
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions:
1.) Cut bitter melons in half lengthwise.
2.) Remove seeds.
3.) Cut into 1/4 inch pieces.
4.) Sprinkle salt over the slices and place them in a colander to drain for 15 minutes.
5.) In a small bowl, mash garlic and chili pepper flakes.
6.) Heat pan over medium-high heat, add oil. When skillet is hot, add garlic/chili mixture.
7.) Stir fry briefly until aromatic, about 1/2 minute.
8.) Add bitter melon. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add vinegar and soy sauce.
9.) Add sugar if using and cook for another 2-3 minutes until bitter melon is browning and softening.
10.) Serve.
11.) Reheats well for leftovers!
Rachel Oppitz, ND
