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Side dish

Summer Zucchini Rice Bake

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The words summer and casserole don’t seem to mix, but this one deserves a place on your late summer or early fall table. The temps in the Bay Area have fallen a bit this week and when I put grilled sausage on my Friday night menu, this is the first side dish that came to mind. It was a family favorite as a child, given to us by a dear family friend. It made its way into our family collection of recipes and as with everything, I enjoyed updating it to suit my own family’s tastes.

This recipe is the perfect mix of fresh ingredients with a flavorful creamy mixture. Easily adaptable, too – brown rice works as well as white rice. Yellow squash can be subbed for the zucchini. Sliced cherry tomatoes for the regular tomatoes. Any color of bell pepper works great. You get the picture… prepared frozen rice makes this dish that much easier to get on the table and one shortcut I make all the time.

I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do!

Cheers,

Christina

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Summer Zucchini Rice Bake

This summer casserole uses up some of summer's best produce – zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. The perfect side dish for those late summer, early fall evenings when there's a chill in the air. Grilled sausage, tri tip and salmon are delicious main dishes for this summer casserole.

Course Side Dish, vegetarian
Keyword rice, tomato, zucchini
Servings 4 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked brown or white rice
  • 3 medium zucchini, sliced thin
  • 4 oz can diced mild green chiles
  • 8 oz grated pepper jack or cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 8 oz container creme fraiche
  • small diced bell pepper, any color
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare a 8×8 inch glass casserole dish by coating with a thin layer of avocado oil or olive oil.

  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, place sliced zucchini, 1 tbsp water and ½ tsp salt, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, till crisp tender. Drain water and set aside.

  3. Place cooked rice in prepared dish and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Cover in even layers with diced chiles, then zucchini, then tomatoes. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.

  4. In a medium bowl, combine creme fraiche, bell pepper, green onions, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Spoon lightly over tomato layer in an even layer. Sprinkle remaining cheese.

  5. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Parsnip, and Sage Butter

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One of my favorite holiday side dishes is this stuffing.  Though technically a dressing, as I would never in a million years stuff this in a bird and then eat it.  To each their own. It’s a perfect pairing to a roasted turkey, beef tenderloin, or pork roast and one that I have been making and improving upon for over 15 years. This past Thanksgiving my family was away on vacation and the holiday passed without me making this dish! We ate an excellent meal at Del Frisco’s in San Diego – amazing aged steak with all the sides, delicious cocktails and plenty of excellent red wine.  For Christmas dinner, I’ll be bringing this over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house.  It feeds a crowd and I’m looking forward to sharing it again this year.

Also in November, I shared this recipe with our local magazine, Hillsborough Living.  I have been happily contributing recipes nearly every other month since May of 2020 and I was happy to share this family favorite.  They were also kind enough to interview Eric and myself and feature our family on the November 2021 cover.  Never in a million years did I think this would fly with my teenagers but they were troopers in the October photo shoot (bonus: checked off the holiday photo nice and early this year but somehow managed to get them out not until mid-Dec!). 

The lively interview focused on our family, how we met, etc. but mostly on my love of cooking and teaching and why I decided to go back to school in my 40s.  It was a mix of fun, a little bit embarrassing and a lot of feelings of “why us?!” We were certainly honored that they’d include us. It feels good to step outside of the box every now and then – something I’ve been doing more and more as I get older and it feels better than I thought. Maybe something I’ll continue in 2022! Until then, cheers to a healthy, happy holiday – however and wherever you celebrate it!

Cheers,

Christina

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Sourdough Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Parsnip and Sage Butter

Perfect side dish to any holiday meal! The original recipe and inspiration behind this stuffing appeared in the November 2005 issue of Bon Appétit, when my oldest was just 6 months old. After 15+ years of making it, I’ve worked on the recipe little by little, adding layers of flavor during the cooking process.  This final adapted version is my best yet and I hope your family and friends love it as much as we do.

Course Side Dish
Keyword sausage stuffing
Servings 8 generous servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter divided
  • 10 slices sourdough bread cut into ½ inch cubes (about ¾ lb)
  • 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
  • 3 large cloves of garlic minced
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes
  • 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 onions small dice (about 3 cups)
  • 3 stalks of celery leaves included, small dice (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tbsp dry sherry white wine or chicken stock
  • 2 parsnips peeled, small dice (about 3 cups)
  • 3 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, small dice (about 3 cups)
  • ⅓ cup packed fresh sage leaves chopped
  • ½ cup chicken stock homemade or low sodium is preferred
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare a 13x9x2 inch casserole dish by greasing with about 1 tbsp of butter. Set aside.

  2. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread bread cubes in an even layer. Bake until dry and toasted, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

  3. In a large heavy bottom skillet, place sausage in the pan and over cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon or spatula. No oil is needed, the sausage will begin to render its fat as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is a deep golden brown, not just “no longer pink.” You want flavor here, and color means flavor. Add garlic and red chili flakes and cook for about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large mixing bowl, add toasted bread and mix.

  4. In the skillet you should have about 1 tbsp of fat from the sausage. To this, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and bring the heat to medium. Add onions, celery, ½ tsp of kosher salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the onions are slightly golden and the celery is soft, but still has a slight crunch to it, about 8 minutes. Add the dry sherry to deglaze and get all the last bits of sausage off the bottom of the pan. Add to the bread mixture and toss thoroughly. The bread cubes enjoy soaking up each of these layers of flavor.
  5. To the now empty pan, add ¼ cup of butter and heat over medium heat. Once melted, add the parsnips and a ½ tsp of kosher salt and saute, stirring occasionally. After about 4-5 minutes, add the apples to the pan and saute together until tender and golden, about 4-5 additional minutes. If the mixture is sticking, the bottom of the pan is browning or you don’t hear a sizzle, you need more fat. Another tbsp of butter or splash of olive oil will help this. You can lower the heat to medium-low as well. Add to the bread mixture and combine.
  6. Finally, add 2 tbsp unsalted butter to the pan over medium heat. Once melted, add chopped fresh sage and saute, stirring often for about 2 minutes. You should smell toasty butter and the sage should be dark green. Add to the bread mixture, mix thoroughly. Taste and see if you need one last pinch or salt or black pepper. We layered our seasoning with each step so this adjustment is rarely needed!
  7. Add stuffing to the prepared casserole dish. Spread out evenly and drizzle with chicken stock. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, removing the foil in the last 10 minutes or so to allow for the top to crisp up and brown. Serve warm.

Swiss Chard and Spiced Sweet Potato Hash

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File this dish under one of my top 10 (maybe 5!) favorite things to eat. The word hash was never one of my favorite words – brings to mind a college beach camping trip where someone popped open a can of pink chopped up something (corned beef I now realize) that they called hash and put an egg on top of it. I’m not entire sure, and maybe it was good, but I didn’t eat much meat at the time and wasn’t going to ruin my trip this particular morning.

But really hash is just a dish of chopped up food things, and often uses leftovers, and it’s awesome! I’ve made it with actual corned beef, braised pork shoulder, and other amazing combos.

Perfectly seasoned sweet potatoes
Sweet onions with the beautiful chard ribs and stems – never throw these away!
Giant pile of swiss chard
Delicious combo – eat the rainbow!

My favorite will probably always be a combo of greens and veggies, and this one tops one of my favorites. I love the sweetness of the onions and sweet potatoes and the deep flavor from the spices. The tomatillo sauce is something I often keep in the refrigerator for dishes just like this one, but any hot sauce works and is pretty important to balance the sweetness of the dish.

I hope you try this and love it!

Cheers,

Christina

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Swiss Chard and Spiced Sweet Potato Hash

This hash is a perfect side dish to grilled or roasted chicken, pork carnitas or black beans – and one that my whole family loves. But the dish I look most forward to, is the next morning. I have a hard time coming up with a more delicious brunch dish than this hash blanketed with 2 fried eggs, tomatillo salsa, hot sauce and a sliced avocado. Heaven on a plate for this brunch loving girl!

Course Breakfast, brunch
Keyword fried eggs, spiced sweet potatoes, swiss chard
Servings 4 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

Swiss Chard and Onions

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 large bunch of swiss chard, roughly chopped ribs and stems removed and thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped

Instructions

  1. Cook the sweet potatoes first- heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally. When they begin to get slightly tender, add the spices and continue to cook until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove to a medium bowl and set aside.

  2. Next, cook the onions and swiss chard- in the same pan heat the remaining olive oil over medium-low. Add the onions and salt, stirring occasionally until the onions are sweet and translucent. Increase the heat to medium and add the garlic and chard stems. Saute until about 2 minutes, or until the stems are no longer crisp. Add the chard leaves, stir and cover briefly while the leaves wilt.

  3. Add spiced sweet potatoes back to the pan and gently combine. Taste for seasoning.

Spiced Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts

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With travel adventures a distant memory right now, I often find myself cooking food that reminds me of some of the wonderful places we’ve been.  One of those special places was Vancouver, Canada. While on a much needed date night in the middle of a multi-leg family vacation, my husband and I stumbled on the most lovely, sexy bar at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver.  As part of our “appetizers for dinner,” aka my favorite way to eat, we had the most delicious roasted cauliflower with jerk seasoning, dates and olives.  After several years, I haven’t forgotten about that dish, and I’ve made several similar versions since that trip.  

This spiced cauliflower dish is one of those versions and one of my favorite side dishes to serve with roasted chicken or salmon – I make it at least a few times a month and it’s a hit every time.  Another way I like to enjoy this recipe is in a Mediterranean bowl that includes roasted chicken, homemade hummus, and sriracha.

One of my favorite meals: spiced cauliflower (added carrots), hummus, greens with goat cheese, sliced cucumber and roasted beets

This recipe calls for several seasonings that may not be in your spice cupboard or drawer, but are worth picking up.  Berbere seasoning is a North African spice blend that is primarily made of cayenne red pepper, but also includes cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric.  Garam masala is an Indian spice blend with some similar spices as the Berbere but without the heat – I use this spice quite a bit in lentils and some curries.  My favorite brand to buy these spice blends, and most of my spices for that matter, is Penzeys.  We are lucky to have one in nearby Menlo Park, but their online store is also super. 

Beautiful roasted color

I hope you love this dish as much as we do!

Cheers,

Christina

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Spiced Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts

This deeply flavorful side dish is perfect served with a roasted chicken as well as an excellent component of a Mediterranean grain bowl. The sweet dates are a delicious balance to the kick of the North African Berbere seasoning and the wonderful textures make this a household favorite.

Course Side Dish, vegetarian
Keyword cauliflower
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Za'atar
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp Berbere seasoning
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • 3 dates, pitted and diced
  • 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • flake salt, such as Maldon optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450° Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Cut the head of cauliflower into bite sized florets. Slicing through a large floret to make several smaller florets allows for a flat side of the cauliflower to caramelize nicely on the pan while roasting.

  3. Place cauliflower, olive oil, za'atar, garam masala, berbere seasoning, turmeric and salt on the parchment lined sheet pan and toss together until well coated. Spread the cauliflower in one even layer, trying not to crowd the pan. You want it to roast and caramelize, not steam. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower edges are deeply golden and crispy. More color equals more flavor!

  4. Once cooked, remove from the oven and add pine nuts, dates and parsley. Toss together, adding flake salt if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Green Beans Provencal

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This side dish is such a hit with my family that during the summer when green beans are in peak season, I make it on a weekly basis. Correction, my 13 year old son now makes it for us on a weekly basis. Lucky me!

I first enjoyed this salad while in cooking school and have been making it ever since. The original recipe is from Chowhound and delicious as written- thank you Chowhound for the inspiration! But this is my favorite summer version, especially when tomatoes are in abundance. I cannot get enough of these flavors. We eat a lot of Mediterranean cuisine in our house, so the ingredients used here are pantry and fridge staples for me. Along with weekly trips to the local farmer’s market, this is an easy and quick side dish that everyone loves. It is the perfect side dish to grilled pork, chicken and fish – mains we have a lot of!

I’m bringing this dish to a small, backyard, socially distanced birthday gathering this weekend. I cannot wait to share it with family and friends.

Cheers,

Christina

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Green Beans Provencal

During the summer months, this side dish is on repeat in my house. I first enjoyed this dish while in cooking school and have been making it ever since. The recipe is adapted from Chowhound and this is now my favorite version, especially during the summer when the tomatoes are in abundance. It is the perfect side dish to grilled pork, chicken and fish. Enjoy!

Course Salad, Side Dish
Keyword green beans, salad
Servings 6 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
  • 2 tbsp champagne vinegar red or white wine vinegar work as well
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb green beans, trimmed of stem
  • 2 tbsp kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta optional
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted optional
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Combine the shallot, vinegar, and garlic in a large, nonreactive bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Add the mustard, salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in the capers and olives and taste for seasoning.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add trimmed green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. The green beans should be cooked through but still have a slight crunch. Drain well in a colander and while still hot, add the green beans to the dressing.

  4. Toss until well coated. Add the tomatoes, and if using, feta cheese and pine nuts, and gently combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature- both are delicious. Be sure to give a gentle toss just before serving to make sure all the green beans are well coated.

Potato Salad

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I don’t know about you, but I crave (and plan!) food based on the weather. The cooler weather and hunkering down in March and early April likely had many of us cooking comfort foods such as pasta and rice dishes, soups and stews, and ALL the breads.

But now in the Bay Area, and all over California actually, it’s unseasonably warm for the end of April.  And what a welcome treat it is! The ongoing shelter in place order has us looking for more places to hang out other than inside our homes.  Mother nature is begging us to take our work and free time outside! 

This warm weather has our family cleaning off the outdoor grill and putting it to good use for some delicious, simple meals.  Burgers, lemony chicken thighs, and fresh veggies are a welcome change.  This weekend we are enjoying the aromas of the smoker going all day – sweet and smoky pork ribs are on the Sunday menu.  And what better side to ribs than potato salad and cornbread!

It seems most people are strong pro-potato salad or not.  Potato salads range from being bland and heavily dressed to being too sweet with chalky, flavorless potatoes.  My mom made a great potato salad growing up that was always a hit- full of flavorful red skinned potatoes, crispy bacon and perfect bites of hard boiled egg.  

When I spent time as an extern at Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park, CA – one of my prep jobs was to make the potato salad that ended up being served with the Chef’s ridiculously good fried chicken.  This entailed smoking the baby potatoes and preparing the dressing.  After being given a short list of a few key ingredients – homemade aioli, mustards, blanched celery, etc., my job was to “make it good.” Yes, that was the extent of the instructions.  After awhile I became confident at making this on my own, knowing just how much this vs. that to put in.  The ingredient that always surprised me was the balance of acidity to the creaminess.  Just a dash more vinegar or lemon juice would transform the dish, “making it good.” 

Here’s to warm weather, staying safe and keeping hope that we can all safely gather for summer barbecues when we can reasonably do so.

Cheers,

Christina

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Potato Salad

Potato salad is the epitome of summer picnics and barbeques. This one is a family favorite and easily adaptable- we often add diced hard boiled egg and crumbled bacon. The key to flavorful potato salad is to properly salt the water!

Course Side Dish
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs baby dutch potatoes, halved or quartered in large any thin skinned potato will work
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsps dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsps whole grain mustard
  • 2 tbsps sweet pickle relish
  • 1 tbsp champagne vinegar white wine vinegar works as well
  • 2 dashes worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp dried dill weed
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ cup diced celery
  • 3 green onions, sliced

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes and 2 tbsp of kosher salt in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook potatoes until easily pierced with a knife, about 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes into a colander and place colander over the empty pot. Cover with a kitchen towel and let steam for 15-20 minutes.

  2. While the potatoes are steaming, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, both mustards, relish, vinegar, worcestershire, dill, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

  3. Add red onion, celery and green onion and combine.

  4. Add steamed potatoes and gently fold until the mixture coats the potatoes. Taste for seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to blend flavors. Taste before serving, adjust seasonings as desired.

Summer Tomato Pie

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Tomato Pie- the best kind of pie there is!

It’s late July and the local farmer’s markets in the Bay Area are overflowing with summer’s bounty.  I don’t usually have a go to list from week to week (depends what is on the meal plan!), but one staple from June until at least late September are tomatoes.  Only three out of my five family members even like tomatoes but that doesn’t stop me from making all things tomato. And as it turns out- it doesn’t stop five out of five from eating dishes with tomatoes in them.  Funny how that works! So many ways to use them: fresh cream of tomato soup, tomato salsa, gazpacho, tomato sauce… but my all time favorite way to eat ripe summer tomatoes is in Tomato Pie. This is my childhood in a pie shell.

Recently a farmer selling me tomatoes asked what I was planning on doing with the tomatoes and because July 4th was just days away- Tomato Pie was definitely on the holiday menu! It’s a summer staple.

There are a few but critical easy steps to ensure a delicious tomato pie!

Step 1:

Roll out dough into a 9″ pie dish and prick all over with fork.  This can be store bought- Trader Joe’s has a decent one or my favorite is an egg and butter based Pâte Brisé that is very easy to work with.

Pate Brisee

Step 2: Blind bake

Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights.  Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Blind baking the shell

Step 3

While the crust is baking, slice tomatoes and give them a gentle squeeze to remove some juices. Place tomatoes on a baking rack and salt both sides.

Salting and draining the tomatoes

Step 4:

Remove parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden.  Let sit while the crust is baking and you prepare the topping.

 Successful blindbaking- golden and no puffed up spots!

Step 5:

Lay the drained tomatoes in the pie shell, overlapping as needed.  Fill in gaps with cherry tomato halves.

Beautiful local tomatoes

Step 6:

Sprinkle fresh basil and chive over the tomatoes.

Fresh herbs are best, but dried basil would work, too

Step 7:

Gently dollop cheese/mayo mixture on top of seasoned tomatoes and press lightly.

Sharp cheddar, mayo, scallion and a few seasonings for a delicious topping

Step 8:

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or room temperature.

I hope you love this as much as I do!

Cheers

~Christina

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Tomato Pie

This savory pie is the best of summer. Ripe, in season tomatoes seasoned with fresh herbs sit in a flaky crust with a cheesy topping. What's not to love?

Course Main Course, Side Dish, vegetarian
Keyword tomato
Servings 8 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 1 9" pie dough
  • 3-4 medium tomatoes thickly sliced
  • handful cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil julienned
  • 1/4 cup chives minced
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar shredded
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Roll out pie dough into 9" pie dish and prick all over with fork. Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights.  Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden.

  2. While crust is baking, prepare the tomatoes by giving them a gentle squeeze to remove some seeds and juices. Place tomatoes on a baking rack and salt both sides.  Let sit while you prepare the topping.

  3. For the topping: Combine cheese, mayo, scallions, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.

  4. Lay the drained tomatoes in the pie shell, overlapping as needed.  Fill in gaps with cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle herbs evenly over tomatoes.

  5. Gently dollop cheese/mayo mixture on top of seasoned tomatoes and press lightly.

  6. Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or room temperature.

Marinated Beans with Garlic and Herbs

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One way to enjoy a summer evening at home is to have an easy, stress-free seasonal meal planned. Even better if it’s a hit with the whole family!  Grilled tri tip, sauteed fresh corn with red onion and basil, and marinated beans with garlic and herbs.  My 10 yr old even said it was most of his favorite things on one plate.  I call that a win! 

On a Tuesday that started off calm, turned out to be a bit of a hectic one. All good stuff, just unplanned, normal daily life stuff.  I was glad to look over at my meal calendar in the early afternoon and see that we had an easy dinner ahead and avoided a last minute take out order. It was easy enough to pull together in the early evening, enjoy a bottle of wine with my hubby and still have time to walk the puppy before dark.  That’s my kind of evening after a busy day!

This meal is all things summer- backyard grill, make ahead (and even better that way!), minimal heat production in the kitchen, suitable for a weeknight dinner but also flavor-packed enough to impress your dinner guests or bring to a potluck.  What’s not to like? The only thing that would have made this weeknight meal even better – a big slice of buttery herbed toasted garlic bread.  There’s always next Tuesday night…

Menu:

Grilled Pre-marinated Tri Tip

*

Sauteed Corn with Red Onion and Basil

*

Marinated Beans with Garlic and Herbs

Cheers!

Christina

Easiest ingredients to find at Trader Joe’s!
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Marinated Beans with Garlic and Herbs

Perfect make-ahead, flavorful side to a grilled tri tip or chicken. It's easy to use any beans you have on hand- I used pinto here but white beans are also a family favorite. This dish is inspired by my sister in law who adds lots more parsley and goes heavy on the garlic. Either way, it's a hit and makes terrific leftovers. Here's your solution to that July 4th potluck dish you agreed to bring!

Course Side Dish
Keyword beans
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 2-4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp rosemary chopped
  • ¼ cup olive oil lite is best, extra virgin works as well
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2- 15.5 ounce cans canned beans, pinto and white beans both work well rinsed and drained
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients, except the beans, to a bowl and whisk together.

  2. Add beans and gently combine.

  3. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but a few hours is best. If time allows, bring to room temperature and taste for seasoning before serving.

Melon Salad with Feta, Jalapeno and Mint

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Happy Friday, friends! I hope you all had a great week.  If it’s 5 o’clock where you are, congrats! If you’re still a few hours away like we are, you can do it! I’m already thinking about the food and drinks I’ll be making this weekend- the recipe below is a perfect dish to make for family and friends.  Let me know if you end up trying it and what you think! 

It’s melon season and I cannot get enough of them.  Some time ago, on a lovely date night to 31st Union in San Mateo, I had a melon salad that reminded me all that I love about eating local and in season. Beyond tasting super fresh, it was a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, salty and just plain delicious.  And healthy! I ordered it on subsequent visits and finally decided to try my best to replicate it at home. I think I came pretty darn close. I always have about 3 melons of any kind sitting on the counter waiting for the perfect moment to cut open either for this salad, a melon-banana smoothie or just a sprinkling of Tajin or flaky salt.  

Speaking of summer fruits (slight tangent)… the only, ONLY downside of beautiful summer fruit sitting on the counter is the invasion of fruit flies.  Where do these things come from?! If I don’t take precautionary measures, these little buggers take over my fruit bowls which grosses me out.  And even worse, they land in my wine glass, which really grosses me out.

TIP: During the summer months I keep a ramekin with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish detergent sitting IN my fruit bowl basket.  They are attracted to the vinegar and the dish soap somehow helps them not be able to get out of the liquid.  To finish them off, I cover the little dish with plastic wrap with large holes so once they get in, they cannot get out.  Eric calls these guys my customers and I can easily get a few dozen customers within an hour of placing my little contraption in the fruit bowl.  

Lots of customers in there!

As for the melon salad that will make you a rockstar this weekend, it’s simple and only takes a few ingredients.  We enjoy this salad as a side to Tomato Pie and sautéed Chicken Apple Sausage. A perfect summer meal.

Cheers!

Christina

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Melon Salad with Feta, Jalapeno and Mint

This delicious summer salad hits all the right notes- a great balance of tangy dressing, salty cheese, sweet melon and a kick from the jalapeño.  Although this salad serves two people, the recipe makes about a pint jar of vinaigrette- enough for 8 bowls of melon salad.  Feel free to cut the recipe in half, but I like to keep a jar in the refrigerator to use all week long for all types of salads- Cobb, kale, or mixed green with grilled chicken.  

Course Salad
Servings 2 people
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Salad

  • 3 cups melon cut into bite-size pieces (canteloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 small jalapeño chili, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 6 mint leaves, thinly sliced or torn
  • Aleppo pepper and Tajin seasoning, to taste

Apple-Cider Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Make vinaigrette:

  1. Add all ingredients to a jar with a lid and shake until emulsified.  

Assemble Salad:

  1. In a medium bowl, gently toss melon with 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Divide melon between two bowls.   

  2. Scatter jalapeño, mint and feta evenly over melon.

  3. Drizzle additional dressing to taste. Season with Aleppo pepper and Tajin seasoning. 

Happy 2018!

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Happy 2018 to you all! I truly hope you had a great holiday season filled with family and friends.  We sure did! Apparently, I failed to take a closer look at our family calendar because we ended up hosting 5 different holiday gatherings in less than 10 days- lots of work but completely worth it for the laughs and memories made. My hubby is a gracious co-host and an expert dishwasher and I very much enjoy the menu planning and the cooking- we make a great team.  

Over the break we visited family in the Santa Barbara area and had a blast.  The gratitude toward the firefighters is clear all over town and while several establishments were still doing fire/smoke restoration, the town seems resilient and grateful.  We were happy to see our family safely back in their home and very happy to help support the local economy get back on their feet. A few of the tasty meals we had were from: Cava- a Spanish, Mexican restaurant on Coast Village in Montecito with dessert across the street at Here’s the Scoop- gelato with homemade waffle cones; Lama Dog in the Funk Zone- seafood burgers, fish tacos, german pretzels with cheesy beer sauce; and a great breakfast at the Montecito Cafe.  Another great place we had a picnic from while wine tasting was Industrial Eats in the town of Buellton.  A few of the sandwiches blew our minds.  

My favorite- by far- was the hole in the wall taco stand East Beach Tacos. This place is insane!  I haven’t stopped thinking of my ahi poke taco in a wonton skin and bahn mi taco.  In fact, I could have eaten one of everything on the menu.  They even have this super fun item on the kid’s menu called the Beachball- a favorite of my nephew’s and now my daughter’s.  It’s a ball of sushi rice about the size of your fist and it’s stuffed with ahi tuna- poke style.  Delicious.  The super fun part about this taco stand is that it shares the same property with an old school (20 pitches for a token- score!) outdoor batting cage and serves local beers. I cannot even imagine the danger this place would be to our family if we lived nearby.  With all the amazing eateries Santa Barbara has to offer- this is the first stop we will make on our next trip.  To hold us over in the meantime, I asked (begged) Eric to go in front of the long line of people to take a close picture of the creative and inventive taco menu and will be recreating these in the very near future. My brain is going crazy about this place– after culinary school I might have to open this in the Bay Area! After my coffee/breakfast/lunch cafe, that is.  Dreams…

It’s back to reality as we approach kids going back to school this week.  I think we are all ready for routine, but I’m going to miss my sleepy kiddos stumbling downstairs with their blankets and settling in on the couch each morning.  Back to rushed mornings, making lunches, and busy afternoons.  Thankfully, after the first few days it gets easier and we have a few Monday holidays coming up for those sleepy mornings.  Since we’ve been home the past few days we’ve been enjoying super simple meals such as: baked sweet potatoes, white beans with pancetta and rosemary; smashed avocado with aleppo pepper, sea salt, lemon and olive oil; shrimp tacos; kale salad; and carrot soup with lemon and ginger.

For the week ahead: I’ve got a few easy weeknight dishes planned.  One exception, I’ve got a special dinner planned for Monday night as we will be celebrating Eric’s first day at his new job.  I’ll take some time on Monday to make sure we’ve got a good bottle of celebratory wine, and everything for a yummy Italian feast of Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Saltimbocca.  And his favorite dessert, chocolate mousse for dessert.  **Lest you get the wrong idea here- a celebratory Monday night dinner at home is no intimate candlelit soiree-  it’s just extra special food that are favorites of the one being celebrated and are eaten in stages due to 2 out of 3 kids needing to be driven to and from sports and religion classes.  We are just super proud of him and are excited to celebrate his new gig!(Will post recipes for these later this week as none of them are easily available online.)

Carrot Soup with Lemon and Ginger

This soup makes you feel like you’ve been to one of those high-end wellness retreats where they pamper you with delicious healthy meals and take you out on nature walks around their property and serve you spa water with lots of magical ingredients to make you feel like a million bucks.  For those of us in real life: make this soup (it literally takes 20 minutes after chopping a few ingredients), take a walk around your neighborhood while listening to your favorite inspirational podcast (my current fav is For the Love of Food series, Jen Hatmaker), and upon your return squeeze some lemon into your glass of water.  Done.  DIY Wellness retreat in between carpool duties.  You’re welcome.

We made this recipe last night exactly as written, in fact, I chopped the ingredients for efficiency and my 8 year old made the rest.  Don’t forget the squeeze of lemon at the very end and we skipped the optional sour cream dollop on the top- this soup just doesn’t need it.  I only wished I had doubled the recipe- it made exactly enough for our family of 5 to have a bowl with a side of kale salad and garlic toasts.  This was a huge hit with my whole family! 

Fried Rice

This is such a great recipe that can be easily adapted to what you have in the refrigerator.  It’s comforting, quick, and can be healthier if you increase the veggies (I add zucchini and more bell pepper) swap brown rice for the white rice, and use coconut oil for the canola oil.  Obviously, you can add chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu for protein.  We like ours with a generous amount of Sriracha sauce.  

Note: I use my dutch oven pot because it contains all the extra veggies I add but if I had a wok, that would be ideal.  Also, do not begin this without having everything prepped and ready to go. We are talking about a super quick dish over high heat that can be ruined with sad overcooked veggies or egg stuck to the bottom of your pan never to be scrubbed off entirely.  

Beef Chili with Kidney Beans

This is another one of our go-to chili recipes.  It is heavier on the quantity of ground beef (2 lbs) but makes a lot and I take care to use good organic, grass-fed beef.  We rarely eat red meat, so when we do, it’s the best quality we can find and afford.  This recipe has a good kick and requires my kids to dollop sour cream or Greek yogurt on top, but it’s full of flavor.  I add two red bell peppers instead of one, coconut oil instead of the vegetable oil, and add an extra can of beans- white or black.  The recipe brilliantly calls for cooking for 1 hr with the lid on and then for 1 hr with the lid off.  Do this.  The people at America’s Test Kitchen are no joke and they know these things after much trial and error.  It makes for a deeply flavored, thick chili and the leftovers are awesome.  

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

Growing up, these were a staple in our house.  I remember running out the house to school with two hot muffins on a napkin.  The recipe was included in our family recipe collection that my mom made for my siblings and me and I’ve enjoyed sharing them with my own kids.  The batter couldn’t be more simple to make, can be left in the refrigerator for several weeks (don’t be alarmed by the strange tint of green the top layer takes on- it’s fine), and are best scooped and put in the oven the day of- I do mine while packing lunches.  My kids enjoy them as a snack and are a respectable stand in for a sandwich when packed with a to-go packet of peanut or almond butter.  I swap out the Crisco sticks for butter and add chopped walnuts but skip the raisins- they get a little too mushy for my liking. Alternatively, you can add the raisins when you are scooping so they are more fresh.  Enjoy!  

Quick blog note: I hope the tag/category feature helps you find recipes more easily.  I sure know it helps me! Also, I’m working hard on figuring out a better way to post recipes (an easy recipe card) when it’s not a linked recipe so you can view and print recipes easily.  Stay tuned… I have a day job so it is taking me awhile to integrate all of it.  🙂

I hope you have a great week, avoid all those nasty germs out there, and enjoy all that a fresh year has to offer! Thanks for reading ~Christina