grilled garlic tomatoes

Here's another little grilled ditty we made while I was back home over the fourth. The recipe said to put these on top of hamburgers, but I don't see how that's really possible. We had them as a side dish to steak, and they were delicious. However, should you make them and feel like you're up to eating it on a burger, please feel free to send along a photo - I'd love to see it. Check out the recipe and you'll see what I mean. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 large tomatoes, cut in half crosswise.

Preheat your grill to high. Combine the mayo, cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Spread the mixture evenly over the cut side of each tomato. Place a sheet of tinfoil on the grill and arrange the tomatoes on top. Cover the grill and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops of the tomatoes are browned. 

That's totally it. Super simple, super delicious summer side dish. 

Bon chappétit!

green beans & garlic

This one may be a bit overly simple, but when it comes to cooking, and especially side dishes, I often like to think that simpler is better.  One of my most frequent side dishes is beyond simple. Here's what you'll need:

• A handful of green beans (either fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Simply melt the butter in a sauté pan.  Once melted, add in the garlic until it starts to brown, then toss in the green beans. It's best to cook this over a medium-low heat, so as not to burn the garlic. In about 10 minutes, you'll have a fantastic tasting side that goes with a wide variety of main dishes. Simple and awesome.

Bon chappétit!

red salad w/ tomatoes, carrots & red onions

So here's a great side salad that Dan and I made a few weeks back. There's actually no lettuce in it - crazy for a salad! It's pretty great though, really complemented the rigatoni w/ pancetta that we paired it with. Here's what you'll need:

• 3 heirloom tomatoes or 16 grape/cherry tomatoes (we used cherry in the pic below)
• 4 carrots
• 1 small sweet red onion
• Balsamic vinegar
• 1T olive oil
• Salt/pepper
• Torn basil leaves

Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters (depending on the size) and set aside. Cut the carrots into thin rounds and place into a bowl. Thinly slice the red onion and add it to the carrots. Season with salt/pepper. Mix in the olive oil and balsamic to taste (I think we did equal parts). Add tomatoes and basil and stir. Serve.

We actually made ours in advance. In that case, we held of on the salt and vinegar until just before serving. It's a super easy salad that's a nice change from the norm. Definitely give it a try.

Bon chappétit!

pear & potato salad

So here's a simple side dish I paired with the maple-glazed tuna recipe. It could easily go with a number of dishes. I was shocked at how well these ingredients go together (pears and potatoes? who knew!) And, along with the tuna steak, this took under 20 minutes from start to finish. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 Bosc pears, cut into 1/2-inch piecees
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sauté until golden, about 12 minutes or so. Add the pears, onion, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper and squeezed lemon. And done! Again, simple preparation, incredible taste.

Bon chappétit!