Side Dishes
Here are some of our contributors’ favorite recipes for side dishes!
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“The Cottage Cheese Thing” from Angela Townsend
“My mother invented it for me shortly after I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9, when we were searching for ‘recipes’ that would be safe for me. It never fails to make me feel loved.”
Servings: 1
1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1 packet Equal sweetener
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 low-carb English muffin, toasted
Directions:
Gently mix first three ingredients. Spread over English muffin and enjoy open-faced.
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Soda Bread from Erik Peters
“This is an adapted version of the bread recipe my great-grandmother (Colonel Mary McCoullagh) brought over from Ulster (hers used white flour, I prefer the heartier mix of whole grain flours). I bake several loaves each week instead of buying bread, so we just use it as ordinary bread around the house and for lunches.”
TIME:
10-15 minutes of work, 45-60 minutes of baking
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup dark rye flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp white sugar
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 tbsp vinegar
1 cup milk
Butter (to grease the pan)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and butter the central area (about 8 inches squared) of a cookie sheet. Combine and mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Lightly beat egg. Set aside. Put 2 tbsp of vinegar into a cup measure. Fill the cup measure to brim with 2% milk, allow several second to curdle. Add curdled milk and lightly beaten egg to dry ingredients. Mix and knead. Form into loaf-shape and place in the centre of the buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on your oven). Wrap hot bread in a tea-towel and let cool. Enjoy.
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Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese from Maureen Martinez
“It gets family requests on the holidays. Yum!”
Rachel Ray’s recipe as can be found on the Food Network:
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole or 2 percent milk
3 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, a couple pinches
Salt
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked 8 minutes or to al dente, with a little bite to it
Directions:
Heat a medium, deep skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter melts into the oil, add flour and combine. Gently cook, whisking flour and butter together, until smooth and flour has had a chance to cook, about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk while continuing to whisk. Gently bring milk to a bubble while stirring frequently. Allow the milk to thicken a bit, then stir in 2 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese a handful at a time. Season sauce with nutmeg and cayenne. Taste and add a little salt, if you like. Add cooked pasta to sauce and coat completely by turning over and over in the cheese sauce. Transfer to a flameproof baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place baking dish under a hot broiler and brown the Cheddar cheese on top.
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Spinach Casserole from Crystal White
3 cans leaf or chopped spinach, drained
1/2 stick butter
1 block cream cheese cut into cubes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Couple dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper or Tony’s to taste
French’s or Durkee fried onions (optional)
Directions:
Melt butter and cream cheese in saucepan. Add cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire and seasoning. Mix thoroughly. Add drained spinach. Pour into casserole dish and bake covered 350 degrees until casserole begins to bubble. Remove cover and add fried onions to brown for 5-10 minutes if desired.
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Easy Peasy Homemade Mac n’ Cheese from Taryn White
“It’s really hard to pick my favorite thing that my mom cooks because everything is just so good, but here is one that I get really excited to smell baking in the oven. P.S. Bowtie noodles just makes it taste better. Trust me, I’ve had years of experimenting.”
1 lb. Macaroni or bowtie noodles cooked until almost tender
3-4 cups sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper or Tony Chachere’s to taste
Milk
Directions:
Layer half noodles in bottom of casserole dish, sprinkle with desired seasoning and top with half the cheese. Repeat for the second layer. Pour milk into casserole dish over the noodle and cheese layers until the milk ALMOST covers them. Bake at 350 until the milk is cooked up. When ready the mixture will not be liquid but will be thick and creamy. Stir half way through so that top does not over-brown.
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