Tag: Side Dish

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Caviar

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Here’s the perfect fall appetizer (or brunch dish!) to usher in the cooler weather. These crispy smashed potatoes are like fancy French fries meets loaded potatoes in the best way possible. Feel free to use any kind of fish roe here — tobiko, salmon roe, or anything similar will give these potatoes a pop of briny goodness.

Ingredients:
  • 4 ounces turkey bacon
  • 5 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped tender herbs (such as chives or dill), plus more for serving
  • 1 avocado, sliced, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 1.75-oz. jar salmon caviar, or similar
  1. Cook bacon and 2 teaspoon avocado oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
  2. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in cold water to cover; season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer potatoes until a knife slides easily through the flesh, 20–25 minutes. Drain and let cool 5 minutes, then slice in half.
  3. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Spread out potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or a potato masher, gently smash potatoes to about ½” thick. Let cool another 5 minutes.
  4. Drizzle remaining 3 teaspoon avocado oil and remaining over potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 40–50 minutes.
  5. While the potatoes are roasting, mix sour cream, lemon juice, chopped herbs, and shallot in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Arrange potatoes on a platter or divide among plates. Top each with avocado, seasoned sour cream, some turkey bacon, green onion, caviar, and more herbs. 

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Rice)

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This arroz rojo recipe couldn’t be easier to make, and it tastes like it came straight from the restaurant. Use the best-quality tomatoes you can get for this quintessential side dish, as it makes all the difference.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 cup long-grain rice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Place stock, tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, and onion in a blender and puree until smooth. Set tomato puree aside.
  2. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add remaining garlic and rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, season with salt and pepper, and reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, until rice is tender and has absorbed all liquid, 25-30 minutes. Gently fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Smashed Cucumbers with Tahini-Soy Dressing

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Cucumber season is upon us! And since I’m Iranian, cucumber snacking is baked into my DNA. This spicy and creamy cucumber salad is perfect with any kind of crisp cucumber, particularly Persian, Armenian, or Japanese. Eat it as a side dish or on its own (it’s that good).

Ingredients:
  • 6 Persian cucumbers
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white miso
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Chili crisp or chili oil, for serving
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice 1/4-inch thick on a diagonal into 2 1/2-inch-long pieces. Place cucumbers in a large bowl, add salt, and toss to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Drain cucumbers.
  2. Whisk garlic, tahini, lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, miso, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl to combine. Pour dressing over cucumbers and toss to coat.
  3. Transfer cucumber salad to a platter. Drizzle with chili oil and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Silken Tofu with Avocado and Furikake

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I stan soft tofu. Soft tofu with mushrooms, chilled soft tofu with a spicy soy sauce, soft tofu in dessert, it doesn’t matter. My current favorite is this: a super-simple block of soft tofu with creamy avocado and crunchy bits of furikake. I’m not sure what’s faster : the amount of time to make this dish or the amount of time it takes for me to devour it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 14-ounce block silken tofu
  • 1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons furikake
  1. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange them on a plate. Shingle the avocado slices across the top of the tofu. Drizzle with the soy sauce, lime juice, and oil, then sprinkle with furikake. Serve immediately.

Turkey Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice

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I know what you’re thinking, but listen, I’m not here for any turkey bacon slander. It’s salty, crispy, and savory: what’s not to love? Stir-fried with asparagus, they make an unlikely but deeply delicious pairing in this quick and easy fried rice. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound chopped turkey bacon
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups cold leftover steamed rice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  1. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and cook the turkey bacon over medium-high heat, flipping the turkey bacon every few minutes to evenly brown. After a few minutes, once the turkey bacon is cooked through and crispy, remove from the skillet but do not wipe the skillet clean.
  2. Sweat the ginger, garlic, and onion in the skillet until they become translucent and aromatic, about 1 minute.
  3. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, and stir them to break the yolks. Pour the eggs into the skilled and quickly stir to cook. While the eggs are still a little runny, push them to the side of the skillet. Add the remaining avocado oil to the center of the skillet and add the asparagus, stir-frying it in the oil for about 1 minute, then push it next to the eggs.
  4. Turn the heat to high and add the rice to the skillet, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Once the rice becomes loose, mix and fold the eggs and asparagus into the rice. Drizzle the soy sauce into the skillet, and continue to stir-fry. Add the reserved turkey bacon and green onions and season with black pepper and serve.