Side Dishes for You!

I have three recipes to share from my cooking class without any photos. I'm to afraid to take our digital camera to class to take photos as I can see myself dropping it in the fryer, on the griddle or in a big sink of soapy water.

Sauteed Broccoli Medley

• 2 medium to large size broccoli crowns, cut into pieces per your size preference
• 2-3 cloves garlic (add as much or as little as you want), minced
• 1 red bell pepper, small chop
• 1 green bell pepper, small chop
• 1 red or yellow onion, medium dice
• Ground Black Pepper
  
• Kosher Salt
  
• Olive Oil - probably 2 T, maybe 3T. You need enough to lightly coat all veggies.
  
• Optional: Parmesan Cheese

Prep all ingredients. Heat olive oil in saute pan and add broccoli. Saute broccoli for five to seven minutes before adding remaining ingredients. I like to add garlic last to ensure it doesn't get overly brown. My classmate added all the ingredients at once and sauteed them together for the same amount of time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Plan to saute vegetables for 12 to 15 minutes and serve. Optional: sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Go Blue Dad loved this dish. We've made it three times since the class!

Amaretto Carrots

• 5 regular sized Carrots; peeled and cut in obliques, julienne, rounds, etc.
  
• 1 to 2 T clarified butter (if you don't have it, just use regular butter, but do not burn it)
  
• Kosher Salt
• Pepper
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Amaretto

Prep carrots. Melt butter in saute pan and add carrots, salt and pepper. Saute carrots until you feel they are two to three minutes from achieving the perfect edible texture and pour the Amaretto in the saute pan. Using the flame from a gas burner, pull your saute pan handle towards you and tilt the farthest point of the pan towards the flame/back of stove, so the Amaretto creeps up the side of the pan almost to the edge of it. Allow the amaretto to 'flambe' (yes, catch on fire!), thus burning off the alcohol. Simmer carrots in liquid for two to three minutes to allow the butter and amaretto to thicken slightly and coat the carrots. Serve and enjoy! FYI: do not pour alcohol over an open flame into saute pan and do not keep alcohol bottle near saute pan or stove top. I recommend using a measure cup to pour alcohol into saute pan for safety!

If you do not wish to flambe your food, you may bring the Amaretto to a boil to remove the alcohol. Once boiling, allow it to cook the carrots for a few minutes and let the butter/Amaretto combination thicken.

Another satisfied consumer at home!

Sauteed Bok Choy

• 1 to 2 bunches of Bok Choy (belongs to cabbage family)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
  
• Olive Oil
• Soy Sauce
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Clarified Butter

Prep ingredients. When cutting the Bok Choy, separate the white stem pieces from the green leaves. The white stem pieces need to cook longer than the leaves. You may cut the stem straight on or at an angle and slice them thin. Some classmates held their knives almost horizontal to make the nice, thin angled cut. Once the rest of the food is prepped. Saute the white stem, garlic, salt and pepper in butter. Once the stems have softened, add the leaves and cook until soft, but do not wilt like spinach (doesn't taste as good). At the very end, start by adding 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Taste and add a little more at a time. Your goal is to taste the Bok Choy, garlic and soy sauce, not just the soy sauce.

I made it perfect in class, but when I tried to recreate it at home, I overcooked the Bok Choy (looked like cooked spinach) and added to much soy sauce. Go Blue Dad was not to excited about this dish.