Side Dish / Principal Chef

Tomato Bread Soup

The first time I had Tomato Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro) was with my friend John at Drago restaurant (it is now closed) in Santa Monica. I’m a fan of tomato soup (but not a fan of Campbell’s Tomato Soup as a kid), but this was something special. This is thick and rich, and a perfect lunch on a cool day. I brought Jill there later and she endorsed the soup and said that we had to learn how to make it. Well, it took me a few years, but I found and adapted a recipe from Ina Garten (who always gets it right), combined it with what I remembered from Drago, and we love it.

Ingredients

The Soup

2 Sweet Onions, chopped

1 Fennel Bulb, cored, peeled, and chopped

3 Carrots, chopped

6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced

2 28-oz cans of tomatoes, crushed*

4 Stock, chicken or vegetable

1 French Baguette, (Rustic is great)

1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

½ cup Olive Oil

½ cup Red Wine

The Cauliflower Croutons

1 Head of Cauliflower, broken into small individual pieces

2 tsp Kosher Salt

2 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

OK, what do you do with Fennel? My friend and chef Antonio says, “You can’t go wrong with Fennel.” He forages for it, then peels and eats it like a carrot all the time. Well, for this recipe, you cut off the furry stalks, then core, peel and chop the bulb.*

Dice the carrots, fennel,and onions, and put it all in olive oil, along with 6 cloves of minced garlic. Let it saute for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of diced french bread. Saute and let it soak up flavored oil.

Add tomatoes, stock, garlic-onion-fennel-bread mixture, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper (optional), basil, and red wine. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

The Croutons

We are making Roasted Cauliflower Croutons. Take one or two heads of cauliflower and chop into small pieces. Think about the size of pieces you would want on top of your soup. Coat lightly with olive oil and bake at 450 degrees, for 20-30 minutes, turning over a few times, until brown and a little crispy. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and the cauliflower pieces on top of the soup when you are ready to serve!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

“OK, OK. Quit wrinkling your nose. This is good stuff.” That’s what I wrote when I first published this recipe. Then, restaurants everywhere started serving really awesome brussels sprouts. They saw what I saw. They are a fantastic dish, royalty in fact, worthy of the Thanksgiving table and great for any meal. This is how we make them. We love them!

Ingredients

2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, washed, ends cut off, and split

2 tbsp Olive Oil

½ tsp Salt, Pepper, Herbes de Provence (1/2 tsp of each)Don't be shy with salt. It is underrated.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. (375 Convection)

Place washed, cut, and split sprouts in large bowl. Add Olive Oil, toss, and coat.

Spread on baking sheet. Sprinkle spices over them.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Turn at least once while baking. Taste for salt to see if you need more. (I treat the sprouts like french fries – they’re pretty darn good with a good dose of salt).

If you want to increase taste while reducing healthiness, take your perfectly cooked brussels sprouts, and sauté them in a butter/garlic/capers sauce. 4 ounces of butter, 4 garlic cloves (crushed), and 1 Tbsp of capers. I recommend it!

Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and/or Onion

This is an alternative to the grilled veggie recipe on this site. They crisp up and it’s a great side dish. Tip: The cauliflower is especially good as a low-carb crouton to top a salad or a soup. Try it!

Ingredients

As much cauliflower, broccoli, and onion as you want.

Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, Herbes de Provence

Directions

Wash veggies. Chop into pieces, but don’t go too small, since it will reduce during cooking.

In a bowl, add enough Olive Oil to lightly coat all veggies. Spread on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350.

Season with Salt, Pepper, and Herbes de Provence. You can substitute Italian Seasoning for Herbes de Provence.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then as much more time as needed until they are perfectly crisp. Turn with a spatula once or twice during that time. It should brown and crisp. You may need one more shake of salt before you serve. 30 Minutes

Pineapple Salsa

This is a fresh and wonderful addition to fish, turkey, or chicken. It’s great with grilled food. Very simple to do, but it’s better if you make it ahead of time and let it marinate in its own juices.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Rice Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar (Rice Vinegar is much cleaner)

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Pineapple, Cored and Chopped into small pieces.(If you are in a pinch, 2 cans of sliced pineapple will do.)

½ Red Onion, minced

1 cup Cilantro, washed and chopped

Directions

Chop and drain pineapple. Mix all ingredients together and chill for at least one hour.

Ranch Dressing

We don’t use Ranch dressing much, but sometimes you need it. It’s great with the fish tacos topping if you add some zing to it with cayenne or Tabasco or spicy salsa. We are not big mayo people, so Jill has reduced the Mayo in this one.

Ingredients

⅛ cup Mayo

2 Garlic Cloves. Pressed or Minced

½ cup Buttermilk*

½ cup Sour Cream

½ tsp Black Pepper

½ tsp Kosher Salt

½ tsp Dried Parsley(Or 2 tsp fresh chopped parsley)

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Directions

Mix it all together in a blender. That’s it!

Mom’s Brown Rice

There’s an Eric Church song, Springsteen, great song, where he sings, “Funny how a melody, sounds like a memory . . . ” Just as songs jolt our memories, so do recipes. I’m thrilled that many people have used the recipes on this site, but for me, much of the reason I do this is to keep memories alive for me, and for my family. Thanks for being part of it.

This was something that appeared on our table a lot growing up. I loved it every time! (Did I really like mushrooms as a kid? What’s wrong with kids today?) I don’t make it as much as I used to, but I will always keep it in my recipe box.

Ingredients

1 cup Rice (Mom used Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice)

¼ cup Butter (1/2 Stick)

2 Cans, French Onion Soup

1 Jar, Mushroms(Optional)

Directions

Mix together, bake, covered, at 350 for one hour.

Italian Veggies

My Sicilian friend and neighbor Antonio, who for years ran a great Italian restaurant here in Malibu, Tra di Noi, showed me such a simple way to cook vegetables. He told me that most people overdo it by putting way too many spices in there, or they cook it too much. His way is so simple and I love it. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, salt is underrated. These sautéd veggies are flavorful and always a big hit.

Ingredients

4 cups Italian Veggies of your choice (Zucchini, Summer Squash, Onions, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower)You don't want to have many more veggies than your skillet can handle in one layer

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions

Clean and chop veggies to the size you want to serve them.

Heat up Olive Oil, Saute Veggies, adding salt and pepper along the way (more than you think of both); remove when they are the consistency you want. 10 to 12 minutes is a good amount of time.

With green beans, I will add some hot red pepper flakes. Having large chunks of onion (not diced) is also very good. And if you want more flavor, fresh minced garlic or dried minced garlic area always a nice addition.

Cheese Grits

Growing up in the South, you didn’t ask for grits at a breakfast restaurant. They just came with the bacon and eggs. They are a cheap and filling food, and have just been part of southern menus for a long time. I do not crave grits. But cheese grits, that’s a different story. My mom always made cheese grits. They’re way better than just grits, far beyond ordinary, and deserving of a special place at the table.

Using non-instant grits is critical. If you are an oatmeal fan, then you should not be a fan of instant oatmeal. Instant oatmeal is a bunch of nothing. Steel cut or the whole grain oatmeal, the stuff that takes at least 10 minutes to cook, is the way to go. Same thing with grits. Get yourself some good stone ground grits (my favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill), and you are ready to go. We serve this for dinners, pot lucks, and it’s even a staple on our Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients

1.50 cups Stone Ground Grits*We love Bob's Red Mill brand for all of our grains. See amount note in the directions. You want the right amount of grits to mix into six cups of water.

6 cups Boiling Water with 1 tsp saltYou can use a vegetable or chicken stock if you want more flavor.

4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

3 Eggs, beaten

8 tbsp Butter (1 stick)

2 tsp Kosher Salt

2 tsp Pepper, Black

1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce (Optional)

Directions

Cook the grits in boiling water until they reach a consistency where they won’t run off your plate and turn off heat.

Note: different grits have different measurements. Choose the right amount of grits to cook in 6 cups of water. Use some Common Core math skills here!

Add butter, and stir in until it is melted and blended.

Beat eggs in a small bowl, then spoon in some of the hot grits into the eggs and mix together (this keeps the eggs from cooking into scrambled eggs). Add back to grits and stir.

Mix in all but one cup of the shredded cheese.

Stir in salt, pepper, and if you want some spice (and you should!), the chili-garlic Sauce or your favorite hot sauce.

Prepare a nice casserole dish. A 13″ x 9″ size (3 quarts) is right. If you are using a deeper dish, you will need to bake a little longer. Use some butter or cooking spray and you’re set.

Pour the grits into the dish. You can refrigerate overnight at this point, or just go right to the next step.

When you are ready to bake, sprinkle cheese on the top. Bake at 350 degrees (325 convection) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until just barely browned and the grits are set. 75 Minutes

Caesar Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Green Lentils and Vegetables

I put this recipe together when we were attending a pot luck with many vegetarians in attendance. It’s a great protein, with so many beautiful veggies in it. And it’s a stunning dish to bring in to a a party. I believe this can serve 12 people easily, and it’s a perfect veggie dish for a pot luck dinner.

Ingredients

1.50 cups Green Lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 Bay Leaf

2 tsp Olive Oil/Vegetable Oil

1 Onion, diced

6 Carrots, diced in 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces

4 Celery stalks, diced in 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces

4 Garlic Cloves, mashed/pressed

1 tbsp Tomato Paste

⅔ cup Red Wine

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2 lbs Spinach or Baby Spinach, Washed

3 tbsp Butter (Optional)

Directions

Preparing the Lentils and Vegetables

Place Lentils and Bay Leaf into 3 Cups Water. Add 1 tsp salt and bay leaf. Bring to boil then keep simmering for about 20 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK! Lentils should hold their shape and have some texture. Set aside when ready. 20 Minutes

Add 2 tbsp vegetable/olive oil mixture. Add onion, carrots and celery. Season with 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp pepper. Sauté for 8 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add tomato paste and mix in.

Pour wine into vegetables, and simmer for 8 minutes until wine is syrupy.

Stir in the mustard.
Stir in the lentils.
Stir in butter for extra goodness! (Or don’t if you want to keep the vegan goodness!)
Turn off heat and set aside. Do not cover. You don’t want to overcook the lentils.

Preparing the Spinach

I do this in two quick batches. In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add one clove of pressed garlic. Add spinach. Add salt and pepper (1/4 tsp each) Wait 1 minute then start stirring until it’s sauted and ready. This should take 3-4 minutes. Remove and drain in colander.

Repeat with 2nd pound of spinach.

Assembling the Dish

In a nice casserole dish, add the spinach and push to the edges.

Add the lentils in the middle. Garnish with parsley if you like and you are ready to serve!

If you are going to a pot luck, cover with foil and heat in the oven there for 10 minutes before serving.

Quick Veggie Soup

A quick veggie soup is a nice recipe to have in reserve. It can be a light lunch or dinner, an appetizer, or you can add some pasta and make it a more filling minestrone like soup. It’s remarkably simple and quick. Jill made it for me recently when I was sick and it was fantastic!

Ingredients

4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth

5 Carrots, Large, Peeled and Chopped

1 Onion, small, quartered and separated

6 New Potatoes

1 Bay Leaf

1 tsp Salt

¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper

3 Garlic Cloves, Pressed or Crushed

1 tsp Black Pepper

Directions

Add broth and all ingredients until the potatoes are soft – about 20 minutes.

Scoop out most of the solid ingredients (with a little broth), and place in blender. Puree.

Mix back with the broth and you’re ready. Add some avocado and/or pepitas for great toppings!

Baked Brie

We have made this dozens of times, for our own parties and as an appetizer for others. Each time I have served it, people can’t get enough of it. We’re kind of famous for it in our own neighborhood. It’s not hard (don’t tell the neighbors), and you can be as creative as you want with the filling. I’ve used phyllo dough and I’ve used puff pastry. The puff pastry is way easier , I mean WAY easier, to make and much less mess when you eat it.

Ingredients

1 6″ Wheel of Brie Cheese

1 Sheet Puff Pastry, thawed

½ cup Fig Jam

¼ cup Slivered Almonds

Directions

Thaw out the puff pastry per the package directions.

Scrape much of the rind off the brie wheel. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Lay the brie on the puff pastry. If if needs to be larger to cover it all, get a roller and roll it out until it is the right size.

Lay the brie on the puff pastry. With a knife, draw a slight outline around the puff pastry. Remove the brie and put your toppings inside the circle you have created.

Lay the Brie on top of the toppings. And wrap the edges of the pastry around the brie. Crimp all pastry to try to have a tight seal. Turn the wrapped brie over and place it in a pie plate. You can refrigerate it now until you are ready to bake.

Brush some egg white on top of the pastry. Cook in a pie pan at 350 for 20 minutes or so until the pastry is nice and golden. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes and serve. It is beautiful and tasty! Serve with crackers or french bread.