November 14 Meal: Potluck and More Sides

Time for a church potluck, which meant a chance for me to cook one of the four stuffing recipes for the month.  This one was Wild Rice Stuffing with Pine Nuts.  Later that day I cooked more sides: Roasted New Potatoes with Red Onion, Garlic, and Pancetta, Rustic Herb Stuffing, and Green Beans with toasted Walnuts and Dried-Cherry Vinaigrette.

Wild Rice Stuffing with Pine NutsThis was a good rice recipe, but maybe my definition of "stuffing" is too narrow for this to be included.  First, saute ground cumin, chopped onion, and garlic, then add tomato paste, fresh thyme, ground black pepper, salt, and dried mint.  Recently, I've been drying the mint in my yard, which grows crazy on the side of the house, by baking it for a couple minutes in the toaster oven.  Next, add the wild rice and broth.  The wild rice cooks for about 40 minutes.  I had to add at least an extra 3/4 cup of broth when I checked on the rice because the broth had cooked off, but the rice was not close to tender.  Then, add the white rice in.  I had to add more broth in at the time since the pan was dry.  I'm not sure why the broth measurements seemed so off, but my rice turned out fine even with this extra liquid.  When the rice is done add in Fresh lemon juice, fresh Italian parsley, and toasted pine nuts.

Yumminess: 8 out of 10
Cost: Approx $7.75 for 6 large servings or 10 smaller servings
Time: Bon appetit said 40 minutes for prep and 1:45 hours total.  It took me about 15 minutes for prep and 1:20 hours total.
Was it worth it?: Yes, it was a good rice recipe.

Roasted New Potatoes with Red Onion, Garlic, and PancettaYou really can't go wrong with roasted potatoes.  This is a good variation.  First, saute the pancetta.  A recipe that starts with some sort of pig is sure to be good.  Mix potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper and roast for 20 minutes.  Add red onions and garlic to the pan and roast a little longer.  At the end, add the pancetta back in and some fresh Italian parsley.

Yumminess: 8 out of 10
Cost: Approx $4.50 for 3 servings
Time: Bon appetit said 25 minutes for prep and 1:35 hours total.  It took me about 10 minutes for prep and 1:20 hours total.
Was it worth it?: Yes, these are good roasted potatoes.

Rustic Herb Stuffing

This stuffing has the nice addition of swiss chard.  It is one of the two more traditional stuffings from this issue.  The French bread is baked first, then the vegetable mixture of swiss chard, green onions, herbs, and celery is added in.  Everything is held together with an egg and broth mixture and some Parmesan cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes and you're done. 

Yumminess: 8 out of 10
Cost: Approx $8.25 for 4 servings
Time: Bon appetit said 45 minutes for prep and 1:45 hours total.  It took me about 30 minutes for prep and 1:30 hours total.
Was it worth it?: Yes, this is a good traditional stuffing.

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Dried-Cherry Vinaigrette

This was a unique way to eat green beans, but not one of my favorites.  They are served cool, so that explains part of it.  The flavor was good, though.  The dressing is made from olive oil, shallot, red wine vinegar, fresh mint, kosher salt, sugar, and black pepper.  The green beans are cooked for just a few minutes and then plunged in an ice water bath.  They are a lot crispier this way, which can be a good thing, depending on your perspective.  Then, just toss the beans with the dressing, dried cherries, and walnuts.  Very easy.

Yumminess: 6 out of 10
Cost: Approx $5.50 for 4 servings
Time: Bon Appetit said 20 minutes for prep and 20 minutes total.  It took me about the same amount of time.
Was it worth it?: It was nice to try, but I won't make it again.