Side Dish

Bacon and Chive Cheese Ball

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Appetizer season is here, and this is definitely a great one! I got this recipe from my friend Boo Fields, this cheese ball is her creation and her idea the only things I did different was add real bacon bits and dry dill and adapt the exact amounts of every ingredient to come up with this awesome cheese ball dip.  Boo made this recipe for a Christmas party and I could not get enough of it, everyone loved it and it was the star of the party! I recreated this cheese ball dip last night for a movie night with our friends and brought it over their house, we really enjoyed it and it was a great snack for a movie night. I paired this cheese ball dip with flip sides pretzel crackers, let me tell you about this snack… It completes me. It is literally half side pretzel and half side cracker, baked into one and it sounds weird, even looks interesting, but it tastes AMAZING!!! This “pracker” as I call them, totally brings out the flavors of this cheese ball and goes so perfectly with it. I just recently discovered them and wanted to share them with the world, you must try them yourself, you just have to! After all crackers, pretzels, pita chips, potato chips and everything else is so yesterday. If you really want to impress your taste buds, this snack will do it! Okay, enough said, just take a look at these ingredients and you will understand. 😉

Bacon and Chive Cheese Ball {Serves 4-6}

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of Cream Cheese (8oz) *Softened about an hour*
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dried Dill
  • 1 heaping teaspoon McCormick Perfect Pinch (Spice) Bacon and Chive flavored *Pictured Below
  • 1 teaspoon Real Bacon Bits (+ 1 teaspoon to top/decorate the cheese ball)
  • 1-2 pressed Garlic Cloves, depending on your love of garlic (I like 1 clove)
  • Crackers or Snack or your choice. I used Town House Pretzel Crackers *Pictured Below*
  • Optional: Almonds or walnuts (I did NOT use any nuts)

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Directions:

1) Cut the cream cheese into about 1 inch squares (I cut 4 vertical lines from top to bottom, and 1 horizontal line, to make perfect cubes) and put it into a large bowl.

2) Add the dill, McCormick bacon and chive spice, bacon bits, and pressed garlic to the bowl with the cream cheese and press down with a fork, making the cream cheese soft then mix very well with a spoon.

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3) Put a piece of aluminum foil on the counter top. Using a spoon put the cream cheese mixture on the foil and using your hands, form the cream cheese mixture into a ball. You just kind of roll it with your hands, molding it until it becomes a perfect round cheese ball.

4) Carefully pick it up using your hands, and neatly place it into a little bowl that you want to serve it in. Then sprinkle 1 more teaspoon of the bacon bits all around on top of the cheese ball. This makes the cheese ball look extra pretty and gives it even more flavor.

5) Cover the cheese ball with foil and refrigerate until it is ready to serve, otherwise it will get too soft. *Optional: If you wish you can also cut almonds or walnuts into little tiny pieces and top the cheese ball with nuts instead or along with the bacon bits. I did not do that because I like to keep it simple and was not sure if the friends we were visiting had any nut allergies but my friend Boo used nuts to top her cheese ball at the Christmas party and it tasted great, if you are a nut lover definitely try it.*

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Tortilla Crab Roulette Rolls

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These tortilla crab roulette rolls are super delicious and so simple to prepare! It is one of my hubby’s most favorite appetizers that I make and he requests it for any big dinner event and of course every big Holiday event! It has become a tradition to make these for Christmas every single year and if I don’t, it feels like there is something missing on the table. My favorite part about this appetizer is that it can be made a day ahead of time and stays good in the fridge for up to a week, although in our house it does not last that long! Lol. So it is great for a big dinner or party if you have guests coming over and are overwhelmed with a lot to cook, this dish can be crossed off your list the day before. I have been making this appetizer for years now, just never had a chance to post it yet, it has been tried by several friends and relatives and everyone always loves it. So, if you are having a hard time choosing an appetizer to make for an important event, this recipe will not fail you! 🙂

Tortilla Crab Roulette Rolls {Serves 14-18} 

Ingredients:

  • Imitation Crab Meat, Flak Style 24 oz (Usually 3 packs of 8 oz)
  • 5 Flour Tortillas (Big Burrito Size)
  • 3 1/2 cups Mexican Blend Cheese (Shredded)
  • 8-9 Hard Boiled Eggs
  • 1 Cup Mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s Brand)
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic

Directions:

1) Cook your eggs to make them hard boiled. Meanwhile, cut all the imitation crab meat into small pieces and set it aside in a big bowl. Once the eggs are done, cool them off, peel them and cut them also into small pieces. Put the shredded Mexican blend cheese into a separate big bowl.

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2) In a separate bowl or measuring cup, put the 1 cup of Mayonnaise. Peel the garlic cloves and add them into the Mayonnaise using a garlic press. Mix very well to distribute the garlic evenly.

3) Take a big piece of parchment paper or foil and lay it down on the table (This is not necessary but makes cleaning much easier afterwards.) Put the tortilla on the parchment paper and using a butter knife, spread a thin, even layer of the Mayonnaise mix on it. It should be about 3 heaping Tablespoons of Mayo mix per each tortilla.

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4) Then using your hands, evenly sprinkle the Mexican blend cheese over the mayo.

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5) Then evenly sprinkle the hard boiled eggs over the layer of cheese.

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6) Then evenly sprinkle the imitation crab meat over the layer of eggs.

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7) Then roll up the tortilla into a roulette, or burrito looking roll. Then put the roll in foil and tighten the foil around the roll so it does not loose its shape and stays like a roulette roll.

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8) Refrigerate over night or at least 8 hours. Then when you are ready to serve it, just carefully take it out of the foil and cut it into pin wheels. *Make sure to cut it into thick (About 3/4 inch thick) pin wheels, if you cut it too thin it will fall apart and loose it’s shape! Cut the ends off, because they do not look pretty with the way the tortilla just hangs off the sides, so I do not put it in the serving plate I either eat it or discard it. I have my husband help me with this step, he cuts and I hold them so they don’t fall and break apart, then neatly transfer them to a serving plate. *Best served cold, right out of the fridge, so cut right before serving them.

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Korean Carrot Salad (Markovcha)

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This is probably my most favorite salad ever, and I do not throw the word “favorite” around. It is the classic Russian carrot salad (Markovcha) Although it is actually an authentic Korean dish that has been adapted by Russians/Ukrainians.  I am sure most Russian/Ukrainian people have tried this salad at one point or another and can agree with me that it has become a traditional favorite. I have this salad on the table at all the special occasions, fancy dinners, and especially Holiday dinners, and it is always the first dish gone! I always make a double or sometimes even triple batch of it to enjoy for the next few days. This salad is common at almost all Russian/Ukrainian weddings and for good reason! This is my version of the salad, I got this recipe from my mother in law Tamara, but of course have added a few of my own changes to it. You should have seen that coming. 😉 I have yet to try a Korean carrot salad that tastes better then this one. I hope you all enjoy it just as much as my family does.

Korean Carrot Salad {Makes about 2.2 pounds. Serves 12-14}

Ingredients:

  • 1 Kilogram Carrots (About 2.2 LB)
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
  • 4 Tablespoons Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • Pepper to taste
  • 2 packs of Korean Carrot Salad Seasoning (Found in most Russian, European, Polish stores.)
  • *IMPORTANT TOOLS*: Mandolin Slicer (My dad bought me one at an Asian store.)

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(I did not take a picture of the ingredients as they are very basic ingredients, But for those that need it, here is a picture of the Korean Carrot Salad Seasoning. It usually cost .65 or .75 cents and can be found at most Russian, European, and Polish stores. I got mine at the Polish store.)

1) Wash and peel all the carrots then set them aside in a big bowl.

2) Take a large bowl and using the mandolin slicer, slice the carrots into thin, matchstick like, neat strips. (I used a big pot because this was for a party and I made 3X as much and it only fit into a big pot lol.)

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3) In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, pressed garlic, pepper, and Korean carrot salad seasoning packets. Mix it very well.

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4) Add it to the large bowl (Or pot in my case lol) with carrots, pour it on top. Then mix the carrots very well until well blended with the sauce and seasonings.

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5)Cover and refrigerate over night or at least 10 hours. It is then ready to be enjoyed. Just make sure to mix it very well before putting it into the serving bowls!

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(And a close up, so you can see the texture, and detail.)

 

Cilantro and Garlic Green Beans

 

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These cilantro and garlic green beans are amazing!!! By far my most favorite side dish. I have always loved cilantro and green beans but have never tried to put the two together. One day my friend Mercy brought these cilantro garlic green beans over for dinner, and we couldn’t get enough of them! They were so delicious! Of course, I asked her for the recipe. It was actually supposed to be a recipe for asparagus but she substituted with green beans and the cilantro was her own idea. I have since made this side dish about 5 times and adapted the recipe a bit to my own liking. I would honestly eat it every single day if I could! Lol. If you love green beans as much as I do, give this recipe a try. The cilantro gives it such a refreshing new taste! Or if you are not a cilantro fan, you can just omit it, however it pretty much makes this dish, so keep that in mind.

Cilantro Garlic Green Beans {4 Servings}

Ingredients:

  • 1.25 LB Green Beans
  • 3 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 5 Cloves of Garlic (More or less, depending on your love of garlic)
  • 1 bunch Cilantro
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

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Directions:

1) Fill a big pot, less then half way with water and bring it to a boil on high heat, meanwhile wash the green beans and cut the ends off.

2) When the water boils, throw the green beans in. Cook until the green beans get SLIGHTLY soft to the touch(you don’t want them to be too soft of they will taste mushy!).

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3)When they are slightly soft and done cooking, drain out all the water. Then do the prep work, peel the garlic cloves and set aside. Wash the cilantro, then cut it into small pieces, set aside. Try not to cut the stems of the cilantro, although some will slip their way in anyhow, but you will need the leafy part of the cilantro.

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4) In a large frying pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. I did 6.5. Then add the olive oil. When it heats up, immediately add the green beans to the pan.

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5) Fry them a few minutes, then add the cilantro in. Keep cooking and mixing until the green beans are crisp and slightly browned just a little bit, or more, depending on how you like your green beans.

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6) In the last few minutes add the garlic through the garlic press into the pan. Mix very well to evenly distribute. Let the garlic fry for a few minutes until it gets tender and some get slightly golden but do NOT over cook the garlic because it will burn very fast and not taste good.  *These are even good served cold!!!*

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Uruguay Style Rice

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This is a very simple, yet absolutely delicious recipe for rice. I got the idea for this recipe, from our good friends Claudia and Marcelo. They are our awesome Latino friends and they sure know how to cook! Claudia is from Columbia and her husband Marcelo is from Uruguay. This recipe originated in Uruguay and was passed down to Marcelo from his mother. We tried this yummy rice at their house when they had a cook out and it was a big hit! So when we were cooking out for Memorial Day, I decided to recreate that Uruguay rice recipe, as it is very simple and I really like the fact that it can be prepared ahead of time which is always great if you have people over. It paired perfectly with the Chicken Thighs and Steaks that we were grilling and I think this one of  the best side dishes for any meat on the grill. It gives rice a whole new flavor, and I don’t know about you guys but I like variety and plain rice sometimes gets annoying. Try this yummy recipe next time that you cook out, and I’m sure you will love it just as much as we did!

Uruguay Style Rice {Serves 6-8}

Ingredients:

  •  2 Cups Rice, when it is raw (Cook it according to the package instructions) *I used Jasmine Rice*
  • 6-7 Eggs
  • 3-4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Vegeta Seasoning (Or any seasoning of your choice)
  • Salt/Pepper

Directions:

1) Cook the 2 Cups of rice according to package instructions. Set it aside to cool. Hard boil the eggs, leave them in a pot of ice cold water and set them aside.

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2) When the eggs have cooled off, peel them. Then dice each egg into little cubes. Set it aside.

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3) Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add the cut eggs into the rice. Then add the Mayonnaise. Mix it very well.

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4) Season with Vegeta (or seasoning of your choice) and sprinkle in a little salt/pepper. Mix the rice very well again. Keep it covered. If you will be serving it within 1 or 2 hours then just cover it with a lid or foil. If you are making it for later then you can refrigerate it and heat it up when you are ready to eat it. However it does taste best eaten within 1 to 2 hours!

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Classic Crab Salad

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This salad is a very classic Russian dish, and it is my most favorite Russian salad. It is very delicious and has a unique taste. I make this salad for pretty much every single Holiday dinner, or special occasion. I just made some this past Saturday, for Easter Sunday. This batch lasted enough for lunch and dinner, as a side dish and we finished the last bit of it Monday night with our dinner.  I was pretty disappointed when we finished all of it, so I will probably be making another batch some time soon. This salad is great to bring to a Potluck, because it is easy to make and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Since this dish has been around for decades, each family has their own recipe for it. This is my special family recipe and it’s the way I have always made this salad. This salad needs to be refrigerated and it tastes best when it is made the night before you eat it, So that it stands overnight. It can stay good in the refrigerator for about a week, However at our house it never lasts that long because we eat it within a few days. 😉

Classic Crab Salad  {Serves 10-12, As a side}

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 LB Imitation Crab Meat (Flake style tastes best)
  • 8 Hard Boiled Eggs
  • 1 Cup Real Mayonnaise (I used Hellman’s)
  • 1 Can of Corn
  • 1 Small Onion

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Directions:

1) Do all the prep work first. Finely cut the imitation crab meat, put it in a big bowl. Then peel the hard boiled eggs, I peel them one by one and rinse them really quick under some cold running water, to make sure there are no small pieces of the egg shell still on the egg. Dice the eggs into small pieces, and add it to the big bowl with the imitation crab meat. Peel the onion and chop it into small pieces, then add it into the big bowl as well.

2) Drain all the water out of the can of corn, rinse the corn under cold running water using a strainer. Then add the corn into the big bowl also.

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3) Add the 1 Cup of Mayonnaise to the big bowl and mix it very well. I put on kitchen gloves and mix it well with my hands. This way it mixes up evenly. Then add salt and pepper, according to your tastes, and mix it very well again. Cover the bowl with a lid or aluminum foil and keep this salad refrigerated. It tastes good served cold. And is best if it has been refrigerated overnight.

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Simple Marinated Mushrooms

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These Marinated Mushrooms are the best that I have ever tried! They are my husband’s most favorite side dish, so I make them for pretty much every Holiday, or special occasion and you bet I made them for Easter Sunday! My husband was very disappointed when we finished them on Monday, and I promised him that I would be making another batch some time soon. These marinated mushrooms are tangy, juicy, and have just the right amount of sourness to them, and the red bell peppers add an awesome crisp taste. I would take these over dill pickles any day! This is the perfect side dish, especially in the summer time when you are having a BBQ, so with the weather warming up, I decided to post it now. Looking at these yummy pictures is making me want some right now! 🙂 These Marinated Mushrooms taste best if you marinate them for a few days or at least overnight.

Simple Marinated Mushrooms  {Serves 10-12, As a side}

Ingredients:

  • 4 LB White Mushrooms
  • 16 Cups water & 3 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar

Ingredients for the Marinade Mix:

  • 1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar
  • 4 teaspoons Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper
  • 6 Dry Bay Leaves
  • 3 Tablespoons Dry Dill Weed
  • 6-7 Garlic Cloves  (Chopped into small pieces)
  • 2 Red Bell peppers (Diced into small pieces)
  • 4 Cups of Water
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Oil

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Directions:

1) Start off by making the marinade mixture. In a Medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper, dry bay leaves, dry dill weed,  chopped garlic cloves, and diced red bell peppers. Simmer it on Low-medium heat, I did a 4.0, for 5-10 minutes.

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2) Add the 4 Cups of water to the saucepan. Bring it to a boil. And simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add the vegetable oil, and turn the heat off.

3) Rinse your mushrooms very thoroughly. Boil 16 Cups of water, and 3 Tablespoons of Vinegar in a Large pot on High heat. While the water comes to a boil, Cut the mushrooms. I cut them into fourths if they are big, In half if they are medium sized, and left the small ones whole.

4) When the water comes to a boil, Throw the mushrooms in. Mix them well. Cover the pot, and cook them for 3-5 Minutes. I did 3 Minutes. Just until they get a little tender.

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5) Drain the water out of the pot. Put the mushrooms back into the large pot, and pour the marinade mixture over the mushrooms.

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6) On Medium heat, I did a 5.5, boil the mushrooms and marinade mix for another 3 Minutes.

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7) Let the mushrooms and marinade mixture cool down. Then put the pot into the refrigerator. *Keep these marinated mushrooms refrigerated and in the marinade mixture. They are best served cold. I serve my mushrooms with just a little bit of the marinade mixture liquid. YUM!!!

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Fried Eggplant Appetizer

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This eggplant appetizer is incredible! My mom usually made it for most of our Holiday dinners when I was growing up. This appetizer is a very common Russian dish but it never gets old for me. It also looks beautiful on the table, with the bright red color of the tomatoes that you top it with, and even more pretty when you garnish the plate with parsley. Or a tomato rose. (I have yet to master that one lol.) Some people even decorate it with extra mayo on top of the tomato by putting it in a frosting bag and drawing  flowers or some cute shape with it. So you can get creative with this, and I would Love to see your ideas! This appetizer is always a hit with my family and I am sure it will be with your family too! 🙂

Fried Eggplant Appetizer  {Serves 4-6}

Ingredients:  

  • 2 Medium Eggplants (I do not sugest using large eggplants for this recipe!)
  • 3/4 Cup Real Mayonnaise ( I used Hellman’s Brand)
  • 2-4 Garlic cloves (Depending on your like of Garlic. I did 4 cuz we love garlic)
  • 5 Campare Tomatoes (because they are small) OR 1-2 Regular Tomatoes
  • 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour (To start off, you can add more later if needed)
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

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Directions:

1) Wash the Eggplant. Cut it into even round pieces. Put flour into a plate, Sprinkle some salt and pepper into the flour and mix it. Set up a “Station”.

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2) Heat 3 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil in a frying pan on Medium heat (I did a 5.5). Set up a large plate with paper towels or napkins.

3) Dip the eggplant pieces, one by one, into the flour, coating completely with the flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour!

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4) Gently place the eggplant covered with the flour into the frying pan. You will fit about 6 at a time. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes, or until it gets cooked through, a little golden in color and soft, then flip it over to the other side.

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5) When both sides are cooked, place the eggplant onto the plate covered with the paper towels. Once the plate is full, add another layer of paper towels over the eggplant, then put the rest on top of the paper towel. You can have a stack of 3 or 4,  just make sure there is a paper towel between each layer. This way the extra oil drains out from the eggplant.

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6) Once the eggplant has cooled off, Mix the mayo and pressed garlic cloves (through the garlic clove press) together into a small bowl. Wash and cut the tomatoes into thin slices.

7) Put the eggplant onto a big plate or serving platter. Put a dollop of mayonnaise on each eggplant and spread it out evenly with a butter knife. Top each piece with a tomato slice. You can garnish with parsley if you want it to look extra fancy. I did not do anything special because I didn’t have much time.

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Garlic Green Beans

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This appetizer/side dish is delicious! If you do not like garlic, you can omit it. But I LOVE the taste of garlic with these! These Garlic Green Beans go perfectly with pretty much any meal. They are very fast and simple to make, perfect for a busy evening. This is my 2 year old son’s most favorite side dish so I try to make it every once in a while for him.  But be careful! These are extremely addicting!  🙂

Garlic Green Beans {Serves 3-4}

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz Green Beans
  • 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons Salt
  • 5 Garlic Cloves
  • 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Directions:

1) Wash the green beans thoroughly. Fill a pot with water, bring it to a boil on High heat. Add the salt. Then add the green beans in.

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2) Let it cook for about 15 Minutes. Until the green beans begin to feel soft. Then take them out of the pot with a slotted spoon.

3) In a frying pan, heat 3 Tablespoons of Vegetable oil on Medium-Low heat (I did a 4). Add the green beans in and fry them a little bit. Keep mixing them so that they fry evenly on each side. Then add in the Garlic Cloves (Using a Garlic press). They should be done after frying for about 5 Minutes.

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Fried Squash

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This Fried Squash is my new favorite side dish. Although it may not look good, it is so very yummy!!! I could eat this for lunch and it would be a meal all in itself. It is so fast and easy to make so it’s great for those busy week nights. I got this recipe from my good friend Sherman. He made it as a side when we were at their house for dinner and I could not get enough! I had to get his recipe. Sherman is a really good cook and used to be a Chef. So you can trust his recipe. The only problem with him having been a Chef, is that he doesn’t measure ingredients, so I had some guess work to do. But it came out tasting just like his. This Fried Squash is delicious and nutritious. Even my 2 year old loved it. The Squash is tender and so juicy and the spices used just make it amazing! So when you are tired of veggies or salad, and you are looking for a new side dish, definitely try this Fried Squash and I think you will love it just as much as we do. 🙂

Fried Squash {Serves 3}

Ingredients:

  • 2 Large Yellow Squash (Trader Joe’s Squash is the BEST!)
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 2 Tablespoons Oil, I used Vegetable Oil (For Frying)

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Directions:

1) Wash the squash. Cut off the ends of the squash and then cut it. I cut it in half and then chop it into even sized pieces. *Kinda like you would chop cucumbers for a salad.*

2) Put the chopped squash into a large bowl. Season the squash in the bowl with all the seasonings and mix it very well.

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3) Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil on medium heat (I did a 5.5) in a large frying pan. When it has heated up, add the squash into the pan.

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4) Cook until the squash is cooked through, constantly mixing the squash so that it cooks evenly on all sides and does not burn. Towards the end I sprinkled some more of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. It will be cooked through when the squash gets soft.

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