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Side Dish Recipes

Chicken Corn Soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 can of cream of corn soup
  • 1 bag of frozen corn
  • 2-3 cans of chicken broth
  • corn starch
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stalk of spring onions (if you like it)

PREPARATION:

  1. Cut the chicken thin strips. Put a tablespoon of corn starch into the pile and mix it up. Drip with a teaspoon of cold water, mix and let it sit.

  2. Next, get a pot and pour in 2-3 cans of chicken broth (depending on how much soup you want to make). Add the cream of corn and about a cup to a cup and a half of frozen corn. What I usually do here is add about a can of water into the cream of corn can to wash out the left over's and pour that into the pot to add volume. Add a teaspoon of salt, black pepper and a sprinkle of white pepper. Once it starts to heat up, put the meat into the pot and start stirring.

  3. Take about two tablespoons of corn starch and put it into a cup, add about 1/4 cup of COLD water into the cup and mix it until it it becomes a white liquid. (Important! Use cold water or it will become this weird chunky mix.) Once that's stirred up, pour it into the soup mix and keep stirring until the soup thickens.

  4. Crack the two eggs and add a pinch of salt into them, beat them until they're beaten good. When the soup starts boiling, turn down the heat and start dripping in the eggs. You don't have to mix it as the boiling soup itself will mix it. Once all the eggs are in, stir it up. Chop the onions and sprinkle on top.

Cosi's Shanghi Chicken Salad

INGREDIENTS:

  • European Mix Salad (with the greens and purples)
  • Matchstick Carrots
  • Dry Chow Mein noodles
  • Bacon bits (of any kind)
  • Lite Teriyaki sauce
  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 hardboiled eggs
  • 1 stalk of spring onions

PREPARATION:

  1. Put the two eggs into warm water and start the process of hard boiling.

  2. Put a handful of the carrots in a mixing bowl along with sliced spring onions. Throw about half a bag of the mixed greens in the bowl.

  3. Cut the chicken into strips and stir-fry in oil, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Slice the boiled eggs and put them in the bowl.

  5. Add 6 or 7 table spoons of terriyaki sauce and toss.

Brown Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

PREPARATION:

  1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until done.

  2. Transfer rice to a serving bowl, and stir in onion, celery, cranberries, and salad dressing. Cover, refrigerate, and serve cold.

Renaissance Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 large mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tablespoons port wine
  • 1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 dashes hot pepper sauce

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

  2. Remove stems from mushrooms. Set aside caps. Finely chop stems, discarding hard pieces.

  3. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in mushroom caps, garlic and green onions. Cook and stir until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until easily handled.

  4. In a medium bowl, mix together chopped mushroom stem pieces, cream cheese, port wine, Italian-style seasoning, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, ground black pepper and hot pepper sauce.

  5. Stuff mushroom caps with the mushroom stem mixture. Arrange on a medium baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

American-Style Red Beans and Rice

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
  • 4 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pinch dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 teaspoons adobo seasoning, divided
  • 2 cups uncooked white rice

PREPARATION:

  1. In a large saucepan combine olive oil, kidney beans, tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons adobo. Simmer on low heat.

  2. Meanwhile, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked and all liquid is absorbed. Stir in remaining 3 teaspoons adobo. Serve beans over the rice.

Dolmas

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 onions, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons dried currants
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint
  • 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 (8 ounce) jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed

PREPARATION:

  1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. Stir in rice and hot water to cover. Cover and simmer until rice is half cooked, about 10 minutes.

  2. Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste, currants, pine nuts, cinnamon, mint leaves, dill weed, allspice and cumin. Let mixture cool.

  3. Prepare a large pot by placing an inverted plate on the bottom; this protects the dolmas from direct heat when steaming.

  4. Rinse grape leaves in warm water; drain and cut off any stems. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cooled rice mixture in the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll into a cigar shape. Place in prepared pot. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

  5. Pour in just enough warm water to reach the bottom of the first layer of dolmas. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, or until rice is totally cooked. Check the water level often and add more as necessary.