Category Archives: Side Dishes

Karl’s Sichuan Pickle Salad

This is Eilene’s birthday week, so she got to choose Sunday’s dinner. She wanted spicy chicken and pan fried noodles. While this is a meal in itself, I thought that a cold, vegetable salad would be a nice addition to the meal.

Karl’s Sichuan Pickle Salad

Karl’s Sichuan Pickle Salad

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Filed under Pickles, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian

Karl’s Twice-Cooked Sweet Potatoes

The kids are gone for the weekend, so Sunday dinner is just Jan, Eilene and myself. I decided to make a roasted chicken and I wanted to do something different than roasted sweet potatoes or a simple mash to go with it. I thought that a savory, crust-less, sweet potato pie would fit the bill as a starchy side dish.

Karl’s Twice-Cooked Sweet Potatoes

Karl’s Twice-Cooked Sweet Potatoes

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Filed under California Fusion, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Karl’s Hot And Sour Soup

Adapted from an Epicurious recipe

I had a bit of leftover pork tenderloin—a bit too thin or uneven to barbecue well—so I thought I would add it to another dish. I already had a main dish and a vegetable dish, so I decided I would make soup. Although it is one of Jan’s favorites, I have never tried to make hot and sour soup.

Karl’s Hot And Sour Soup

Karl’s Hot And Sour Soup

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Filed under Chinese-American, Pork, Side Dishes, Soups

Karl’s Chinese Broccoli with Mushroom Sauce

On Christmas morning my family likes to go out for dim sum (点心; snacks), Chinese small plates. Frequently we go to Tai-pan in Palo Alto. In addition to the many and varied flavors, Tia-pan’s presentation is always impeccable—no chopped vegetables sloshed on a plate. Of the many excellent dishes we had, one was the one we always order is Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce.

Karl’s Chinese Broccoli with Mushroom Sauce

Karl’s Chinese Broccoli with Mushroom Sauce

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Filed under Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Karl’s Chicken Apple Sausage Bierock

Saturday was Halloween and the possibility of an uninterrupted, sit-down dinner were slight.  I decided to make pocket breads to have a “grab and go” meal, between trips to answer the front door. A new variation of a bierock was the obvious answer.

Karl’s Chicken Apple Sausage Bierock

Karl’s Chicken Apple Sausage Bierock

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Filed under bread, California Fusion, Chicken, Poultry

Karl’s Sichuan Pepper Oyster Crackers

I am making corn chowder for Jan’s birthday dinner. Chowder calls for oyster crackers. I adapted some techniques from Serious Eats.

Karl’s Sichuan Pepper Oyster Crackers

Karl’s Sichuan Pepper Oyster Crackers

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Filed under bread, California Fusion, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Karl’s Harcourt Vert with Red Bell Pepper

I needed a vegetable to go with the chicken Madeira that I was serving for Jan’s visiting friends. I decided on French green beans, Harcourt vert, that are thinner and more tender than regular American green beans. Plain green beans are a bit boring, so I decided to add more interest with herbs and red bell pepper.

Karl’s Harcourt Vert with Red Bell Pepper

Karl’s Harcourt Vert with Red Bell Pepper

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Filed under California Fusion, Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Karl’s Potato Thyme

I am making chicken Madeira for Jan’s visiting friends. Sauce and meat needs starch. I decided that what was called for was a variation on my mother’s parsley potatoes.

 

Karl’s Potato Thyme

Karl’s Potato Thyme

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Filed under California Fusion, Potatoes, Side Dishes, Starches, Vegan, Vegetarian

Karl’s Savory Monkey Bread II

Before I left home for the first time, I sat down with my mother’s recipe box and wrote down my favorite dishes.  Her monkey bread is one of those recipes. While it was good and has a fond place in my memory, I still had to change it.

Karl's Savory Monkey Bread II

Karl’s Savory Monkey Bread II

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Filed under bread, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Karl’s Chicken Curry Hand Pies

A few day ago I posted a berry hand pie recipe. One of my followers asked if I had done a savory pie with this dough. While I sent her links to my pocket breads with a raised doughs—bierock, taco, and baozi—I thought, “Why not?” I decided to do a California Fusion chicken curry in a biscuit dough hand pie.

Karl’s Chicken Curry Hand Pies

Karl’s Chicken Curry Hand Pies

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Filed under bread, California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry