They may be a support act, but great side dishes can transform a meal. Breads, salads, rice, potatoes and veggies, some can even be transformed into the main attraction with a little inspiration. Here are my favourite side dish recipes.
Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class! Thin white vermicelli noodles are popular in many Vietnamese dishes – not least the multiple variations of this quick and healthy salad. Called bún in Vietnamese, they’re made from rice (so gluten free for those who care) and they’re popular in soups […]
Watercress & Cucumber Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class! This easy watercress and cucumber salad is inspired by chef Mark Jensen of Red Lantern Vietnamese restaurant. Vietnamese serve salad with almost every meal, sometimes tossed together like this one, sometimes just a platter of fresh leaves and herbs. Sweet Fish […]
Vietnamese Herb Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class! One of the defining elements of Vietnamese cuisine is the abundance of fresh herbs and leaves that appear at every meal. I love this Vietnamese herb salad because it features some unusual herbs that may necessitate a trip to a suburb with […]
Salt Pepper & Lemon Dipping Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Vietnamese cooking class! The salt & pepper squid at Sydney’s Red Lantern Vietnamese restaurant is legendary. The thin crisp batter, tender loligo squid and use of fresh hot oil all contribute to its popularity. But for me it’s really just an excuse […]
Grilled Corn with Ajilimójili Butter Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Caribbean cooking class! Ajilimójili is a garlicky Puerto Rican sauce traditionally served with grilled seafood, meat or vegetables – the name literally means ‘garlic sauce’. I’ve turned it into deliciously spicy ajilimójili butter to slather onto grilled corn. This recipe makes plenty of […]
Salad with Bottarga & Persian Fetta Like bottarga? You’ll love my online Sardinian cooking class! Bottarga – salted, dried mullet roe – is the most popular seasoning in Sardinia. It’s grated over pasta, sliced as an antipasto, shaved over salad and beaten into butter to melt over steak (see video below). This simple salad with […]
Spinach with Lemon (Spinaci al Limone) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Traditional Italian cooking class! I love Italian spinaci al limone, a classic side dish of silken green spinach leaves seasoned simply with olive oil, garlic, salt and lemon juice. It’s a great accompaniment to just about anything, or even a delicious quick […]
Insalata Rossa (Radicchio Salad) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Traditional Italian cooking class! Insalata verde, literally ‘green salad’, is the most common Italian salad description. I like the variation of insalata rossa, or red salad, using my favourite lettuce, radicchio, with red onion and a touch of parsley for contrast. This radicchio salad […]
Sweet Mustard & Dill Sauce Master Kitchen Basics & Explore New Cuisines & Ingredients with My Online Cooking Classes This classic Scandinavian sauce is called hovmästarsås in Swedish. Sweet mustard & dill sauce is traditionally served with gravlax and smoked salmon, and is great with any seafood, as a salad dressing or even a dipping […]
Scarole di Natale Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Southern Italian cooking class! I was introduced to this dish many years ago by the Nonna of a family I stayed with in Campania. They were from the north, but Nonna Filomena had learned to cook this local dish and was keen to share it […]
