Browsed by
Tag: side dishes

Happy Thanksgiving from Basil & Roses!

Happy Thanksgiving from Basil & Roses!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! We’re in full swing here planning our feast at the Basil & Roses kitchen and wanted to take a moment to thank you for coming along this amazing culinary ride with us! The Persian poet Rumi says ” Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life.” I’m grateful for you, and for the opportunity to share my art, which is my cooking, with you and the world every single day. I hope the recipes I share with you,  feed your spirits, your families, your friends and your hearts.

Our full menu will be up on the blog soon. In the mean time, I wanted to share some our favorite side dishes, which may inspire you as you plan your own celebration.

Happy Holidays!

Your dedicated happiness maker,

Nazanin

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Schug

Nani’s Decadent But Healthy Butternut Squash Soup

I’ve served this earlier when everyone arrives on Thanksgiving and it’s always a hit! It’s a warming, feel-good dish that nicely captures the flavors of fall. The trick is in roasting the vegetables first.

 

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Medly

 

Fragrant Mediterranean Salad

 

Persian Cucumber Salad with Red Onion & Thai Basil

 

Cauliflower Parmesan

 

Red Cabbage Slaw with Honey-Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette

 

Rosemary & Sea Salt Baked Potato Chips

 

Green Garden Herb Basmati Rice

 

Persian Stuffed Sweet Peppers (Dolemh)

 

 

 

 

Nani’s Guacamole

Nani’s Guacamole

I think avocado is the most magnificent fruits in the world! It is rich, creamy, earthy, nutty, and savory. Avocados also have great health benefits. The list is long but to name a few they are high in potassium, good fats and they are one of the few high protein fruits. I love it’s creamy texture and use it as a substitute for butter or oils often. And of course, nowhere is the beautiful avocado highlighted more than in a classic guacamole! I don’t use garlic or tomato’s in my recipe, but feel free to add them if it makes you happy…

P.S. This recipe also works really well for avocado toast. It’s excellent on toasted sourdough bread with a couple of slices of tomato and a pinch of sea salt. Yum!

 

 

 

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Medley

Roasted Veggie Quinoa Medley

I love quinoa and use it often in my recipes. I like the health benefits of this gluten-free, high fiber content, magnesium and iron rich seed which also happens to be one of the most protein rich foods we can eat.  The Incas discovered the seed around 4 thousand years ago, which they believed increased the stamina of their warriors. In the last decade, Quinoa has grown in popularity and is considered a “super food!” Quinoa is not a grain. It’s actually a seed that is related to the spinach and beet families. And although I don’t believe it’s a cardinal sin to eat carbs (as seen in my reviews of these restaurants), I do enjoy the rice like feel of quinoa without the heavy feeling of carbohydrate-rich foods.

Quinoa is a great item to have in the pantry- it can be used as a side on its own or, mixed with veggies and proteins. Here is a personal favorite of mine, mixed with a kind of deconstructed ratatouille... enjoy!