Category: Sides

Sides

Better than Anyone’s Pea Salad

by The Texas TableLeave a Comment on Better than Anyone’s Pea Salad
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Better Than Anyone’s Pea Salad

The classic pea salad. A southern staple, if you will. You see it at family picnics, at showers for brides and babies, and the cafeteria line at Luby's. It makes a tasty and light side to bring along to any potluck or even a funeral reception to comfort loved ones. But what makes some pea salads just "ok" vs. a pea salad that is so good you seek out the person who made it and ask them for the recipe? THIS is that recipe. The one that beats all the other pea salads in the south. Save it, share it, enjoy it!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 190kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 oz package frozen sweet peas thawed and uncooked
  • 2-3 whole  eggs, medium/large hard boiled and chopped
  • 6 slices bacon cooked crisp and chopped (extra bacon never hurt nobody)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, mild or medium sharp shredded
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup celery  chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Boiled Eggs

  • Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let the eggs sit for 10–12 minutes.
  • Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice (lots of ice) water and let them cool for 15 minutes. Gently crack the shells and peel the eggs under cool running water for easier peeling. Chop the peeled eggs.

Pea Salad

  • Thaw the peas by placing them in warm water for a few minutes, or let them sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Drain well.
  • Cook the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels and chop.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the thawed peas, chopped eggs, bacon, green onion, shredded cheddar cheese, and celery.
  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until smooth.
  • Pour the dressing over the pea mixture and gently stir until everything is evenly coated.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld, better overnight!
  • Stir before serving and enjoy!
Sides

Calabaza Squash Sauté

by The Texas Table1 Comment on Calabaza Squash Sauté

I love making this as a side to accompany almost any Mexican style dish. It is healthy, simple, and full of flavor. I have adapted this recipe over the years, sometimes adding in a jalapeño for a little spice. The cumin, cilantro, oregano, and garlic all blend together with the fresh tomato juices, red onion sweetness, and fresh squash. If I pick this type of squash up at my local grocery produce department, H-E-B, it is labeled as “Calabaza” squash. This type of squash is used in latin cuisine and is often called “calabacitas”, with added corn and even pork or chicken as a main dish. If you google “Calabaza squash” you will not get this, rather a large gourd-looking type. After further research I discovered the true name of the type of squash coined “calabaza squash” here in South Texas, is actually named ‘Cuarzo’ Squash. It looks very similar to zucchini and tastes almost identical, however Cuarzo has small light colored spots on its outer skin. Zucchini can be substituted for this recipe.

Cuarzo Squash, or ‘Calabaza’ Squash

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

  • 3 large calabaza or zucchini, quartered
  • 1 medium ripe roma tomato, diced
  • 1 half medium red onion, chopped
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp cilantro, fresh (minced) or dried
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp olive oil for pan

Instructions

  • Cut ends off the squash, begin slicing into rounds. Once rounds of squash have been cut, cut them into quarters.
  • Dice the Roma tomato, chop the red onion half, mince the cloves of garlic, and mince the cilantro.
  • Heat a sauté pan over medium heat with olive oil.
  • Add your chopped produce into the pan.
  • Season with cumin, oregano, and salt.
  • Stir ingredients while heating, then cover with lid.
  • Intermittently stir ingredients and cover with lid after.
  • Allow to cook for about 15 minutes until veg appears tender.
Sides

Southern Style Cornbread

by The Texas TableLeave a Comment on Southern Style Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 1-1/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup Enriched Corn Meal
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 whole egg, beaten

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 8 or 9 inch pan with butter and flour.
  • Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing until dry ingredients are moistened.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Serve warm with salted butter!
Sides

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash

by The Texas TableLeave a Comment on Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash

One of my favorite things about the fall is all the glorious seasonal fruits and veggies, two of my all-time favorites are brussels and butternut squash. Both of these have a nuttiness to them, brussels on the savory side and butternut squash on the sweet side. I love pairing these together for a holiday side or even for your weeknight dinner. There is a lot of room for creativity with sheet pan veggies because you can season them how you wish. For this recipe I kept it simple, a little EVOO, sea salt, pepper blend (Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper, my fav), and garlic powder. Simply place them on a sheet pan and bake until tender, or until brussels are a bit charred on the edges… love me some charred brussel leaves!

Ingredients

  • kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 16 ounces brussels sprouts, halved
  • 16 ounces butternut squash, peeled and diced 3/4-inch
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • pepper blend, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a large sheet pan with oil.
  • In a large bowl combine the brussels sprouts, butternut squash, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and arrange the vegetables onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
  • Bake 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are roasted and tender. Makes 4 cups