With all of the different main dishes that I have made lately, I have been making some news sides to go along with some of them. Two in particular really stood out for me anyway. The first was one that I made to go along with the pork tacos we had for dinner. It is a recipe from Bon Appetit for Dominican-style yellow rice. it is a very simple rice dish with some vegetables and spices that are great unique flavor to it.

Dominican-Style Yellow Rice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 red or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup long-grain rice

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and scallions and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, cumin seeds, turmeric and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice, then add the chicken broth and the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir it once, and the cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to eighteen minutes. Allow the ride to stand in the pot for 10 minutes, covered. Uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the cilantro and parsley and serve.

The rice had great color from the turmeric and other spices and the flavor was very good. The combination of the peppers and onion with the rice was just perfect for me. I can see using this side dish with any chicken meal that you make or with pork and I think it would be great.

On the night where I made the fried chicken biscuits, I also tried a new recipe for some coleslaw. I have a bunch of different coleslaw recipes and I am always trying something a little different. This time, since I had some buttermilk on hand I thought I would try out this buttermilk coleslaw recipe from Cook’s Country. it uses a couple of ingredients to make it really creamy without being too watery.

Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and chopped fine

2 carrots, peeled and shredded with a box grater

Salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

8 scallions, chopped fine

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Toss the shredded cabbage and the carrots with 1 teaspoon of salt in a colander set over a medium bowl. Allow the vegetables to stand until they are wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse the cabbage and carrots under cold water, drain, dry well with paper towels and transfer the vegetables to a large bowl.

Stir in the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, sugar, mustard and pepper plus some salt to taste. Refrigerate the coleslaw until it is chilled, about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve.

I liked this coleslaw because salting the cabbage helps to draw a lot of the moisture out of it so there is not too much water or moisture. Then the buttermilk adds some great tangy flavor to the mix and the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard each help to add flavor and body to the mix so you get a nice, thick, creamy sauce. If I am going to make a recipe using mayonnaise, I think this is the best one I have tried so far. Of course it is great with any sandwich or along side of burgers, ribs, hot dogs or really just about anything else.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more recipes. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!