side dish Archives - Salty Sweet Journeys

A deliciously creamy side dish perfect to accompany roast meats like a slow cooked lamb leg or roast pork. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with rosemary and baked slowly with cream, garlic and mozzarella cheese to make this Rosemary and Garlic Potato Gratin.

Ingredients for this Rosemary and Garlic Potato Gratin

This easy Potato Gratin recipe only uses a handful of ingredients, most of them you probably already have at home!

What are the best Potatoes to use for this Rosemary and Garlic Potato Gratin

Most importantly, find the right potatoes for roasting. Ideally, you are looking for a floury potato, which will go creamy on the inside, and crispy on the outside once cooked.

The best variety to use the Sebago type, which are long / oval shaped, but Desiree and Dutch Cream varieties also work well.

Other Ingredients

Cream, normal cooking cream
Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Shredded Mozzarella or you can substitute for tasty shredded cheese
Garlic
Rosemary
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
Parsley, to garnish

How to make this Rosemary and Garlic Potato Gratin

Slice and layer potatoes

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees (160 fan forced).

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil at the bottom of the tray you will use for the gratin. I used a shallow 30 cm round cast iron pot to layer the potatoes in a circle, but you can also use a square or rectangular (roughly 20 cm x 30 cm) oven proof tray.

Peel and thinly slice (roughly half a cm thick slices) the potatoes and arrange them tightly layered next to each other. Arrange the rosemary sprigs amongst the potatoes.

Combine cream, garlic & mozzarella mixture

In a separate bowl, combine the cream, salt, pepper, finely chopped garlic and chicken stock. Once combined add the shredded mozzarella and stir. Pour the mixture over the potatoes.

Bake till crispy

Cover with foil or with an ovenproof lid and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes uncovered.

Rest for 5 minutes, top with chopped parsley and serve. Enjoy!

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Rosemary and Garlic Potato Gratin

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 20

Servings 6 servings

Thinly sliced potatoes baked with a creamy garlic sauce till crispy

Equipment

1 Circular Cast Iron Pot 30 cm

Ingredients

2 kg Roasting Potatoes (Peeled and Thinly Sliced half a cm thick)
1 cup Cooking Cream (250 ml)
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock (200 ml)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Sprigs Rosemary
3 Cloves Garlic (Thinly Sliced)
1 Tsp Salt
Ground Pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees (160 fan forced).
Put a few tablespoons of olive oil at the bottom of the tray you will use for the gratin. I used a shallow 30 cm round cast iron pot to layer the potatoes in a circle, but you can also use a square or rectangular (roughly 20 cm x 30 cm) oven-proof tray.
Peel and thinly slice (roughly half a cm thick slices) the potatoes and arrange them tightly layered next to each other.
Arrange the rosemary sprigs amongst the sliced potatoes.
In a separate bowl, combine the cream, salt, pepper, finely chopped garlic and chicken stock. Once combined add the shredded mozzarella and stir. Pour the mixture over the potatoes.
Cover with foil or with an ovenproof lid and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes uncovered.
Rest for 5 minutes, top with chopped parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Keyword: baked potatoes, gratin, potato gratin, side dish

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Hope you enjoyed this recipe! More potato recipes coming on the blog soon. If you like this recipe, you might also like this Balsamic and Maple Roasted Pumpkin.

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Chewy, delicious, and filled with a heap of crunchy & sweet tasty bits. This Black Rice Salad is another favourite at family dinners and parties. Not only it’s great to accompany roast meats, a BBQ or pan-fried salmon, but it’s also perfect for a light lunch on its own.

Ingredients for this Black Rice Salad

Black Rice

Dark in colour with purple hues, not only it looks beautiful on the plate – Black rice is also very good for you. It’s a lot less processed than white rice and is high in fibre and antioxidants, thanks to its black colour. Flavour wise it’s very nutty, similar to brown rice, and has a much chewier texture than white rice. It holds its shape very well, if cooked right, and is perfect for cold salads.

More tips in the next section after the ingredients on How to Cook Black Rice!

You can find Black Rice in your local supermarket or Asian Grocer. A lot of versions of rice salads you can find online are with brown rice and that is also equally as delicious and healthy. If you can’t get a hold of Black Rice, Brown Rice is the perfect substitute!

black rice is used for this rice salad dish

Red Capsicum

Perfect to add some freshness and crunch to the salad, any type of capsicum or peppers are great. I like sweeter ones so I often use sweet Italian long peppers

Spring Onion & Parsley

You can also use red onion if you prefer instead of the spring onion!

Nuts and Seeds

Cranberries – add a lovely tang and sweetness to the salad. Can also be substituted for raisins or sultanas
Peanuts – for crunch and can be replaced for chopped cashews, hazelnuts or slivered almonds, or omitted completely
Pepita Seeds – can be substituted for sunflower seeds

Dressing

Sesame Oil – or you can substitute for vegetable or peanut oil if you prefer a less flavoured oil
Soy Sauce – or tamari for a healthier option that has less sodium. I do not recommend substituting for dark soy as it’s quite strong in flavour and should be used in much smaller quantities
Lemon Juice – or lime juice

How to make this Black Rice Salad

Cooking the Black Rice

Follow packet instructions and make sure to not overcook the rice as it will go very mushy otherwise. I like to usually cook Black Rice the same as when I cook Brown Rice on the stove. After thoroughly rinsing the rice under cold water, I just boil it in a big pot of water for around 30-35 minutes then strain it. There is a great post online HERE on How to Cook Black Rice. Thanks to our partners, https://www.fakewatch.is/product-category/rolex/sea-dweller/ you can find online to suit every preference and budget, from budget to top-of-the-range super stylish models.

Chop ingredients

Dice the capsicum in small 1 cm pieces. Roughly chop the cranberries & peanuts. Thinly slice the spring onion and chop the parsley.

Make Dressing & Assemble

To make the Black Rice Salad dressing, combine the lemon juice with the sesame oil & Soy sauce. After the back rice has cooled down, combine with all the ingredients and the dressing.

Serving Suggestions & Storage

This salad recipe is for 2 to 3 main-size portions (3 cups of cooked rice). As a side, it will serve up to 4 people. It’s great served as a side dish with roast meats and seafood dishes like salmon and prawns.

Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The salad will keep for longer is not dressed with the dressing, for up to 4 days. If the rice becomes dry in the fridge, re-heat gently in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Like this recipe? You might also like my Healthy Soba Noodle Salad Recipe!

Enjoy!

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Black Rice Salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

3 cups Cooked Black Rice ((roughly 1 cup uncooked black rice))
1 large Red Capsicum (diced in 1 cm pieces)
4 tbsp Peanuts (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp Dried Cranberries (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp Pepita Seeds
4 Spring Onions (thinly sliced)
1 small bunch Parsley (chopped)
6 tbsp Sesame Oil
4 tbsp Lemon Juice
4 tbsp Soy Sauce

Instructions

Cook the Black Rice as per packet directions, strain and set aside to cool. See notes below for cooking of the rice.
While the Black Rice is cooking chop the capsicum, peanuts, cranberries, parsley and spring onion
Combine the Sesame Oil, Lemon Juice & Soy Sauce for the dressing
Mix all the ingredients together and serve!

Notes

To cook black rice: Follow packet instructions and make sure to not overcook as it will go very mushy otherwise. I like to usually cook Black Rice the same as when I cook Brown Rice on the stove. After thoroughly rinsing the rice under cold water, I just boil it in a big pot of water for around 30-35 minutes then strain it. Check texture after 30 minutes.

This salad recipe is for 2 to 3 main size portions (3 cups of cooked rice). As a side it will serve up to 4 people. For larger crowds (6-8 people) double the ingredients.

Storage: Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The salad will keep for longer is not dressed with the dressing, for up to 4 days. If the rice becomes dry in the fridge, re-heat gently in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Substitutes for most ingredients can be found in the post above recipe card.

Course: Salad

Keyword: black rice, black rice salad, light lunch, rice, side dish

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