Category: Side Dish

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Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Tomato season is just the best, and it’s here. Simple Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes on the dining table today. Membership Collection Recipe No. 605.

SUMMER TOMATOES

Up along the California Central Coast farming is going strong, with berries, stone fruits and our favorite fruit, Heirloom tomatoes, making an early appearance. These Heirloom beauties need little adornment to bring to the table.

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes | Bijouxs Little Jewels

MARINATED TOMATOES

Slicing the tomatoes crosswise exposes the juicy interiors helping the marinade flavor penetrate the tomatoes. Finely chopped red onion, fresh garlic, chopped herbs such as parsley and basil are key ingredients. Just a touch of maple syrup and salt soften the marinade’s edge.

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Plate the sliced tomatoes in a single layer on a large platter then top with the marinade. As with most marinades, allow time for the flavors to meld, about 30 minutes. I made my tomatoes before the meal and stored for a couple hours.

I served the marinated tomatoes with thick slices of sourdough bread topped with Goat cheese and lightly broiled. I wanted to photograph that image but the tomatoes and toast disappeared from the platte! Sign of a good recipe.

Enjoy the season and Membership Collection Recipe No. 605. Thank you Members for your support.

 

 

 

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Super Easy Roasted Corn on the Cob

SUPER EASY ROASTED CORN ON THE COB | Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen

A no-brainer recipe, perfect for the abundent summer sweet corn, Super Easy Roasted Corn on the Cob. Recipe No.604 from the Membership Collection.

SUMMER CORN

Is there anything better than sweet summer corn? I love summer produce, and corn is front and center. There are many ways to prepare corn, I thought I had tried them all until this oven roasted in the husk, yes, along with the silks could not be simpler. Really not much of a recipe, but yes, you do need to turn on the oven. I have made corn on the cob on the grill, but removed the silks and soaked the corn in water before placing it on the grill. Now I see there really is no need for this step and I will try corn on the grill with a staple flame using this no-fuss method.

SUMMER SIMPLE

Here are a few more of my favorite Summer Simple Collection Recipes:  Market Basket Summer Salad, Summer Salad of Apricots, Lentils & Triple Cream Cheese and Summer Simple Tomatoes with Ricotta & Romano Cheese.

 

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Polenta with Gruyère & Herbs

Polenta with Gruyere & Herbs | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Classic Italian polenta goodness with a French twist on flavor-Polenta with Gruyère & Herbs the newest recipe in my Membership Collection.

LATE SPRING

Polenta is one of most comforting dishes I know. Fine grain cormeal cooked with cheese, butter and herbs, perfect side dish for the late spring chilly weather. Along the coast we only get to see small glimmers of spring. The late rain is bringing fresh green shoots in the garden.

ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD

Polenta is one of the favorite Italian comfort foods. My Mushroom Ragu, the rich no-meat version is delish served a top of creamy polenta. But a pure and simple bowl of polenta makes a wonderful side dish or served with a fresh green vinaigrette salad.

FRENCH HERBS

A little change up to the classic herbs added to the polenta by way of France. Thyme, rosemary and tarragon are personal herb favorites, although feel free to include your own favorites.

Polenta with Gruyere & Herbs | Bijouxs Little Jewels

GRUYÈRE CHEESE

The creamy textures you see in the photos are creamy strands of melting Gruyère cheese, adding a richness to the polenta. Gruyere is my cheese of choice for Instant Pot Canyon Bistro French Onion Soup, a classic recipe. This creamy polenta makes a great side for grilled meats or fish or as a base for your favorite pasta sauce.

Feel a little French today with Polenta with Gruyère & Herbs No. 597 from the Membership Collection. Thank you to all my new and loyal members!

 

 

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Chin Chin’s Classic Chicken Salad

Chin Chin’s Classic Chicken Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

THE classic Chinese chicken salad from the Chin Chin restaurant-always a Little Jewel.

CHIN CHIN RESTAURANT

Very hard to believe that Chin Chin began as a counter and to-go eatery in Sunset Plaza years ago about 1983.  In those days as a young girl  I was driving over the hill from the valley to Sunset Plaza to get regular facials at famed spa Ole Henrickson and always stopped in for lunch. Sitting at the tiny counter (wish there were photos) I would order of course the Chicken Salad along with an orders of Chicken Fried Rice and Dumplings to take home for dinner.  All my family members were crazy about the food.

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD

Along with sitting at the counter to eat, the-then tiny eatery had shelves with some products, most important were the jar of preserved red ginger, which is key to the salad.  I make the dressing ahead, enough for a few of salads. Fresh ginger and green onion are also elements in the dressing so the dressing must be used with a few days. Shredded poached chicken, iceberg lettuce and fried wonton strips and deep fried rice stix are added for crunch. All the ingredients are tossed in a large bowl with the dressing.

Chin Chin’s Classic Chicken Salad | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Alas, I no longer live near any of the Chin Chin locations and it took a but of searching, but I was happy to find a reasonable duplicate of the salad recipe online. I have been enjoying the salad at home. Here served with some chopsticks I kept from a to-go order a LA friend picked up for me not long ago.

Enjoy Chin Chin’s Little Jewel Salad.

 

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Roasted Peppers with Boursin & Croutons

Roasted Peppers with Boursin & Croutons | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Roasted sweet baby peppers stuffed with creamy Boursin cheese and crispy croutons are the newest appetizer from Little Jewels from the Bijouxs Recipe Collection.

ROASTED SWEET PEPPERS

I love roasted vegetables and sweet peppers are fanastic simply oven roasted. Here’s how.
Place the prepped peppers in a baking dish, not a sheet pan. Simply season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt. Bake until brown and blistered about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool then prep for the recipe.

BOURSIN CHEESE

Stuffed peppers are a classic I updated by using new find Boursin Dairy Free Cheese. It’s acutally good. Soft and creamy, easy for stuffing the peppers, you won’t miss the dairy.

Roasted Peppers with Boursin & Croutons | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Roasted Peppers with Boursin & Croutons | Bijouxs Little Jewels

EASY APPETIZER FOR GUESTS

Roasting the peppers create the perfect vessel for stuffing a dollop of the cheese, top with some crunchy croutons, and serve with crusty bread and extra olive oil. Easy to make and easy to serve. Roasted Peppers with Boursin & Croutons, another Little Jewel Recipe from the Membership Collection. Join for access to over 500 of my best recipes, no annoying pop-ups or tracking. Beautuful Food by Design.

 

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