Sides Recipes

Adds a zesty lemon and nutty sesame finish.

Grilled tofu with a spicy soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns.

Steamed dumplings with a spicy soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns.

Fried wontons with a sweet and sour sauce and Sichuan peppercorns.

Roasted pumpkin with soy sauce and Sichuan peppercorns.

Enhanced garlic and a touch of chili flakes for extra heat and flavor.

Quick stir-fry of bok choy with garlic, a simple and nutritious Cantonese side dish.

Classic fried rice made with day-old rice, eggs, and vegetables, a staple in Cantonese cuisine.

Charred eggplant topped with a pungent fermented bean sauce and garnished with scallions.

A crunchy stir-fry of water chestnuts and snow peas with garlic and soy sauce.

This recipe is inspired by one of my favorites, Gourmand's Beer Cheese Soup, which uses Shiner Bock. Feel free to use whatever you want, then go to Gourmand's to have the real thing.

This corny cornbread pairs perfectly with chili or a bowl of stew. Add corn to the batter and you'll never go back.

A lot of places are doing dang good brussels lately, but none can touch Salty Sow. They serve them fried, topped with pecorino and golden raisins. Yes, please. We started trying to emulate it, but it's such a versatile dish, you can make it however you want. Consider this a loose guide.

I love me some okra, but prep is usually enough to avoid making it. This simple dish requires only a single cut per pod and a dash of seasoning- that's it.

Generally, canned carrots are stinky and not worth eating. Butter and cheese changes that.

We found these during Happy Hour at Chiso's Grill in Bee Cave, Tx. We've since tweaked the recipe a bit. This recipe is just a starting point, add/remove anything you want (like more hot sauce if you're into that). Sometimes I order the peppers on Amazon. My favorite hot sauces are Franks Red Hot, Jardine's Texas Champagne, and of course, Yellowbird. Fun fact: Peppedew Peppers are basically a new thing. They are the brand name of piquante peppers, which were discovered in South Africe in just 1993. Hat tip to Wikipedia for the schooling.

We like to travel, and we like to eat, and I'd say at the top of that intersection list might be ceviche. If we're near a coast, we eat some kind of ceviche. One of our favorites is tiger's milk ceviche, a tangy, creamy, spicy mix of seafood and fruits, Turns out, you can just.... make ceviche at home. It's crazy simple, and totally flexible. Try adding any kind of fish, sub the mango for orange supremes, change the heat levels–the sky's (or the sea's) the limit.

A classic Sichuan dish featuring tender pork belly stir-fried with vegetables and aromatic spices.

A savory Sichuan dish with tender eggplant braised in garlic and soy sauce.

A crunchy Sichuan dish with lotus root, pork, and aromatic Sichuan peppercorns.

A savory twist with additional garlic and sesame oil.

Quick stir-fry of bok choy with garlic and fermented bean paste, a classic Sichuan side dish.

Grilled tofu topped with chili oil and scallions, a simple and spicy vegetarian dish.

Sweet potatoes roasted with Sichuan peppercorns and soy sauce for a spicy, savory snack.