Side Dish recipe collection

To the delight of clam lovers on the East Coast and Pacific Northwest, clams are available year round. OK, let's make some clams.

This is a classic bean soup made with smoked ham hock or with a left over ham bone - inexpensive and serves up a crowd.

A great side dish that is perfect for surprising friends or family at a dinner party!

Not your grandma's carrot cake. This one's spiked with Coca-Cola, loaded with grated carrots, nuts, and coconut, then drenched in a hot cocoa-cola syrup that soaks right through the warm crumb. Serves 16.

A 3-ingredient iced mocha made with cold brewed espresso, cocoa, and vanilla, topped with sweetened whipped cream. Comes together in minutes. Serves 4 tall glasses.

Coconut-rolled vanilla ice cream balls floating in hot cocoa spiked with cream of coconut and optional dark rum. Topped with chocolate sauce and a cherry. A showstopper hot chocolate dessert for 8.

Crispy coconut-crusted tofu steaks pan-fried golden brown, served with a fresh peach-lemongrass salsa spiked with jalapeno and basil. Vegan, ready in 30 minutes, and bursting with summer flavor.

Homemade coconut liqueur infused with vodka, brandy, coriander, and vanilla over 3 to 4 weeks. A smooth, tropical spirit you can sip straight or mix into cocktails. Just 5 ingredients and patience.

A Cajun-style party punch made with Louisiana chicory coffee, bourbon, beaten eggs, and scoops of vanilla and coffee ice cream. Rich, boozy, and ready in 15 minutes flat.

When I was little my mom and dad had lots of parties especially at the holidays. With upwards of 70 people the easiest thing to serve was punch. This is Mom's concoction. The guys love it too. See Dreamsicle Punch too.

Classic cold sesame noodles with peanut butter, tahini, Hunan pepper sauce, and crunchy cucumber. Nutty, spicy, and slurp-worthy Chinese noodles ready in about an hour.

Cold stuffed tomatoes filled with crunchy diced cucumber, cabbage, peppers, and celery, topped with curry-spiked mayo. A retro summer salad-stuffed appetizer that pre-makes for parties.

Luxuriously creamy Colombian avocado vichyssoise with leeks, potatoes, and heavy cream. Serve it hot or cold as an elegant first course before fish. Ready in just 30 minutes.

Three-bean side dish with green beans, kidney beans, and lima beans tossed in melted cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire. Colorful, cheesy, and ready in minutes.

Cheesy scalloped potatoes with hash browns, cream of mushroom soup, peppers, and pimentos, topped with crunchy cheese cracker crumbs. One-dish comfort at its finest.

Congee is the Chinese name, Kanji the Japanese, and Jook is the Filipino name, all for the same thing. In English it would be called Rice Gruel or maybe Rice Hot Cereal, but progressively it is referred to by the naturalist health community as Congee. It is a staple of the Ancient Chinese Diet and used to nurse the sick and weak back to health. They say 3 weeks of this will cure ANYTHING! Its because it gives your system such a break that it can use its energy elsewhere to heal what ails you. It has nursed me back to health at least 3 times now and is supposed to be a part of my DAILY diet, according to my Acupuncturist, Betsy. Thank you for saving my life Betsy!!!