Archive for Side Dishes
April 13, 2010 · Filed under Desserts, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks/Appetizers · Tagged chinatown, cornbread, dessert, east river, easy, jiffy mix, new york, peaches, Sam Shaber, sugar in the raw, sweet, the bashful, the happy problem
Okay, I realize it’s not very punk to say the word “HOLLA”, but really that’s just the sound you make when you taste this surprisingly sweet n’ easy cornbread. Witness Peachy Punky Sweet Cornbread!

Eet a-make-a you HONGRY!
Yes, this is a good one, especially with summer coming on.
Summer isn’t for like two months, Punky.
Whatever. Shutup. And come with me… Read the rest of this entry »
July 30, 2009 · Filed under Lunches, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: “Reruns already? Really Punky Chef?!?” But look, I just made this salad for dinner and it was so yummy that I’ve decided to post it anew. (Also because I never had a decent picture of it the first time.) So witness: Farmer’s Market Fresh Bean and Corn Salad!

Encore! Encore!
Grab your appetite and your big knife and click here to start the party…
July 18, 2009 · Filed under Lunches, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes · Tagged Aunt Punky Chef, carrots, easy, greek olives, healthy, lunch, nephews, newman's own salad dressing, parmesan, punky chef, romaine, Sam Shaber, the happy problem, tomatoes
Yes… I’M BACK! I know your life has been empty and hungry without your Punky Chef. So sing to the heavens, hug thy neighbor, and get EXCITED, people. I’ve been busy traveling and working on many things happy problem. (New songs! Visit www.myspace.com/thehappyproblem. Sorry, brief promotional moment.) AND, Punky Chef is now AUNT PUNKY CHEF. Witness my two gorgeous new nephews – born within 24 hours of each other to my sister and my sister-in-law:

Punky Ryder - doing his very first Elvis impression

Punky David - doing his first Johnny Rotten impression
So I’ve been enjoying the baby parade for the last three weeks, and am now getting back to my teensy kitchen and starting to cook again. And just to ease us all back in, I’m throwing this fabboo, quick, healthy lunch at you. Witness Lucky 7 Salad!

Do ya feel LUCKY, Punk?
Yeah, it’s pretty much the easiest ever, thanks to our “7” theme and also to the wonderful people at Newman’s Own for the dressing. Come with me…
Read the rest of this entry »
June 10, 2009 · Filed under Dinners, Lunches, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes · Tagged avocado, carrots, crunchy veggies, easy lunch, Ina Garten, lemon pesto salad, mozzarella, pesto, punky chef, romaine, Sam Shaber, the happy problem, tomato, walnuts
No, do not adjust your monitor – you read that right. Have you ever said you wanted to drink pesto through a straw? Well now you practically can. This chop salad has carrots, walnuts, tomato, mozzarella, avocado, and romaine, and along with the lemon-pesto dressing, it totally POPs in your mouth. Witness: Lemon Pesto Pop Chop Salad:

POP! CRACKLE! SNAP! Wait a second, that sounds familiar...
And the best thing about this salad, is that most of the ingredients came from my Farmer’s Market! All I did was chop and POP. Come with me, young grasshoppah…
Read the rest of this entry »
June 10, 2009 · Filed under Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks/Appetizers · Tagged appetizer, baguettes, bruschetta, easy hors d'oeuvre, farmers market, Ina Garten, italian, parmesan cheese, punky chef, Sam Shaber, tomatoes
Oh yes, I did just say that. And I mean “Bad-Ass” as in “kick-in-the…” Hey, I AM the Punky Chef, after all. And when you taste this version of a classic appetizer, you’ll understand WHY! Witness: Bad-Ass Bruschetta.

Get ready for a kick in the pants, people.
Yes, this ain’t ‘cher madre’s bruschetta. This is Bruschetta with a KICK, thanks to pepper and fresh chopped garlic. We’ve also got some other special treats like shaved Parmesan and fresh julienned basil. You can get almost everything for this delish dish from your local Farmer’s Market, and the whole thing takes like 20 minutes, so saddle-up my punky friends! And don’t forget your padding. Come with me…
Read the rest of this entry »
June 8, 2009 · Filed under Dinners, Leftovers, Lunches, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes · Tagged basil, easy recipe, greek olives, group meal, italian, Leftovers, parmesan cheese, pasta, pesto pasta, Sam Shaber, the happy problem, the punky chef, tomatoes, walnuts
And now we have for you another Punky specialty! Punky in its simplicity, Punky in its colorful fashion sense, and Punky in its POW flavor. No need to stage dive to get your kicks here, just try my Punky Pesto Pasta Party!

My taste buds think it's gorgeous too...
Oh yes, this whole thing takes about twenty minutes – just the length of time you need to make spaghetti. And it’s so pretty pretty and tasty tasty! Savory pesto, smoky crunchy walnuts, sharp Parmesan, sweet tomatoes, and salty calamata olives – AND you can look at this pasta on your table and say, “You know, dahling, yooou look MAHVELOUS.” This recipe is great for big groups or small intimate dins with PLENTY of leftovers. And hey – it tastes just as good cold, so it’s a pasta and a pasta SALAD all-in-one! Come with me… Read the rest of this entry »