Veggie Burger Garnishes and Side Dishes

For other great ideas, check The Veggie Table site!

Red Pepper Coulis (1 cup) 

• 1 cup of roasted* red bell pepper, chopped
• 4  teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 to 4 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional)
• salt, pepper
• cayenne pepper (optional)

  Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and puree until completely smoooth. *To roast bell peppers : Don’t cut them up, use them whole. Coat them with olive oil. Turn oven to Grill (or Roast). Put bell peppers in the oven on a baking sheet. Turn them on every side, when the skin turns black. The more the skin turns black, the easier the skin will be to remove. Once roasted, if too hot to peel, put them in a plastic bag, close the bag tight by making a knot and wait until they cool down. Then, peel the skin off, take out the seeds and cut them in big slices. At this point, you can use them like this as a garnish or in a recipe OR marinate them, that is put them in a jar with spices, herbs, garlic and olive oil and in the fridge OR make a coulis

Aïoli (1 cup) 

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped or more (actually, as you can handle). 

Tip : After eating too much aïoli, use the phone if you have to talk to someone! ; )

Herb Dressing (for 1 cup) 

• 1/2 cup of sour cream or yogourt
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise or ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, rosemary, basil, thyme, sage or dill)
• 1 garlic clove
• salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.   Oignons confits (for 1 cup) 

• 1 cup of onions, REALLY thinly sliced 
• a pinch of sugar (optional)
• a pinch of vinegar (optional)
• a pinch of salt
• oil for cooking

 Heat oil over medium heat, add onions and cook until onions begin to caramelize.  (Add sugar and vinegar and fry another 15-30 minutes.) Stir in salt and serve.

Oven-Baked French Fries (for 4 servings) 

•  6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks the size you like  (Russet for exemple)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 or 2 teaspoons of salt 
• paprika or curcuma or curry or dried herbs or onion powder (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the fries under cold water, place on linen (or paper towels) and pat dry. Put fries in bowl with other ingredients and coat well. Lay out the fries on the baking sheet. Cook for about 45 minutes, turning every 10 minutes, until the fries are golden-brown.