HELP....side dish ideas needed....

randilea

I am in a major side dish rut. I am trying to cook a wider variety of food. Typically when I cook dinner make 3 things (meat, vegetable, and another side dish....my bf lifts weights and needs a lot of food to eat). Unfortunately I am stuck in the rut of the other side dish usually being rice or potato. Does anyone have any good side dish ideas that are healthy?

coronalime

Risotto, cous cous. quinoa. They are all great side dishes. Do you have a Trader Joes near you? They make alot frozen sides like a chimichri rice or a lentil side item. Instead of potato you can use sweet potato or butternut squash. Now that it is squash season you can make sides of spaghetti squash ot roast an acorn squash in the stove.

Holton

I like to cook whole wheat pasta and throw in quite a bit of frozen spinach to cook with it; then top it with a little parmesan. What's wrong with having 2 vegetables? Love to roast lots of different kinds: brussel sprouts, asparagus, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, onions, etc.. with olive oil and seasonings. Tons of salad options out there....

rayfromtx

Cut a butternut squash into 3/4" cubes. Put 2 Tbsp of olive oil and 1-2 Tbsp of garlic in a skillet. Start to brown the garlic and then add the squash and 1/3 cup of broth in and cover on medium heat. Shake it a few times while cooking for 8 minutes or so. When it is half cooked, remove the lid and turn up the heat to high and lightly brown to finish after adding the seasoning of your choice. Here are some choices for seasoning.

1 oyster sauce and a little soy sauce
2 Hoisin sauce
3 Black pepper ginger and pinch of allspice

Salt to taste at the table. This dish is loaded with vitamin A

weaklink109

Here is one I just came up with. I love it, but I like sweet and spicy things, so be warned.

You will need:

1/2 a medium to large acorn squash
Butter, margarine, or a spray, such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Salt (optional)
1/2 TBLS brown sugar
1/2 can Rotel Tomatoes with Mild Green Chilis

Directions below and list above is based upon cooking one half of the squash at a time, since that is what I usually do. As a side, you can easily get 2 servings out of 1/2 a squash. Cooking time based upon 1100 watt microwave.

Directions:

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. (Discard or save them to roast, as some people do for pumpkin seeds-your choice.)

Take a covered microwaveable casserole dish and add enough water to cover the bottom about 1/2 inch deep. Place squash, cut side down, in the dish and cover. Cook on high for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave.

Use a utensil, or a oven mitt-protected hand to flip the squash over, leaving it in the dish. If you want added salt, add it now. (I usually omit the salt, as their is plenty of sodium in the tomatoes and chilies.) Add your butter or margarine, by rubbing it around the inside of the squash, or spraying it with the butter substitute. Then sprinkle the sugar over the area you have buttered. Cover it, again, and cook it for another 4 minutes on high.

Remove from oven, use a soup or serving spoon to scoop all the cooked squash out of the peel. Place it in the serving dish you plan to use, and stir in the tomatoes and chilies. If you are concerned with the tomatoes being good and warm, you could put the dish back in the microwave for another couple of minutes, but I usually don't.

This is one of those things where you will either like it, or you will not. I stumbled on to it accidentally, when I had a partial can of the tomatoes left and wanted to use them up. I was having squash for the second time in 3 days, and thought. What the heck...

You could oven-bake the squash instead, but I couldn't tell you what time or temp to use.

randilea

Here is one I just came up with. I love it, but I like sweet and spicy things, so be warned.

You will need:

1/2 a medium to large acorn squash
Butter, margarine, or a spray, such as I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
Salt (optional)
1/2 TBLS brown sugar
1/2 can Rotel Tomatoes with Mild Green Chilis

Directions below and list above is based upon cooking one half of the squash at a time, since that is what I usually do. As a side, you can easily get 2 servings out of 1/2 a squash. Cooking time based upon 1100 watt microwave.

Directions:

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. (Discard or save them to roast, as some people do for pumpkin seeds-your choice.)

Take a covered microwaveable casserole dish and add enough water to cover the bottom about 1/2 inch deep. Place squash, cut side down, in the dish and cover. Cook on high for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave.

Use a utensil, or a oven mitt-protected hand to flip the squash over, leaving it in the dish. If you want added salt, add it now. (I usually omit the salt, as their is plenty of sodium in the tomatoes and chilies.) Add your butter or margarine, by rubbing it around the inside of the squash, or spraying it with the butter substitute. Then sprinkle the sugar over the area you have buttered. Cover it, again, and cook it for another 4 minutes on high.

Remove from oven, use a soup or serving spoon to scoop all the cooked squash out of the peel. Place it in the serving dish you plan to use, and stir in the tomatoes and chilies. If you are concerned with the tomatoes being good and warm, you could put the dish back in the microwave for another couple of minutes, but I usually don't.

This is one of those things where you will either like it, or you will not. I stumbled on to it accidentally, when I had a partial can of the tomatoes left and wanted to use them up. I was having squash for the second time in 3 days, and thought. What the heck...

You could oven-bake the squash instead, but I couldn't tell you what time or temp to use.

This sounds great!!! I will be trying this very soon! Thanks