Please tell me all of your favorite side dishes!
ready4change
Posts: 151 Member
I've fallen into a rut; a "frozen sweet corn" rut! Lately when I go to make any meal that's in need of a side dish I always make frozen sweet corn (from my grandpa's field.. it's delicious!) or grilled potatoes but I'm getting sick of it!
I don't have a lot of experience cooking/steaming veggies aside from potatoes and corn. Lame I know. If you do suggest a recipe with a more "unique" type of veggie, I'd appreciate a few pointers on how to prepare it.
Please share all of your favorites as well as ones you've been wanting to try out! I'm in serious need of variety!
I don't have a lot of experience cooking/steaming veggies aside from potatoes and corn. Lame I know. If you do suggest a recipe with a more "unique" type of veggie, I'd appreciate a few pointers on how to prepare it.
Please share all of your favorites as well as ones you've been wanting to try out! I'm in serious need of variety!
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Replies
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My absolute favorite side dish is mashed cauliflower. All I do is cook the cauliflower until it's soft, drain it, mash it with light cream cheese. Simple but so delicious!
I also love any veg. roasted in the oven. High heat, a bit of oil, salt, pepper, rosemary. My typical mix is sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes.0 -
baked rice
long grain brown rice
sodium reduced chicken broth
frozen veggies mixed
put in casserole dish and bake!0 -
steamed broccoli is easy & yummy...
roasted asparagus: wash, trim the woody stems, put in a ziplock and add olive oil, sea salt & black pepper & mix... then spread on a cookie sheet (with sides) and bake at 425 for about 12-15 minutes. sometimes i add sliced portabella mushrooms! YUMMY!!!
a fancier side dish is this:
Aaloo Gobhi (Potato Cauliflower)
1 medium cauliflower
2 small potatoes (I used 10 very small roasting potatoes)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 inches of ginger root (peeled and minced)
1 or 2 hot chili peppers (I used chili powder - to taste...my first was 1 tsp)
½ tsp salt (optional)
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp coriander
Wash cauliflower and cut into uniform sized pieces. (for even cooking, you steam them in the skillet) Peel potatoes and cube into small squares. I used the small roasting potatoes and did not peel then. Heat oil in heavy pan/skillet. Fry onions until golden brown. Add ginger and chili peppers. Stir well and add salt, turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Stir in potatoes, Stir in cauliflower, increase heat and cover.
Keep a watch on the pot until steam forms inside the pan. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes. The potatoes and cauliflower should be fork tender. All done!!
Per serving:
Cal: 235
total fat: 14.3
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 634.4 mg
Potassium: 846.8 mg
Total Carbs: 25.0 g
Fiber: 6.4 g
Sugars: 0.6 g
Protein: 5.0 g
Vit A: 2.6%
Vit C: 140.9%
Calcium: 5.7%
Iron: 10.2%
(This recipe IS in the MFP database)0 -
My absolute favorite and I haven't done this in awhile but have been CRAVING lately ... green beans with slivered almonds and pan-fried purple onions. Just throw the onions in a pan with some olive oil and maybe some salt and pepper and let them brown. Mix them in with the green beans & almonds and ta-da. DELICIOUS! The flavors are soo yummy together. I also love doing baked potato cubes with rosemary in the oven. Just chop 'em up like you would to mash them... throw it in a pan coated with olive oil, throw a ton of rosemary on top and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. YUM!0
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I really focus on eating green veggies as sides. I love the frozen steamable bags of broccoli....sometimes I add a tiny sprinkle of cheese or sea salt on top. Some nights I also do the microwavable begs of rice...uncle bens maybe? I love the long grain and wild rice, but there are a lot of different flavors. I love greek salad also...chopped cucumbers, tomatos, a little red onion, italian spices and feta cheese in some olive oil and red wine vinegar...sooo good!
Fruit is also a great option!0 -
Cottage Cheese, love it and so do my kids. I also like to eat baked squash, cut it in half add a little bit of butter and bake, yum yum! Another favorite is "mini" squash and "mini" zuchini (sp?), cut up thin, with a little oil pan fry until tender...yet...crisp, I like to add salt, pepper, garlic and a little italian seasoning for flavor.0
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I love the potato cauliflower dish mentioned earlier, and mashed cauliflower!!! I also love roasted golden beets!!0
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I'll second the mashed cauliflower. I like it spiced up a bit with lots of pepper (and a dash of salt). Steam some garlic cloves along with the cauliflower and mash that in as well!
I also use a little butter (real, not the fake stuff-but keep it to a tablespoon) instead of cream cheese. If you use a food processor and puree it well, it will have the same consistency of mashed potato!0 -
Roasted asparagus
Steamed green beans with garlic
Baked potatos (without all the added stuff)
Grain pilafs (quinoa, amaranth, millet)
Spinich salad with strawberries and balsalmic vinager
Sweet potato fries with a sprinkle of red pepper
:bigsmile:0 -
Kelly,
The recipes sound great, and I LOVE your beautiful kitty!
Connie0 -
Thanks! I actually got the recipe from my sister (kfsooner) and that kitty was my last one - he passed earlier this year after being my buddy for 15 years... cancer - poor guy... that photo was taken the night before we had to say goodbye.
We have a very crazy, insane, adorable kitten now... need to update my photo i suppose but we can't get the new kitty to sit still long enough for a photo! haha!! )0 -
Roasted Broccoli - Cut broccoli into pieces drizzle with EVOO and add whatever spices you like (I use garlic and basil). Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 deg. turning halfway through
Roasted Veggies - take any veggies you like (I use mushrooms, onion, pepper, zucchini) and cut them into pieces and mix with either (1) balsamic vinegar and EVOO or (2) spices and EVOO and roast in the oven at 350 def. for about 25 mins. turning halfway through.
Sauteed Zucchini - cut zucchini into pieces and mix with spices and EVOO and saute for about 5 mins on about medium heat.
In a pinch I also enjoy frozen peas or shelled Edamame0 -
You can roast almost any veggie.
Some I like are Brocolli, Green Beans. Asparagus, Green onions. Take your pick, or any combination. Put in Bowl. Drizzle Olive oil. Season (I like to use the same rub I use on toe BBQ. Mix. Put in baking dish and bake for 15 minutes at 325.0 -
Steamed broccoli tossed in Zip sauce. (Just the Zip sauce, I do not ever add butter.
Brown Basmati
Salad with balsamic vinegrette
Spinach cooked with onions and tossed with sea salt
The spinach and stawberries sounds very yummy too. I think I might have that for dinner............0 -
Bump0
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These all sound fabulous!!! Keep 'em comin'!
How do you prepare asparagus?0 -
Steamed delicata squash, a tsp or less of maple syrup, and a tablespoon of bacon bits0
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Steamed cabbage and also baked sweet potatos0
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I like to mash a sweet potato as a side if I am looking for something a bit starchy and filling. Very easy - just like a potato, boil, drain and mash with a bit of butter.
I also like to have a twice-baked potato as a side to a healthy lean protein and high-fibre dinner. I microwave a potato for about 5 minutes, cut it in half, scoop out the innards and mash with a bit of butter and cheddar cheese, then stuff back into the skin and bake for 15 minutes. SO satisfying and delicious. Keep the potato to a reasonable size and you'll feel very sated having this alongside some chicken and green veggies.0 -
You can roast almost any veggie.
Some I like are Brocolli, Green Beans. Asparagus, Green onions. Take your pick, or any combination. Put in Bowl. Drizzle Olive oil. Season (I like to use the same rub I use on toe BBQ. Mix. Put in baking dish and bake for 15 minutes at 325.
oh yes my favourite dinner at the moment is just roasted veggies. I like to use red and yellow pepper, mushrooms, red onion, tomatoes, and eggplant. Toss with olive oil to coat, put in a baking dish and and bake for an hour on a low heat. Yum yum!
I also thought of one more I really like: balsamic green beans.
Steam green beans and as you're doing that:
Saute 1-2 gloves of garlic and 1/2c. of green onion in a frying pan with some olive oil until soft
Add 1/4c. or so of balsamic vinegar to the frying pan and reduce heat
Add 1tsp of sugar or splenda to balsamic vinegar
Add your steamed green beans and saute until balsamic has formed into a nice reduction
Very tasty!0 -
Ok i hope every one that replied can read this one... it is soooooo good.
fresh veggies cut bite size , we use onion ,red pepper, and green peppers, green beans, broccolli, what ever you like put it all in a zip loc bag - heres the trick, one packet of dry good seasons italian dressing, just dry sprinkle it in. that is it let it sit in the bag for a couple of ours if not over night you will notice water in the bag as the veggies sweat put on pan and roast till done they are the best!!0 -
ok my second and third is spaghetti sgash and reg butternut squash but in half put on a plate spraybutter and salt and pepper to take put saran wrap on it and put in micro for about 12 minutes - test for done, i dont even take out the seeds till it is done this is easier..0
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I really love zucchini. I could eat it every day. I just cube it up, toss it in the pan with a spray of EVOO, and add spices. I like to add garlic, onion powder, chili flakes, and I have others that I add if I feel up to it (curry, Italian seasoning, cumin). I often add baby portobello mushrooms to this as well.
I have an acorn squash in the fridge I'm dying to cook. I looked up a good recipe. You'll have to google it, but I can give you the gist: cut in half and remove seeds, score the flesh, add a splash of EVOO and add salt and pepper. Then you can sprinkle on brown sugar or maple syrup (or both! :bigsmile: ) and roast in the oven until tender. You can do the same with butternut squash.
I am also a fan of the "Steamers" vegetables. Tonight I had one called Basil Vegetable Medley, which had cauliflower, snow peas, and carrots in a light basil sauce. I have also gotten plain and added my own seasoning, and I have gotten the broccoli and cheese.
Tonight I made sauteed rosemary balsamic cherry tomatoes: coat tomatoes in EVOO and add salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and chili flakes, toss to coat. Cook in a sautee pan on medium heat until they burst. Then put a splash of balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes, heat briefly, and serve. They were tastyyyyy0 -
Sounds so good. How much rice and broth do you use?0
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spinach casserole:
frozen spinach thawed and pat-dry
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1 egg
mix together and bake for 20 minutes. YUM!0 -
Made this last night. Have no idea of the caloric or nutritional content.
Cut an acorn squash in half. Seeded. Brushed with olive oil and baked at 350 for 20 minutes.
Made a mixture:
-1/2 cup shrimp
- 1/2 already baked potato (leftovers)
-3 chopped green onions
-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
-chopped cilantro
-rosemary
-garlic
-montreal steak seasoning
Pulled the acorn squash out, stuffed the mixture inside. baked for another 20 minutes.
It was delicious0 -
i make these "spanish veggies" alot and they are awesome.
you can use mostly any veggies you like but what i usually do is take some pre cooked potatoes and sautee them for a bit, add bell peppers, onions, asparagus, green beans..let that cook up, add lime juice, adobo seasoning, and this other seasoning called sazon (you can find it at regular supermarkets- its goya- and yes its bright orange -dont let the color scare you) stir it up and let it cook for a few mins...its SO SO good!!0 -
My grandma used to make something called Scalloped Tomatoes, below is my (slightly) healthier version... I don't measure when I cook, so amounts are guesstimates, adjust to taste. :bigsmile:
We always eat this with baked chicken and a green salad.
1 - 28oz can stewed tomatoes (no salt if you can get them!)
1/2 of an onion diced up (about 1/2 cup?)
1tsp crushed garlic (I usually use a lot more, I garlic)
2T olive oil (enough to saute the onion until soft) - grandma used butter
1T brown sugar (I use a little less)
1tsp Italian Seasoning (unless you bought the italian tomatoes)
pepper to taste
2 big handfuls cubed bread (I use stale italian bread, but feel free to use whatever you have - slightly stale works better) - grandma also sauted these bread cubes in more butter :laugh:
Unseasoned breadcrumbs - about 1/4 cup?
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Preheat oven to 350
Saute Onion and garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Add bread chunks and stir around to soak up any olive oil extras. Mix in can of tomatoes (undrained!), seasoning, pepper and brown sugar. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle top lightly with breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 30 min or until bubbly.
Feel free to add whatever you like to this - crushed red pepper, fresh basil, maybe a sprinkle of fresh parm cheese... ?0
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