Looking for some good side dishes

i like chopping asparagus into inch or smaller sized pieces and throwing them into rice. they don't need to cook that long, and can go near the end of the cooking process.


also, stir fry is pretty awesome, especially if you get a little bottle of sesame oil to add a little flavor. i cheat, and buy the veggies pre-cut.

have you tried different ways of cooking kale and spinach?? i find that sauteing them with oil and garlic is absolutly great!!


and this i my latest go-to website for recipes, budgetbytes.com lots of good dishes, many of them single skillet recipes to help cut down on the cleaning. i feel that if you cook a lot on your own, you do tend to fall into a rut of cooking the same things over and over again, so it's nice to try new stuff and expand your palate.

stoptakingnames wrote: »

Thanks! There are a nice few ideas there and will definately be trying roasted butternut squash asap

speaking of... http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/butternut-squash-mac-cheese/

stoptakingnames wrote: »

Haven't tried them sauteed but may give it a shot. Checking out that website though, the less clean up after the better! And if it fits the budget what could be better?

the secret is to use a lot of garlic.

I make sweet potatoes often. Also try balsamic Brussel sprouts.

well it's not exactly "light" in calories, but my family's favorite way to eat asparagus is to cut it into half inch lengths and saute in olive oil until slightly brown and the tops are crispy. We also peel them because my grandma and my mom don't like the outer layer.

You could try making yellow rice or add different spices to your starches.

New favorite frozen spinach cooked, drained and season with a little soy sauce, sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I just tried grilled baby bok choy. It was good. I like most veggies grilled. Favorites are zucchini, squash, eggplant, portobello mushrooms, onion and red bell peppers.

Bell peppers and onions are great sauteed. Delicious with chicken, shrimp or beef as fajitas.

I'm a huge fan of roasting veggies, especially root veggies. Chop up some sweet potatoes, turnip, butternut squash, carrots and mix with a little olive oil and some fresh herbs and roast away. Another favorite is roasting mushrooms, shallots, cherry tomatoes, and potatoes together.

stoptakingnames wrote: »

You can peel asparagus? Somehow that thought never occurred to me

Yeah the stems with a veggie peeler.

Last night I made a huge pot of ratatoutille with eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, canned tomatoes and garlic. I seasoned with dried basil, dried thyme and S&P. We'll have enough for a couple days leftovers.

Tonight I roasted a boatload of butternut squash with garlic and earlier this morning I made a crock pot full of red cabbage with apples and pears. It was all so good.