What's your favorite quick side dish?

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Khovde07
Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm starting to get tired of just zapping frozen veggies with every meal. I've tried adding a bit of cheese to broccoli and adding bacon/toasted almonds to green beans, but I'm getting a little bored with frozen veggies. Also, hubby and I aren't huge fans of salad, so that limits us a bit.

What's your favorite low-cal side dish?

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  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    How low-cal does it need to be?

    I do a lot of side dishes with various grains (barley, quinoa, rice, etc) flavored with broth and mix in some sauteed veggies (mushrooms, onions, carrots, etc) and a bit of feta cheese. As long as you don't go overboard on portion size, it's usually in the 150-200 calorie range.
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
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    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    How low-cal does it need to be?

    I do a lot of side dishes with various grains (barley, quinoa, rice, etc) flavored with broth and mix in some sauteed veggies (mushrooms, onions, carrots, etc) and a bit of feta cheese. As long as you don't go overboard on portion size, it's usually in the 150-200 calorie range.

    Calories can vary. I usually choose my side depending on how many calories I have left. I'm just looking for things to add to my arsenal.
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
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    Carby or veggie? My go to starch is rice. Jasmine rice is pretty quick cooking. I've found that if I cook it in half water/half skim milk, it comes out deliciously creamy. Sometimes I'll use coconut milk instead of regular cow's milk. If I'm feeling fancy, I may stir in some frozen peas, chopped green onions, or fresh cilantro.

    The bean portion of this flank steak recipe is really tasty, even for someone who isn't a huge fan of baked beans. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cowboy-flank-steak

    For veggies, have you tried fresh leafy greens? Spinach and chard are surprising easy to cook. My method is to saute some minced garlic in a small amount of oil (1 or 2 teaspoons is all you need), then add a small amount of chicken broth or stock (veggie broth will also work if you are vegetarian). Saute until the leaves wilt. Tasty!
  • x311Tifa
    x311Tifa Posts: 357 Member
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    Depends on what I'm making. The other day was Thai Slow Cooker porkloin with [side] soba noodles, water chesnuts, and bean sprouts. Whole thing came to about 600 or so.

    I often try to do a roasted/seasoned veg or all in one type meals. Like root veg in the crockpot with my meal.
    Green beans are pretty epic, rice is easy, side potatoes are easy, just depends on the level of effort you want and what goes with what you are making.

    I'm a big fan of skinnyms or allrecipes. There are tons of sites and ideas that come up when I google "sides that go with _____"
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Another vote for jasmine rice - if you add coconut milk after cooking (frozen is best) then it is extra yummy!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    edited January 2016
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    How quick does it need to be? My go-to is usually roasted veggies. Timing varies but usually at least 20 min cooking time. But prep time is 5 min or less.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Baked sweet potato in the microwave. YUM! I do love them roasted, too, but microwave baking is quicker.
  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    How quick does it need to be? My go-to is usually roasted veggies. Timing varies but usually at least 20 min cooking time. But prep time is 5 min or less.

    I'm looking for some quick ideas for my lunch break. So something that can be made and eaten in 30 minutes.

  • Khovde07
    Khovde07 Posts: 508 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I'm getting some great ideas! for those of you suggesting "roasted veggies" or something similar, how are you preparing them to make them more interesting? My issue is that I feel like I'm eating the same side dish over and over. How do you put a new take on your veggies/potatoes/rice/beans/etc.?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'm in the same boat OP. It's hard to find low calorie side dishes unfortunately. I use Mrs Dash seasoning blends for a bit of variety but it's still boring.

    I do roasted veggies by just chopping them and tossing them in 1 tbsp of olive oil and add salt and pepper, then in the oven until they are tender (425 degrees typically). But again, you end up with more calories from the oil than the veggies, so that's not exactly low cal, and with the price of fresh veggies lately I just haven't bothered.

    Or yeah, sauteed. I do either with potatoes too (cubed and sauteed in a bit of oil is fantastic but it takes like 30 minutes and you have to babysit them so they don't burn, so cut in fries and roasted is usually easier).

    I'm one of the people who loves mashed cauliflower too (two bags of frozen cauliflower blended with 2 wedges of Laughing Cow or 2 tbsp of cream cheese).

    And I like Greek yogurt and a bit of Dijon mustard on my baked potatoes.


    Anyway, will follow this thread for ideas too... I'm really bad at seasoning stuff, and it's even harder if you don't want a ton of extra calories.

    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Baked sweet potato in the microwave. YUM! I do love them roasted, too, but microwave baking is quicker.

    Still curious about how people do that, I've tried regular potatoes in the microwave and it was rubbery and gross... what's the trick?
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
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    There's not really a trick to microwaving potatoes, sweet or otherwise. I stab them with a fork to avoid the potato explosion, and cover with plastic wrap. For sweet potatoes I usually add a tablespoon or so of water so they can steam a bit. I also find it helps to flip them halfway through cooking, so they cook evenly, and you avoid squishy on the bottom and still hard on top. If the potatoes come out rubbery, I'm guessing they were overcooked. Maybe try reducing the cook time a bit. Microwave oven strengths vary by model, so the cook time may need some experimentation.

    For the OP, have you tried experimenting with different spices? Cumin is great for potatoes or veggies. For a bit of a middle eastern flavor, flavor mashed sweet potatoes with cumin and coriander. Maybe a little cayenne pepper for heat.

    I will second roasting veggies. Very tasty. When I roast vegetables, I usually do it pretty simply, with a tablespoon of oil, minced garlic, and salt and pepper. Really, any spices you want. Roasted carrots spiced with cumin and cayenne is one of my favorites. One of my tricks is to put the roasting pan in the oven while the oven preheats. Your veggies will sizzle when you put them on the hot pan.

    I even like roasted kale, and I'm not a huge kale fan. Remove the ribs and tear the leaves into chunks. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 12 minutes at 425. You will need to stir halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and drizzle with a bit of vinegar. Eat warm, because it's kind of gross if you eat it cold.
  • truelight_photo_craig
    truelight_photo_craig Posts: 347 Member
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    Broccoli, green beans, or asparagus roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Sprinkle with feta or Parmesan cheese when done. 20 minutes @ 425

    Saute fresh greens (spinach, collards, mustard, chard, or a combination) in oil, salt, pepper, thin sliced onions, and add some white balsamic vinegar right at the end.

    Boil potatoes ahead of time, lightly mash (leave big chunks). The next day top with crumbled bacon, chives, pop in the microwave and top with blue or cheddar cheese when done.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
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    I like to add spice to roasted vegetables to make them a little more exciting. I like Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute.

    (to the poster above about mashed cauliflower with laughing cow...I totally just added to my shopping list for next week. I'm intrigued!)
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,215 Member
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    Fave is Brussels sprouts drizzled with bacon grease, sprinkle of garlic powder, bake for 25 minutes. Soooo good!
  • athens1000
    athens1000 Posts: 34 Member
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    Use fresh vegetables, they are much better than frozen. My favorite is roasted broccoli with lemon juice and almonds. Parmesan cheese optional!!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    athens1000 wrote: »
    Use fresh vegetables, they are much better than frozen. My favorite is roasted broccoli with lemon juice and almonds. Parmesan cheese optional!!

    Yeah but the price isn't :(

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