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Quick and easy SIDE DISHES?

999 views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Alyantavid 
#1 ·
Who has some quick and easy side dish ideas for me? I don't like peas or greenbeans, but everything else is a go.

I am sick of macaroni, cottage cheese, baked french fries, or corn with every. stinking. meal. Someone help me liven up my meals!!!!!
 
#2 ·
cous cous takes 5 minutes, literally. And it is yummy.

roasted veggies are easy, but take a long time. A little oil and salt and an hour in the oven makes things wonderful, brussel sprouts (even DH and DS like them now!), squash, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower "popcorn", etc.
 
#3 ·
Our favorite sides:

Asparagus sauteed in butter (or olive oil works too), lemon and garlic. Fresh green beans are good like this too!
Mushrooms and onions sauteed in butter. (Olive oil works too.)

Potatos:
ahem:
Garlic mashed
grated potato cakes
latkes
potato gratin
scalloped potatoes
roasted with garlic and rosemary
roasted spicy potato wedges (cut potatoes, toss with fave hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chives or green onions)
baked potato with sour cream, grated cheese, chives, bacon *drool*
twice baked potatos (bake, scoop out filling, whip with garlic, red pepper flakes, onion powder, paprika little bit sour cream parmesan etc. spoon back into skins and bake again.
tiny baby potatos boiled till fork tender tossed with butter and green onions.
Potato salads of all kinds like, Creamy Dill Potato Salad: (sour cream, greek yogurt, fresh dill, squeeze of lemon, grated garlic, salt pepper. Use baby new potatoes or red potatoes and leave skin on. Boil, cool, toss with dressing, add diced purple onion.) Pesto Potato Salad: Serves 5

2 pounds small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1/2 pound green beans, cut into one-inch segments
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 bunch of basil (about one ounce)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons (or more to taste) mild vinegar, such as champagne, white wine or a white balsamic
1/8 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl. Meanwhile, discard the stems from the basil and wash and dry the leaves. Puree them in a food processor with garlic, drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. [Alternately, you can swap this step with one cup of prepared pesto, but seriously, I think you'll be missing out.] Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. Stir in vinegar and pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler. Serve immediately, or make this up to two hours in advance. It can be stored at room temperature.

And a million more variations!


Rice:

spinach alfredo rice:
2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup butter
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups packed torn fresh spinach leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups hot cooked rice
In a small saucepan, saute garlic in butter. Stir in cream and Parmesan cheese; cook for 1 minute or until the cheese is melted. Add spinach, salt and white pepper. Cook for 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Stir in rice.
Baked rice:
Ingredients:
3 cups boiling chicken broth
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
1/4 cup butter
half an onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced

Fried Rice
Rice with ginger sauce on top
Rice with creamy sauces on top
Rice cooked with herbs (like thyme when served with chicken etc.)

Preparation:
Saute onion and garlic in butter and add broth and bring to a boil. Combine with rice in a greased oven safe dish, add pepper and bake at 350 for 40 min.

Salads!!!
Too many to list. I love baby spinach with fruit chopped into it and toasted pecans, drizzled with yogurt mixed with some lemon juice.

Cesear salad, waldorf salad, salad with avacado and cilantro...
:

Bread:

Garlic bread
smothered garlic bread:
8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion (to taste)
1 tomato chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I like miracle whip)
2 Tbsp sour cream
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup, 4 ounces), soft

In the blender or food processor (or with a stick blender) combine butter and garlic. Add sour cream and mayonnaise.

Spread thickly on french loaf. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake for 10 min at 375. Add tomato and green oven and broil for 1 min.

Fresh bread (sourdough is my fave) with garlic herb butter. Whip butter with italian herbs and 1/2 clove grated garlic or garlic powder. Pesto butter, spicy butter, etc etc etc.

Savory cheese cake: http://www.thatsmyhome.com/mainstreetdeli/savche.htm

Polenta, soft or set and grilled.

Fruit. Slices of mellon or peaches or whatever's in season.

Fresh veggies and dip. We like hummus, or homemade sourcream type dips.

We don't do pasta as a side, it's a treat and the main course when it makes an appearance.

:
 
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