How can you transform a typical chicken (or pork chop or meatloaf or fish) dinner from drab to fab? Add sensational side dishes that look (and taste!) impressive but are a snap to prepare! In the South, there are an abundance of small-town restaurants affectionately known as "meat and threes," meaning you order your meal by choosing your entree (meat or fish) and adding three side items from a very long list of "vegetables". I say "vegetables", because at these restaurants, macaroni and cheese and cornbread are considered vegetables (not that there's anything wrong with that.) Whenever I've visited these mom and pop shops, I was much more excited by the sides than the actual entree itself, and often ordered just from the vegetable list (again, mac and cheese is a vegetable here, so don't think this was the "lighter" option by any stretch of the imagination.)
Twice baked potatoes I made for a party last summer
At home, we always emphasize the sides at dinner, and let the meat (or fish) play the supporting role. My mom has a basic formula for a healthy evening meal that I still use today: 1 protein + 1 starch + 1 cooked veggie + salad= a balanced, delicious dinner. Sometimes you get most of the elements in one dish (like the lasagne, chili, chicken & noodles, quiche and pulled pork sandwiches I posted here), and sometimes you build it on the plate, piece by piece. The next time you find the entree on your plate missing it's sidekicks, give a few of these a try.
Perfect Potato Ideas
Twice Baked Potatoes: Scrub as many potatoes as you need to feed your family. Pierce each one with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape, and bake in a 375 oven for about an hour (bigger potatoes will take longer). Once they are fully cooked and give way when pressed, cut the top 1/4 of each potato out, and CAREFULLY scrape out the insides into a bowl (leave enough "shell" as to not scrape through the skin). To the mash, add 1 TBSP butter and 1 TBSP sour cream for each potato used. Add 1/4 cup shredded cheese I like cheddar or colby jack) and a slice of crumbled cooked bacon for each potato used. Chop up some green onions or chives and throw into the mix. Mash everything together and add back to the potato skins. I used a pastry bag to make the fancy design, but a spoon works great too. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with paprika and run under the broiler until browned.
Creamy Dreamy Mashed Potatoes
Peel and quarter potatoes (russets, yukon golds and reds work great). Add to a pot with enough cold water to cover the potatoes completely. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. When water boils, add a tsp of salt per potato. Gently boil until you can easily piece potatoes with a fork. Drain potatoes and add the drained potatoes back to the empty hot pot. Cover with a dish towel and let steam for 5-10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup warm milk and 3 tablespoons butter per pound of potatoes. Mash with a masher or electric mixer until smooth. Season liberally with salt and pepper. For garlic mashed potatoes: Roast whole heads of garlic in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes (to prep - cut off just the top of a whole head of garlic, top with olive oil, salt and pepper, and wrap in foil). Cool. Squeeze roasted garlic into potatoes and mash (one head of garlic per two lbs potatoes).
Caprese Salad
Super Side Salads
Caprese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Wash and dry leafy lettuce (I like butter and romaine best for this salad) and add to a bowl or platter. Half cherry or grape tomatoes and add. Add small bocconcini mozzarella, or cube mozzarella cheese, or even cut up mozzarella string cheese if that's all you've got. Add croutons. For the vinaigrette: In a one cup measuring cup, add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt. 1/4 tsp pepper and 2 cloves minced garlic. stir to blend. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil. Stream oils into vinegar mixture and whisk as you go. Store in a mason jar. Shake or stir dressing before you serve it.
Italian Restaurant Salad with Creamy Italian Dressing
Wash and dry lettuce (any kind) and add to a bowl. Add sliced tomato, sliced cucumber, shredded carrots and thinly sliced onion. Top with black olives, pickled pepperoncini and parmesan cheese. Make the dressing: Mix 1/4 cup Italian dressing (any kind) with 2 tbsp each mayo and parmesan cheese. Top salad with dressing.
Green Beans Amandine
Very Good Veggies
The secret to good veggies is two fold - don't overcook them, and season with salt, pepper and butter. Brown butter is even better. (To make brown butter, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. As soon as it stops foaming and starts to smell nutty and turn golden, turn off heat and toss cooked vegetables in the warm skillet. Season with Salt and Pepper. Works for green beans, corn, peas, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, etc... you can even use frozen veggies, prepared to package instructions, then add to brown butter)
Green Beans Amandine
Steam green beans until tender crisp. Make brown butter as directed above, but add sliced almonds to butter as soon as it melts. Almonds will slightly brown with butter. Turn off heat. Toss in beans. Season with salt and pepper, and squeeze half a lemon over the whole thing.
Roasted Veggies
You can roast most vegetables in the oven, and they all taste delicious when you do. The basic formula is: Heat oven to 375. Cut vegetables into uniform size pieces (some of my favorites to roast are carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts (I halve them) and asparagus). Toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and evenly distribute on a baking sheet. Roast until everything is softened and golden (usually about 20 minutes).
That's it! Make the sides the stars of your next dinner and everyone will (gladly) eat their vegetables.
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