Side Dishes

With Easter this weekend, we all have our favorite main holiday dish, whether we're vegetarian or not.

But wait! What about side dishes! You know, those extras that just round out the meal.

Here are six sides that'll round out your meal very nicely, including the tasty (and easy) Gourmet Green Beans and Curried Potatoes. Enjoy!

Note: Check out last Friday's post for several more recipes to try for your sides. I highly recommend my mom's Sweet Potato Soufflé. Very yummy!

CURRIED LENTILS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is from the October 2007 issue of Runner’s World.

1 C dry lentils

1 small butternut squash

1 Tbls olive oil

1 Tbls curry powder

1 tsp grated gingerroot

1 tsp chili powder

Salt & pepper to taste

1/4 C shredded coconut (optional)

Spray 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Pour lentils into deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to boil, reduce heat, and add raw chunks of the squash (leave skin on to add nutrients and texture to dish). Simmer until squash is soft (about 1 hour). Remove pot from heat, drain, and set aside. With tongs, pull out chunks of squash and mash roughly, skins and all, with a fork, ricer, or potato masher.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large bowl, mix drained cooked lentils and mashed squash with olive oil and all the spices (including salt and pepper). Spoon mixture into baking dish. At this point, you can cover the dish and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When you’re ready, bake until piping hot, about 20 minutes if you’re putting it into the oven right after mixing, or 25-30 minutes if it’s been refrigerated. Serve warm garnished with shredded coconut if you like and with a serving of wild greens, such as blanched chard. Serves two as a hearty main dish or four as a side dish.

Calories: 530; Protein: 32 g; carbs: 94 g; Fat: 8 g.

GOURMET GREEN BEANS

This is from Publix Supermarket's April 2006 issue of Aprons

2 (12-ounce) bags fresh snipped green beans (snapped, if desired)

1 (8-ounce) package sliced baby portabella mushrooms

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons garlic butter

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Place beans, mushrooms, and water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on HIGH 12–14 minutes, stirring once, until crisp tender.

Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place butter in sauté pan and swirl to coat. Add sesame seeds and heat 1–2 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned.

Drain beans and mushrooms and add to sauté pan. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired tenderness. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/8 recipe) 70kcal; FAT 4g; CHOL 5mg; SODIUM 220mg; CARB 8g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 2g; VIT A 15%; VIT C 25%; CALC 4%; IRON 6%

AU GRATIN POTATOES

This was in a Weight Watchers' email years ago. The recipe begins, “Our cheesy potato dish is the perfect crowd pleaser: rich enough for your spouse and kids, yet light enough to keep your waistline slim.”

The POINTS® Value at that time listed this as 3 points.

Servings: 8; Preparation Time: 20 min; Cooking Time: 90 min; Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients

1 sprays cooking spray

1 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cup fat-free skim milk

2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.

Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.

TUSCAN-STYLE QUINOA

This is from the November 2005 issue of Runner’s World.

1 1/2 C quinoa

3 C water

2 Tbls olive oil

3 coves garlic, minced

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

6 C shredded Swiss chard

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

1/3 C Parmesan cheese

Place one tablespoon of the olive oil in saucepan, heat to medium-high, pour in quinoa to toast for four minutes. Cover with water, turn down to simmer, cook for 15 minutes until tender. Heat nonstick skillet with remaining olive oil & sauté garlic & onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chard & sauté until wilted. Add tomato & heat through. Fold in cooked quinoa, season with salt, pepper, & chili flakes to taste, & top with Parmesan cheese. Let stand 3-5 minutes to blend flavors.

APPLE WALNUT CROSTADA

This came courtesy of U.S. Apple Association (www.usapple.org) via the October 2005 issue of Publix Supermarket's GreenWise magazine.

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: 45 – 50 minutes; Serves: 8

Cooking spray

6 – 7 baking apples, peeled, cored, & sliced

1/2 C brown sugar

1/3 C chopped walnuts

1/4 C all-purpose flour

Dash of vanilla extract

1 refrigerated ready-made pie crust

2 Tbs butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray & set aside. Place apples, sugar, walnuts, flour, & vanilla extract in large mixing bowl & toss well. Transfer pie crust to baking sheet. Spoon apple mixture into center of pie crust & fold up sides of pastry to capture apples & juices. Dot with butter. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Per serving: 207 Calories; 2 g Protein, 27 g Carbo., 2 g fiber, 11 g total fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono, 4 g poly), 110 mg Sodium, Vitamin B1 (thiamin), E

CURRIED POTOATOES

This is from the June 2008 Vegetarian Times, page 80. The recipe begins, “Serve this dish on its own or with steamed rice.”

1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 medium onions, diced (3 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)

4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks

3 carrots, peeled & cut into 2-inch pieces (1 cup)

3 Tbs. Madras curry powder

1 15-oz. can black beans

3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped (1/4 cup)

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic & cook 5 – 7 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in potatoes, carrots and curry powder and cook 4 minutes.

Add beans and their liquid, tomatoes, broth, jalapeno chiles, vinegar an 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until potatoes are flaky amd carrots are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Per serving: 282 cal; 9 g protein; 4 g total fat (0.5 g sat. fat); 55 g carb; 0 mg cholesterol; 499 mg sodium; 10 g fiber; 9 g sugars; vegan