Here is an excellent side dish recipe that looks as good as it tastes!

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Roasted Vegetable Side Dish

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 150kcal

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato peeled and sliced into chunks
• 8 tri-colored potatoes halved or quartered skin left on
• one leak sliced - white and light green part only
• one bunch asparagus cut in half
• half lemon for juice
• 2 - 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°.      
• On a baking sheet, place all vegetables except asparagus and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix.
• Cook for 15 minutes, then take out of oven and add asparagus.
• Stir and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
• Squeeze lemon juice over dish before serving.

This recipe originated from The Tampa Bay Times Cook Club.  We modified the recipe a bit (less maple sugar and added walnuts).  They can be served along soups, salads, or as something different from bread with your main course.  Breakfast muffin?  Absolutely!  These muffins freeze really well too!

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Zucchini and Walnut Muffins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 268kcal

Equipment

• 2 regular size 8 cup muffin tins

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated zucchini about 2 whole zucchini
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°.       
• In a mixing bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup and honey.  Stir gently, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the walnuts, flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• Stir to combine and make a well in the middle.  Pour the wet mixture into the well and stir just a few times until barely combined (about 15 stirs).
• Pour the batter in 2 muffin tins greased with nonstick cooking spray.
•  Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are golden at the top and spring back when pressed.
• Cool on a wire rack.
  

Need a quick side dish and have no time to run to the store?  Keep a can of seasoned black beans (we like Bush’s) and rice in the pantry, and a tasty side dish is on the table in 20 minutes.  Left over chicken, shrimp, or pork?  Add it to the dish and it becomes a meal!

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Rice with Seasoned Black Beans

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Caribbean

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1 can Bush's Seasoned Black Beans  undrained
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.          
• Add rice and stir for 30 seconds.
• Add water and bring to a boil.
• Once water boils, add the bouillon, turn heat to simmer and cover.
• Cook rice for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until all water is absorbed.
• Add black beans and stir until heated through.
• Top with green onions and serve immediately.

A delicious side dish to any meal!

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Roasted Potatoes All Dressed Up

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound fingerling or small honey gold potatoes
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary chopped
• fresh ground pepper
• kosher salt
• 1 tsp snipped chives or dill
• Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Cut potatoes in halves or thirds depending upon their size. 
• Place potatoes in a glass 8x8 inch pan.
• Pour olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper over potatoes and stir.
  
• Place in oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes until fork tender. 
• While cooking, stir the potatoes every 10 minutes so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Remove from oven and toss with the chives or dill. 
• Place in a shallow bowl and top with the parmesan cheese.

This healthy and colorful side dish will be on your table in minutes!

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Squash Sauté

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini sliced in thin strips
• 1 yellow squash sliced in thin strips
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/4 cup minced dill
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions

• Place about 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat.  
• Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes.  
• Add zucchini and squash and sauté for several minutes (adding more oil if needed).
•  Top with dill and salt & pepper.

Serves 3-4 people

Serve this side dish at your next Simple Celebration along with our pretzel chicken, pork tenderloin, or filet recipes listed on our entrée page.  The recipe below is for asparagus, but green beans are also awesome!!

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Make Ahead Asparagus

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 bunches asparagus
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh herbs chives, basil, dill, and/or rosemary
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

• The easiest way to prepare the asparagus is to take about 4 stalks in your hand and bend, until they snap.
• Put asparagus in a large fry pan with enough water to cover about half the asparagus.
• Bring water to boil and cook for several minutes - until you can spear the asparagus but it still remains firm and drain.
• You can do the above steps up to several hours before finishing the dish.
• Put olive oil in the pan with the drained asparagus.
• Sauté asparagus until slightly browned and warm.
• Add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Place on a pretty platter and top with parmesan cheese.

A great side dish, this fresh corn and asparagus recipe will complement your simple, but elegant celebration!

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Fresh Corn and Asparagus

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• One bunch or one pound of asparagus trimmed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 4 ears of fresh corn shucked
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill and/or chives

Instructions

• Cut each asparagus stalk into three equal pieces.  
• Put asparagus in a large frying pan with enough water to almost cover.  Boil for a few minutes until fork can pierce the asparagus, but still remains crisp. 
• Drain the asparagus (this can be done earlier in the day).
• Add to the asparagus the olive oil, butter, red onion, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and corn to pan and saute on low for several minutes. 
• Add fresh herbs and stir for 30 seconds.

Serve these twice baked potatoes along with our filet recipe and your simple, yet elegant, celebration will be delicious!  And they can be made in advance!!

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 Idaho baking potatoes large
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh chives minced
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup+ milk
• 1/2 cup+ sharp cheddar cheese grated
• 3 green onions/scallions chopped
• kosher salt or seasoned salt
• freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Wash potatoes, spear a few times with a fork, and bake for one hour or until you can easily insert a fork into the potato. 
• Remove potatoes from oven and let cool, slightly.
• Mix together the crème fraîche and the fresh herbs in a small bowl.
• Cut a large oval in the top of each potato and remove the "oval" skin. 
• Using a tablespoon, remove the inside of the potato, leaving the skin intact.  
• Put in a medium bowl and mash (using a hand potato masher). 
• Add all of the rest of the ingredients, including the crème and herbs, and mash until you achieve your desired consistency.  Add more milk if you want less dense potatoes.
• Put potato mixture back in the potato shell and top each potato with a little more grated cheese. 
• These potatoes can be made earlier in the day and refrigerated.  Take the potatoes out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking.  Bake at 350℉ for 40 minutes.

This versatile side dish is a great accompaniment to our pork tenderloin recipe.  Not only is it tasty, but also healthy and low-calorie.  Looking for something different to serve for lunch?  Make this dish your main course along with thick sliced Cuban bread.  Enjoy!

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Healthy Black Bean Salad

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine cuban

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 cans black beans 15 oz. each
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp chipolte or regular chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 cup feta cheese
• 1 tomato chopped
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 avocado cubed

Instructions

• Drain one of the cans of beans and place in a sauce pan.  Add the other can, undrained. 
• Add garlic, chili powder and cumin.  Heat through. 
• Add the remainder of the ingredients and serve warm.

During our recent vacation with friends and family, one night we had grilled pineapple as part of the dinner.  It was so popular, that any time a person would go to the store, they picked up another pineapple – resulting in three dinners with a side of grilled pineapple.  One of our friends even had the left overs for breakfast!   Take Vicki’s advice when she says, “the secret is to have a very big, sharp knife.” This was said after she almost lost a finger to a dull knife.

Pick up one ripe, whole pineapple.  Give it the sniff  test – you should be able to smell the pineapple’s aroma.

Cut the pineapple into 8 equal sections, keeping skin and top intact.  Oil the grill.  Grill pineapple on both sides until you see obvious grill marks (10-15 minutes).  You won’t taste anything sweeter.  Goes great with any simple celebration of chicken, shrimp or pork, and don’t forget to serve it along with our fabulous fish tacos!