Easy AND healthy side dishes?

Question

Does anyone have any ideas for EASY and HEALTHY side dishes for fish, chicken, meatloaf, etc? Thanks! Nothing fancy, two or three steps tops...

Answer 1

Zucchini with Parmesan

8 medium zucchini
Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions cut in half and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Remove the ends of the zucchini and, if they are large, cut in half lengthwise. Slice the zucchini diagonally in 1/2-inch slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and add the onions. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, until they start to brown. Add half the zucchini, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook, tossing occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove to a serving platter and repeat with the rest of the zucchini. Serve immediately.
Note: If you cook too much zucchini in one pan, you end up steaming rather than sauteing it. I prefer to cook it in 2 batches.

--Ina Garten
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Garlic Sauteed Spinach

1½ pounds baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Lemon
Sea or kosher salt, optional

Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.
In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.
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Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 pounds green beans
2 bacon slices
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped almonds
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well; set aside.
Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet. Crumble; set aside. Add shallots to bacon fat in skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add almonds; sauté 1 minute. Remove and let cool. Add sugar and vinegar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add crumbled bacon.
Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

CALORIES 75(31% from fat); FAT 2.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 54mg; SODIUM 50mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.8g
Cooking Light, November 1996.

--Cooking Light Complete Cookbook
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Green Beans with Tomato & Garlic

2 lb(s) Fresh green beans, cleaned with ends removed
1 cup(s) Tomatoes, seeds removed and finely diced
4 clove(s) Garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedures
Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch green beans for 1 minute. Drain and cool under cool running water.

In a saute pan, heat olive oil and mix in garlic. Cook for 1 minute and add green beans. Cook green beans with garlic for 1 minute.

Add in diced tomatoes to green bean mixture. Cook for 1 minute or until green beans are tender but still green.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

--Olive Garden website

Answer 2

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.
Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

Enjoy!

Answer 3

I like to grill zucchini. It's easy. Wash them off, cut off ends, cut them in half length way. On the inside of the zucchini, spread Crisco butter flavor or butter on it and then grill to desired firmness.

A baked sweet potato is easy and healthy.

Answer 4

For fish, I constantly make user-friendly white rice and yet another veggie (broccoli, frozen corn, beans). For meatloaf, mashed potatos bypass spectacular. A baked potato or a salad might additionally bypass. For rooster virtually something is going. Frozen greens are constantly good. they're wholesome, rapid and easy to make.

Answer 5

fruits and vegetables! cut em up and have dip, salad, cole slaw, green bean casarole, applesauce, cottage cheese, baked beans, baked sweet potato, rice, pasta salad.

Answer 6

steamed squash, fresh spinach salad