Grr! I cannot come up with any side dishes!?

Question

I don't know what to serve with our meals. I always end up having mac & cheese, or opening up a can of green beans, and we're getting pretty tired of it all the time. Every once in a while we'll have mashed potatoes and gravy. Please, help! Anyone know any good side dishes? Something that would go good with salmon patties, or chicken legs? I would really appreciate it! Thanks = )

Answer 1

Here is about the easiest and most tasty side dish you will fix. Go to your local grocer and get some root veggies like red potatoes, small onions, carrots, beets if you like, artichokes, or just whatever fresh veggies they have that look good and are fairly hardy. Clean them up and make sure they are all about the same size. Put them on a cookie sheet, salt and pepper them, and drizzle olive oil over the top of them. Then pop them in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are soft.

Also, you could try things like jasmine rice or risotto, roasted eggplant dishes, or even souffles. Finally, the best advise is www.foodtv.com. Check them out for all kinds of ideas. Any of the Food Network chefs can help provide ideas. Good luck!

Answer 2

Put a little pizazz in your vegetables,...you spoke of opening a can of beans, well jazz them up by adding some julienned cut carrot strips and heat as you would normally. You can put a little twang in a can of whole kernel corn by draining the juice and heating the corn with salsa, and add some black beans for an additional boost. Rice is always a good side dish,...boring though. But, make the rice with green peppers and onions and you get a little bang out of it. Just be creative with mixing common ingredients with each other. And your meals will be remembered long after the dishes are done :o)

Answer 3

sounds like you're looking for something easy. not just any side dishes. lots of great comments.

I like the commetns about potatoes to go with chicken and corn or asparagus.

With salmon patties. if eating in a sandwich the other comments was good, cole slaw or beans. but if eating it alone, I'd go with a rice dish.

These days you can buy bag a frozen mixed vegetables too. there's a mix with cauliflower beans and carrots that we like. If you wanted to spice up the beans you can add little crumbs of andouille sausage.

If you wanted a fancier rice. You could cook the rice with beef broth or chicken broth. You can eat it just as it is, or you can even add some italian seasoning and fry it up. If you wanted more asian flavor, add soy sauce when you fry and some leftovers whether sliced ham, mushrooms, carrots or whatevers to your taste.

Answer 4

Roast Veg - I use baby new potatoes, carrots, parsnips, courgettes (zucchini), butternut squash, sweet potatoes, shallots - basically any root vegetables are good. Put them in a baking tray, sprinkle with garlic, season, add herbs if you like (thyme is good) and roast in the oven for a couple of hours.

Stuffed Peppers - I use red peppers, cut in half through the stalk, de-seed, season add garlic and drizzle with olive oil then roast them in the oven until softened and starting to turn black. I stuff them with tomato flavoured cous cous, toasted pine nuts and cubes of feta cheese. Then put them back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Tomato and onion salad - slice tomatoes and red onions, season and drizzle with a dressing made from 2 parts olive oil to 1 part white wine vinegar and a spoon of wholegrain mustard shaken. You can add slices of Mozzarella cheese too.

Baked potatoes are good. A really tasty option is to bake some large potatoes, when the are done cut in half and scoop out the potatoe from the skins. Mash that up with some milk and butter then add some cheese, cooked bacon bits and sliced cooked mushrooms. Fill the potatoe skins with that mixture and return to the oven til they crisp on top.

Noodles in a sweet chilli sauce would be nice with the salmon patties.

I would suggest green salad, coleslaw or corn on the cob with the chicken legs.

Answer 5

Here is a really easy recipe for rice pilaf. ENJOY !!!

3 tbsp oil (either corn, canola, or peanut)
4 tsp diced onion
2 cups Uncle Ben's converted white rice
4 cups water
3 tbsp salt
1 tbsp butter (NOT MARGERINE)

in a large skillet, cook the onions in the oil over low heat until barely translucent (make sure the onion does not brown). add the rice and stir, making sure that all the rice is covered with oil. add the salt and water. turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. once a boil is reached, cover and turn the heat to low. check the rice in about 10 minutes (lift off the lid, take a spoon, and pull back some of the rice. if the pan is dry it is ready; if there is still water, lid it back up and check in another 5 minutes). kill the heat. take the butter and dab little pieces all around the rice and lid it back up for 3 minutes. fluff with a fork and serve

Answer 6

Get a couple cartons of the smaller tomatoes and cut them into 1/4ths. A bottle of Paul Neuman's basalmic vinaigrette and a ball of REAL mozzarella cheese. Cut up the cheese into small bits and mix with the tomatoes. Sprinkle on so basil and pour the dressing over the mix and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to absorb the dressing. (actually, this is even better the next day). It is healthy and a very refreshing for a change of pace.

Answer 7

This is more of an appetizer but it might work. Get a big bag of New York Style bagel crisps,sea salt or garlic,then get some smoked salmon and drain the water from the can,then get some ranch and mix the salmon and ranch together and mix it up good and then serve on the crisps.

Answer 8

Oven roasted potatoe or vegetables or both.
Grilled potatoes and onions with butter in foil.
Cole Slaw
Scalloped Corn
Hashbrown casserole
Macaroni salad

SWEET AND SOUR VEGETABLES

1 lb frozen Oriental Vegetables
peanut oil (for sautéing)


Sauce:

1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 inch section fresh ginger, peeled, minced
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained and reserved
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce (or salt to taste)
1/2 cup pineapple syrup or juice (from can)
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil until sizzling hot. Add vegetables; stir fry over high heat until vegetables are slightly browned on edges, but still bright, crisp, and barely tender. Oil in wok must be very hot to avoid vegetables becoming overcooked - cook rapidly and for a short period of time. Remove vegetables to serving dish.

In the empty, still-hot wok, drain all but 1 teaspoon of oil. Add sauce ingredients in the same order as listed. Cook 5 minutes or until sauce is translucent and cornstarch has cooked. Add garlic during final minute (do not allow it to brown).

Answer 9

Marinated Carrots

5 cups sliced carrots (about 1 lb)
1 can (10 oz) tomato soup
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
Optional:
1 cup broccoli flowerets
1 cup cut cauliflower

Cook carrots in small amount of boiling water until tender crisp, drain and cool; place in large bowl. Add broccoli and cauliflower if including.
Combine tomato soup, sugar, vinegar, oil, mustard, pepper, salt, green pepper, onion, celery, Worcestershire. Pour over carrots; mix thoroughly.
Place in refrigerator at least 24 hours before serving. May be kept in refrigerator for one month.

Answer 10

Try salads--a lot healthier than mac and cheese or mashed potatoes. Also, sliced tomatoes or melon. Sometimes I serve baby carrots and broccoli or sliced green peppers and use a thick salad dressing as a dip. Look in the produce section for what's in season and on sale.