Side Dish Recipes

Mediterranean eggplant and tomato salad with smoky roasted eggplant pulp layered under fresh tomato, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and chives. A 30-minute side dish.

Fennel Nicoise braises quartered fennel with tomatoes, white wine, and thyme for a silky Provencal side dish served cold. A do-ahead starter from the South of France.

Fried batilgian is egg-dipped eggplant fried in olive and vegetable oil until crisp outside and creamy inside. Just five ingredients for a classic Middle Eastern side.

This is the basic recipe for cooking lentils or beans. Many southern and southwestern regional recipes call for cooked lentils or beans to be stirred gently into a dish near the end of cooking. Therefore, it may be a good idea ot make them a day ahead and have them ready when you begin the actual cooking.

Char-grilled prawns and noodles drizzled in a Lemon Aspen dressing.

Greek potato salad with dried tomatoes: roasted potatoes and concentrated tomatoes tossed in a bright lemon-and-olive-oil dressing, then chilled. A no-mayo Mediterranean side served cool.

The grilled chicken adds the "pop" to this traditional tex-mex recipe. I made this on game day for my boyfriend and me, and it was a hit!

Herb garden couscous salad with black beans, fresh dill, mint, parsley, tomatoes, olives, and a lemon-olive oil dressing. A bright, no-cook grain salad.

A quick, spicy hot sauce for falafel: tomato paste simmered with vegetable stock, chili paste, cumin, lemon and fresh herbs into a bright, fiery sauce in about five minutes. Drizzle it over falafel, shawarma or grilled veg.

Basmati rice simmered in chicken broth with sliced mushrooms and a bay leaf. A simple, fragrant 4-ingredient side dish ready in 35 minutes.

Roasted potatoes primavera with zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions tossed in olive oil and baked until golden and tender. A simple one-pan vegetable side dish.

Radishes in cream: a 10-minute peppery radish salad in a tangy sour cream, yogurt, and horseradish dressing. Served in crisp lettuce cups. A classic Eastern European spring side.

Shaved spring vegetables are crunchy and refreshing, and white bean absorb the flavor from the light and tasty vinaigrette. A well balanced spring or summer salad.

Gazpacho is a cold summer soup that originated in Spain. It has many different variations both in terms of ingredients and fabrication methods. Basic ingredients will always include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and some kind of acid, (lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, or some combination thereof). From there, other additives include olive oil, tomato juice, tomatillos, croutons, and various types of herbs.

Spanish potato salad with new potatoes tossed hot in olive oil, white wine vinegar, crushed garlic, and sweet red pepper. No mayo, served warm with chives. Ready in 30 minutes.

Thai-style stuffed green peppers filled with chopped fresh mushrooms, scallions, garlic and ginger bound with a cornstarch slurry. Baked or steamed and finished with slivered dried chilies. A light vegetable side or vegan main.