Super Simple Winter Sides

What do you usually have as side dishes for dinner? Mac and Cheese? Mashed Potatoes with milk and butter? Veggies? Sure, they may not be the star of the meal, but side dishes need love too! They play a very important role in making sure your meal stays healthy and wonderful for you. What’s the point of that healthy main course if it is surrounded by calorie-laden sides? Luckily, it’s super simple to make delicious additions to your meal that fill you up, without all of the extra bulk of added fat, artificial ingredients, and extra calories. As I have mentioned before, I am far from being a gourmet chef. However, even I have some tips to share in this department!

Let’s start with Brussels sprouts (just figured out it’s “Brussels’, not “brussel”…weird). For some reason, I always remember old sitcoms documenting people talking about how much they hated Brussels sprouts. Was it maybe in an American Girl Book too? I’m not sure. Anyway, ever since my palate matured, I absolutely love them, and am quite unsure of why they were so taboo. So, go ahead to the grocery store and get yourself a bunch. Did you know they sometimes come on something like this…?

I didn’t until my mother brought this thing home recently. I couldn’t quite tell you what it is. Is it a stalk? A stem? Again, I’m not sure. If they come on this…thing…just snap them on off, and follow these instructions:

You will need: Brussels sprouts, fresh garlic, white onion, salt and pepper, olive oil, a baking sheet or baking stone

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Prep your sprouts. Rinse. Make sure to remove any gross leaves from the outside. Chop off the stubby stem, and halve or quarter them, depending on your preference. Place them into a large mixing bowl.

3. Peel a few cloves of garlic (enough to have a uniform presence throughout however many sprouts you are preparing). Then, crush/mince/or chop the garlic up into small pieces and add to the bowl. I personally love to smash it with the side of a large chopping knife like they do on the Food Network. However, per usual with my “recipes”, there is no exact science to this. Just chop it =)

4. Take about a third (or more depending on the size batch) of the onion. I like to leave the onion in long, skinny pieces, simply separating the layers. If you don’t like onion, it’s perfectly fine to leave this out. Add to the bowl.

5. Then, very gradually, pour in a small amount of olive oil a little at a time, mixing it into the sprouts. I usually use my hands just to toss it. You want just enough to lightly coat everything. We don’t need over oily/soppy sprouts!

6. Give a light sprinkling of both salt and pepper.

7. Place on either a cooking stone or baking sheet with foil and roast in the oven for about a half hour, or until there is a light char/crispiness to your dish. All ovens are different, so it’s best to just keep an eye on them, testing them, and taking them out when you prefer. 

Up Next: Roasted Butternut Squash!

This one is even easier. I have not yet experimented with super intense flavor combos, but when this squash is roasted, it is completely wonderful on its own. For this all you need is cubed butternut squash (a little bigger than home fry size), cooking spray, salt, pepper, and a baking stone or cooking sheet.

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Place your cubed butternut squash on either a baking stone or cooking sheet with foil

3. Give your squash one spray of cooking spray, to gently coat the batch.

4. Salt and Pepper

5. Flip the squash cubes over and repeat on the other side.

6. Pop in the oven for around a half an hour, or until tender.

Want something even easier? How about a sweet potato?

Potatoes get a bad rap. I will discuss this in more depth in a future post, but the reason is mainly because of how we prepare them. Try just having a plain old baked sweet potato. Indulge in the simple orange goodness. I usually have one half at a time. I poke a few holes in the skin with a knife or fork, and simply cook it in the microwave either on the baked potato pre-set, or for about 3 minutes at a time. It will start to steam, so per usual, cook it just a few minutes at a time, rotate it, and keep an eye on when it becomes tender. Then, I simply cut it open, and sprinkle on some pepper. Boom. Perfect, whole food, wonderful, filling, nutritious side dish.

One last side suggestion I have is soup!

I absolutely love Dr. McDougall’s organic, whole food soups. My favorite is the low sodium chunky tomato. It is made with all natural and whole ingredients. Dr. McDougall is a plant based nutrition expert and author of The Starch Solution, an amazing resource for plant based nutrition. Therefore, I truly trust all of his products. Enjoy a cup of this warm soup for only 90 calories!

And there you have it! A few simple ideas for guilt-free side dishes! Tweak them as you like, spices don’t add calories. If you have a favorite spice combo for your squash or potatoes, go for it! Just avoid the extra butter, cheese, excess oil etc! The key is to recognize that we can enjoy the same flavors without all of the extra add-ins that take a toll on our health. Try simplifying your favorite dishes, and get to know the natural taste of your food!

Be Well.

 
Love, Julie