I did a lot of recipe testing for dinners this week. Even when the recipe I’m developing is simple, the process of figuring out ingredients and writing down every step of the instructions is time consuming. And that’s why I needed easy sides! Luckily, the simplest sides tend to be the healthiest, freshest, and tastiest too.
Here’s what I ate this week:
Sauteed Mushrooms with Shallots and Thyme // I want to eat these every day of the week. They are that good.
Roasted Eggplants with Herbs // I was super excited to make this with fresh herbs from the garden. I tweaked this recipe a little because I didn’t use the small eggplants it called for and served it with Pasta Puttanesca.
Asian Cabbage Mango Slaw // Skinnytaste’s version looks far better than mine; my mango was overripe, while the recipe called for one that was underripe. But I liked the sweetness the ripe mango added, even if it was a little bit messier.
Garam Masala Green Beans // A perfect side dish for summer.
Grilled Gruyere Smoked Mozzarella and Olive Tapenade Sandwiches // We had this two nights in a row and I will be making it again once I start getting tomatoes from the garden. Delicious!
Do you have any favorite easy side dishes? I’m always looking for new ideas!
Also follow on:
YUM! The slaw looks wonderful! I have a lone head of cabbage rolling around in my crisper I need to use
Yeah, I have cabbage just waiting to be used to so I’m thinking I’ll make it again for dinner tonight. I think all I need is a mango!
Note to self: do not read this blog at 7 am because your stomach will start growling. LOL!
I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who wakes up early on Saturdays and reads blogs.
Now I’m really hungry. The mushrooms look fantastic. Everything looks delicious. Nice combination of the puttanesca with the eggplant, my daughter will love this, she’s big on eggplant.
Yeah, when I’m too lazy to make eggplant parm, I just put a little sauce on roasted eggplant slices. It’ll do in a pinch.
Your recipe always look so appetizing and motivate me to try cooking something new. Sauteed mushrooms look amazing. I agree that I could eat them every day of the week!
Aw, thank you! The sauteed mushroom recipes was definitely one of the best side dish recipes I’ve come upon in a while. I think next time I make them, I might toss them with some pasta.
I must try the Roasted Eggplants with Herbs. I have looked for good eggplant recipes. My grandmother use to make amazing eggplant dishes and I have just never been able to make mine taste like hers. Thanks for the idea.
What kinds of things did she make with eggplant? I wish I could think of more ways to use it. Usually I roast it and occasionally I saute it, but I’m not sure what else to do with it!
YUM! Everything looks delicious. My mouth is watering again – or as usual?!
Thank you! It’s nice to find simple side dishes that taste really complex.
I just drooled on my keyboard!
Well, that’s not good!
Meh, the keyboard will survive.
Everything looks soooo good. I definitely think I could eat those mushrooms every day. Beautiful photos, Kiersten!
I wish the full-text of that recipe was available online. It’s very simple, but the results are amazing. And aside from the mushrooms, I had everything else I needed for the recipe on hand.
The mango slaw sounds amazing.
It was so good–Skinnytaste is an awesome blog!
All of those veggies look sooooo delicious! Why can’t I make veggies look like that? I’m sure my entire family would eat more veggies if they looked as good as yours. LOL!
Thank you! I think veggies are a hard sell for a lot of kids.
Those sandwiches look amazing and my little girl would adore the mushrooms. I may have to see if I can pull that off for her.
These all look great! I’ve just started developing my own recipes more regularly in a way I can actually remember and duplicate them, and you’re right, it is time consuming
These are perfect additions. Scones/biscuits are one of my favourite sides with just about anything too!
Ok I’ve been reading your blog for 3 weeks now and not only are you my new favorite food blog, but you are officially my hero. You feed your family this delicious stuff, and still have time to write about it. I can’t even find time to clean my bathroom. Ok, well maybe I’m procrastinating a bit on that front…
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, these all look amazing.
Those mushrooms. Oh my word, those mushrooms!
Those all look wonderful, especially the mushrooms dish and the eggplant one. We have decided we are going to try to eat better but that means more cooking and preparation on my end. I’ll have to bookmark some of these to try!
I think the key is to find quick, healthy recipes that work and then stick with them. For entrees, I rarely make the same thing twice, but for sides, I have a collection of veggie recipes that take less than 15 minutes or so to make and only use a few ingredients. I totally rely on those recipes!
All of those pictures of your food look yummy!
Thank you! And they were yummy too.