10 Quick and Easy Dinner Side Dish Options…

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

Deciding on a main course is hard enough without worrying about what you’re going to serve on the side.  To make life a little easier, here are 10 side dish options to pair with your table’s main attraction this week – via Martha Stewart.

#1.  Sautéed Corn, Bacon and Scallions

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch strips
  • 4 cups corn kernels
  • Coarse salt and ground black pepper
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes
  • 2 to 3 scallions, sliced

Directions

  1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
  2. Add corn kernels; season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring often, until corn is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in scallions. Serve immediately.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#2.  Oven-Roasted Grape Tomatoes with Chives

Ingredients

  • 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes, oil, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are browned on bottom and begin to collapse, about 15 minutes. Toss with chives.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#3.  Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 medium zucchini (about 7 ounces each), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 medium yellow squash (about 7 ounces each), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add zucchini, yellow squash, shallots, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini and squash are crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
  2. Add cream, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in 1/2 cup panko and cup Parmesan.
  3. Spoon mixture into a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining panko and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Bake until top is golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#4.  Easy Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

  • coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3 to 4 bunches (2 1/2 pounds total) flat-leaf spinach, trimmed and cleaned
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 medium onion, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 ounces bar cream cheese, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • pinch ground nutmeg

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander; rinse with cold water until cool. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible; coarsely chop, and set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add cream cheese and milk; cook, stirring, until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in spinach. Simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Add nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#5.  Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
  • 2 medium green tomatoes (both ends sliced off), each cut crosswise into 4 slices
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and set sauce aside.
  2. Place flour, eggs, and cornmeal each in a separate bowl, and season each with 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning.
  3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Working with a few slices at a time, dip tomatoes in flour, then eggs, and finally cornmeal.
  4. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Working in two batches, fry tomatoes until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately with sauce.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#6.  Honey-Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
  • 2 pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths, halved if thick
  • 1 cup canned reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots; cook, stirring once, until beginning to brown, 2 minutes
  2. Add broth, honey, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook over medium-high until carrots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 7 to 9 minutes more (there should be only a small amount of liquid remaining).
  3. Remove skillet from heat; add butter, and swirl skillet until melted. Season with salt and pepper
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#7.  Asparagas Gruyere Tart

Ingredients

  • Flour, for work surface
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
  • 5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
  2. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cook’s Note

Store-bought puff pastry works well in this savory tart; thaw it according to package instructions. Emmentaler or Fontina cheese can be substituted for the Gruyere.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#8.  Potato-Chive Pancake

Ingredients

  • 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or scallions
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

  1. Place potatoes between paper towels; press to remove excess moisture. Transfer potatoes and chives to a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
  2. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add potato mixture; press with a heatproof spatula to flatten and form into one even pancake. Cook until underside is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Slide pancake onto a plate; invert onto a second plate. Slide pancake (browned side up) back into skillet. Continue to cook until underside is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Slice into wedges before serving.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#9.  Cream Corn with Parmesan

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 cups fresh corn kernels (about 8 ears)
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces), plus more for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer (but not smoke), about 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add cream and stock, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Remove pan from heat, and stir in Parmesan. Transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.
Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart

#10.  Lemony Baby Broccoli

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 bunches baby broccoli (6 to 8 ounces each), tough ends trimmed
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes, (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add broccoli, garlic, and, if using, red-pepper flakes. Cook until broccoli is bright green, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add 1/4 cup water to skillet; cover, and cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.