Creating stand out side dishes

Serves 6

If you can’t find fresh wax beans, it’s OK to use canned. If you don’t want them to be softer than the green beans, use canned green beans, as well.

2 ears fresh corn, shucked
8 oz. green string beans, untrimmed
8 oz. yellow wax beans, untrimmed
One can (14.5-oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Vinaigrette:
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1⁄2 tsp. honey
3 scallions, white and green parts, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1⁄2 jalapeno, roughly chopped (and seeded if you don’t want it too spicy)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1⁄3 cup olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ears of corn and boil for 3-5 minutes. Let cool and cut kernels off cob. Place kernels in a large bowl.

2. Add string beans and wax beans to the water and boil until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of generously salted ice water to cool. Pat or spin dry. Trim and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add to corn, along with cannellini beans.

3. In a small skillet over medium high heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer seeds to a spice grinder and pulse until finely ground.

4. In a food processor, add cilantro, lime juice, honey, ground coriander, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, 1 tsp. salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper. Pulse a few times, and then stream in the olive oil while the processor is running. Add dressing to vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

— Adapted fr om The Cooking Channel

Serves 8

This salad is made just like potato salad except cauliflower is used in place of potato. The result is lower in carbohydrates.

1 whole cauliflower, lightly steamed and chopped into chunks
6 slices regular or turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
4 to 5 scallions, chopped
1⁄2 cup celery, finely diced
4 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1⁄3 cup regular mayonnaise
1⁄3 cup low-fat sour cream
1 Tbsp. spicy mustard
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp. black pepper
1⁄4 tsp. paprika

Combine all ingredients and chill before serving.

— Adapted from Food.com

Serves 4 to 6

3 Tbsp. olive oil
7 Japanese eggplants, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices
1⁄2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1⁄3 cup basil, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped mint
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle olive oil over slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill eggplants over medium heat until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

2. Place the eggplant pieces side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

— Adapted from The Cooking Channel

Serves 8

The beauty of this recipe is its adaptability. Asparagus was expensive and didn’t look good when I made this, so I omitted it and used grilled orange bell pepper. I also added a little minced raw sweet onion, but you could grill the onion if you prefer.

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. zucchini (2 medium), halved lengthwise, ends removed
1 lb. yellow squash (2 medium), halved lengthwise, ends removed
1 lb. large asparagus spears
2 ears sweet yellow corn, shucked and cleaned
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups green lettuce, shredded
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Dressing:
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. honey
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat grill. Brush olive oil over zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus and corn. Grill over medium heat on both sides until grill marks are visible and vegetables just begin to get tender. Do not overcook. Let cool, and chop into bite-sized pieces.

2. Toss grilled vegetables with tomatoes, lettuce and chopped basil. Set aside.

3. In a blender or food processor, place all dressing ingredients except olive oil. Pulse a few times. With the blender or food processor running, drizzle in olive oil. Toss dressing with vegetables and serve immediately (if taking to a cookout, transport vegetables and dressing separately, then toss when you get there).

— Adapted from Theshiksa.com

Serves 4

Unlike lettuce, the kale in this salad only gets better as it sits in the dish because the lemon dressing breaks it down and makes it more tender.

For lemon vinaigrette:
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. sugar
1 large basil leaf, chopped
1⁄8 tsp. salt
Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil

For salad:
2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (cook according to package directions)
3 cups finely chopped Tuscan kale, ribs removed
1 1⁄2 cup edamame beans, cooked and cooled
1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
1⁄2 red onion, diced
1 mango, pitted and diced
1 avocado, pitted and either sliced or diced
2 Tbsp. toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds, if desired

1. To make dressing: Place lemon juice, garlic, sugar, basil, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend/process for 10-15 seconds; with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, toss quinoa, kale and edamame together. Add lemon vinaigrette and toss so that the salad is fully coated. Place in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to let flavors soak in.

3. Before serving, toss salad again and add tomatoes, onion, mango and avocado. Garnish with toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds, if desired.

— Adapted from theambitiouskitchen.com