Spring Side Dishes!

 

Happy First Day of Spring! To celebrate in a culinary way, I've created five side dishes, each with 5 ingredients or less. Why 5 ingredients? Because when I make sides, I don’t like to wrangle with lots of "stuff".  I want flavor and color, and the perfect compliment to the main attraction. Although, sometimes my side dishes become the main attraction... 

Red Potato Salad with Honey-Basil Vinaigrette

In this potato salad, I paired honey with white balsamic vinegar for the perfect balance of flavors (I chose white balsamic because regular balsamic turns the potatoes brown!).  And the secret to a great potato salad is adding the dressing or vinaigrette while the potatoes are still warm so they soak up the flavor. 

6 medium red potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

3 celery stalks, chopped

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover by about 2 inches.  Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Boil 8-10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. 

Meanwhile, combine basil, oil, vinegar, and honey in a blender and puree until smooth (if necessary, add a little water or chicken broth to create a vinaigrette-like consistency).  Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.  Add basil mixture and stir to coat.  Fold in celery.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 6

Broccoli and Chickpea Salad with Yellow Pepper

This can easily become a complete meal by adding cooked chicken, shrimp, pork or steak. 

6 cups broccoli florets

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Blanch broccoli in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, until crisp-tender.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Add chickpeas and bell pepper; set aside.

Whisk together oil, vinegar and mustard.  Add mixture to broccoli mixture and toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4

Artichoke Salad

I used quartered artichoke hearts packed in water not marinade because you need a decent amount to make this hearty side dish. 

2 (14-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers

1/4 cup chopped chives

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4

Barbecued White Beans

These are a must for any cook-out and you can adjust the ingredients to suit your needs (more or less mustard, sugar and/or liquid smoke). 

2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (Great Northern or cannellini), rinsed and drained

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and set pan over medium heat.  Bring to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4

Penne with Pesto, Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

Here I combined pesto, fresh grape tomatoes (I used cherubs) and little balls of fresh mozzarella called Ciliegine.  If you’ve never tried them, please do for this dish, you truly can’t beat the flavor and texture of fresh mozzarella.

16 ounces penne pasta

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon prepared basil pesto

10 ounces grape tomatoes

8 ounces ciliegine (cherry-sized) mozzarella balls, or larger balls called bocconcini, quartered

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Cook penne according to package directions.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 6