Side Dishes
20 Feb
Monday has arrived again!
I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I had today off of work for the President’s Day holiday. I managed to make today a productive one, & checked quite a few items off of my task list:
- 6:00AM spin
- Laundry
- Preparation for the work week ahead
- Grading
- And now, blogging
After 6:00AM spin, I practically ran into the apartment to get my French toast casserole in the oven. I switched things up a bit this time around, & used a cinnamon-raisin bread which was absolutely delicious.
It was a great way to start the day!
I spent the remainder of the morning work on my to-do list, but took a break to make smoothies for Chris & I. This was my first time incorporating spinach into a smoothie, & what “they” say is true – you really can’t taste it!
Ingredients (for 1 smoothie) included:
- 1 frozen banana, cut into pieces
- 1 c. milk
- 1 heaping tbsp. plain Chobani
- 1 heaping tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 handful of spinach
Served in a Phillies Tervis, in honor of pitchers & catchers reporting!
Not the prettiest color, but Chris & I both gave it 2 thumbs up! We definitely need to work on incorporating more veggies into our diet, & I have a feeling this may be a new go-to.
The rest of the afternoon was spent working with a sleepy pug by my side. He just loves to lay in the sun, surrounded by his toys!
Before I knew it, dinner time rolled around & I headed into the kitchen!
When I’m meal planning, I always ask Chris if he wants anything in particular for dinner during the week. Yesterday he said “parmesan-crusted chicken.” A rather specific request, but a good suggestion!
I used this recipe from Kraft. I liked it because it didn’t require too much work – no dredging in milk/flour – & also saved us some fat/calories. The recipe suggested serving the chicken alongside of rice & asparagus. We went with brown rice, but I subbed in spinach, sautéed with garlic, since Chris isn’t a big fan of asparagus.
I loved the flavor combinations & the fact that this meal came together quickly.
One thing that I’m determined to work on this week is creating more “complete” meals. I think I’ve got the main dishes down; I feel pretty comfortable in the kitchen, & try something new several nights a week. One thing that I usually forget about though is a side dish. As I mentioned before, I could really work on including more veggies in my diet, & having them as a side with dinner seems like the easiest way to accomplish this goal. When meal planning this week, I was sure to include at least one side dish for every meal (with the exception of one night when we’re having soup).
So tell me, because I really need some advice…
What are your favorite side dishes? Any ideas that go with various main dishes are welcome! Preferably quick & easy, too! 
We love broccoli as a veggie side dish, usually just microwaving frozen broccoli works out to be quick and easy. I definitely empathize with forgetting to plan side dishes and lacking veggies in general. Cauliflower is another good generic veggie that can go from freezer to plate easily. I’ve also been trying to add frozen corn and frozen diced onions to meals where possible for easy extra veggies (I know, I know, corn isn’t really a veggie). Check out the baked potato soup recipe on my blog too, calls for cauliflower and you can’t even tell it’s not all potato!
Edamame are a wonderful side dish— ooooh, and sweet potatoes, and broccoli, and steamed carrots, and spinach salads- I could go on and on! I live for the sidedish!
….So glad you liked the smoothie! They are so good, aren’t they?!?! Go all out and make a complete green smoothie- it’s delicious too! You can’t really taste all the green’ness that is going on! Soooo good! 
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles recently posted..Negative Nelly Monday
I made smoothies for toly and I for lunch today too! Even though he doesn’t mind the spinach, he’d rather me leave it out of his. I think it’s the green color that freaks him out.
Lauren recently posted..The Last Holiday
I love fresh green beans cooked on the grill pan or on the “real outside grill for summer” – I use the grill pan to keep it easy. I season them all different ways sometimes with olive oil or sometimes with some homemade dressing – I’ll share the recipe for the dressing if I haven’t yet – I can’t tell u the last time I actually bought salad dressing! I’m also into risotto or oven roasted potatoes (kind of French fry ish) and they are weight watchers lol, so not that unhealthy!!
Roasted veggies are my go to side dish. I just chop up whatever veggies I have on hand, add some olive oil and salt and pepper and roast at 425.
Also, I learned recently that the first Philly fanatic was a Delaware grad:)
Lindsay @ biking before bed recently posted..Nose to the Grind
i love adding fresh spinach to my smoothies. it really is such a great way to get in some extra veggies without even tasting them!
ha – i wish my husband were more specific when i ask him what he wants for dinners each week. parmesan crusted chicken sounds like a great idea though! i think i’ll add that to my list.
as for side dishes, i have a “rule” that i must always incorporate a veggie in at dinner. some of our favorites are broccoli, green beans, spinach salad, brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes.
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries recently posted..Seasons 52
Sweet potatoes are always a staple for me – or a salad!
Sarah recently posted..Almond Chicken
I really need to try adding spinach to smoothies. I never thought to add cinnamon–that is so smart.
My favorite sides are any roasted vegetables–broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower.
Sally Anne @ PaleoRunnerGirl recently posted..Sadness
roasted veggies are my favorite. Just cut them up, toss in olive oil and garlic salt/pepper, then cook at 400 for 20ish minutes stirring a couple times. SO good for just about any veggie!
Lindsay @ Fuel My Family recently posted..Getting Back to Intuitive Eating
Our favorite side dishes are brown rice, quinoa or roasted sweet potatoes. I usually make a large batch of rice and/or quinoa on the weekend so it’s ready to use during the week. Most of our meals are pretty “traditional” meals – protein, starch, veggies.
I have seen spinach in smoothies before but haven’t been gutsy enough to try them. I definitely need to be more adventurous with my foods!!
Nikki recently posted..Extended Weekend
My favorite go to side dish is Baked Sweet Potato fries. They are an excellent source of complex carbs and so delicious
I like to add salt, pepper and chili powder to mine! Another favorite is Roasted Curry Cauliflower or Roasted Brussel Sprouts!
Carrie Purchase recently posted..Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
Sounds like you had a great day off!
Thst chicken looks so delicious and so easy! My fav side dishes are roasted broccoli and cauliflower, roasted potatoes, and kale chips!
Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life recently posted..Bringing Color to the Dinner Table
I am going to have to try your French Toast Casserole! I love roasted veggies as sides as well as quinoa or couscous!
Kerry @ Totes My Oats recently posted..Happy Feet
we eat a ton of veggies in our house, and sometimes it is super easy to buy the steam in a bad frozen varieties and dress them up with Mrs. Dash or something. We also love baked yams, spinach, sauteed mushrooms, and even just a simple side salad!
CJ @ http://healthy-happy-whole.com recently posted..The Fear Is Always Worse