9
side dishes
asparagus with chopped egg and dill
Serves 6 • Vegetarian • Ready in 20 minutes or less
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 hard-cooked egg, peeled
1½ pounds asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 To make dressing, whisk together vinegar, oil, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in small bowl.
2 Halve egg; finely chop egg white. Press yolk through coarse sieve.
3 Put asparagus in steamer basket set in large pot over 1 inch boiling water. Cover tightly and steam until spears are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to platter. Stir dill into dressing and spoon over asparagus; sprinkle with egg.
PER SERVING (5 asparagus spears and about 2 teaspoons dressing): 51 Cal, 3 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 31 mg Chol, 151 mg Sod, 3 g Carb, 1 g Fib, 3 g Prot, 22 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 1.
grilled bell peppers with olives
Serves 6 • Vegetarian • Ready in 20 minutes or less
4 large red or yellow bell peppers or combination
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2½ teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅓ cup brine-cured pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Spray grill rack with nonstick spray; preheat grill to medium or prepare medium fire.
2 Cut each pepper lengthwise into 6 strips; discard stems and seeds. Lightly spray peppers with olive oil nonstick spray. Place peppers on grill rack; grill, turning once, until tender and slightly charred, 10–12 minutes.
3 Stir together vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and olives in medium bowl. Add peppers and toss to coat. Stir in parsley.
PER SERVING (½ cup): 46 Cal, 2 g Total Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 147 mg Sod, 6 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 1 g Prot, 12 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 1.
cook’s note
For a tangy counterpoint to the peppers, sprinkle them with crumbled feta cheese just before serving. Adding ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese to the recipe will increase the per-serving PointsPlus value by 1.
balsamic-marinated roasted peppers with basil
Serves 4 • Vegetarian
4 large red or yellow bell peppers or combination
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 Preheat broiler; place peppers on baking sheet and broil 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides, 12–15 minutes. Transfer peppers to a paper bag and fold closed; let steam 10 minutes.
2 When cool enough to handle, peel and seed peppers and cut into thick slices; transfer to medium bowl. Add vinegar, capers, oil, garlic, and salt and toss to combine. Let stand at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Stir in basil just before serving.
PER SERVING (about ¾ cup): 71 Cal, 3 g Total Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 279 mg Sod, 12 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 2 g Prot, 22 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 2.
cook’s note
To make it a meal, toss a serving of the peppers with 3 ounces drained water-packed tuna and serve on a bed of greens for an easy lunch (3 ounces drained water-packed tuna per serving will increase the PointsPlus value by 2).
green beans and mushrooms with walnuts
Serves 6 • Vegetarian
1½ pounds green beans, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot, halved and thinly sliced
6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, chopped
1 Bring large pot of water to boil; add beans and cook just until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Add beans, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with walnuts.
PER SERVING (1 cup): 70 Cal, 3 g Total Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 102 mg Sod, 10 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 3 g Prot, 52 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 2.
cook’s note
To make the green beans for serving with the Thanksgiving Dinner menu, double all the ingredients and prepare as directed using a large deep skillet.
lemon green beans with pine nuts
Serves 6 • Vegetarian
1½ pounds slender green beans or haricots verts, trimmed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 Bring large pot of water to boil; add beans and cook just until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well.
2 Whisk together lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add beans and scallions and toss to coat. Stir in parsley. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
PER SERVING (1 cup): 77 Cal, 5 g Total Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 0 mg Chol, 239 mg Sod, 9 g Carb, 3 g Fib, 2 g Prot, 48 mg Calc.
PointsPlus value: 2.
cook’s note
To make the green beans for serving with the Passover Dinner menu, double all the ingredients and prepare as directed.