A couple of great-looking little dishes can be so comforting and sometimes unexpected, all while celebrating or reinventing the vegetable it features. While rounding out a main dish with a perfect side really elevates the whole meal, sometimes my entire dinner will consist of lots of little veggie dishes, especially great for punching up the vegetarian excitement factor. In the summer when my favorite vegetarian friend, Stella McCartney, brings her family over, I like to double the recipes and make a vegetarian buffet, sometimes Italian (bruschetta, burrata with roasted beets, roasted peppers, stuffed artichokes, zucchini flowers) or East Coast summer (garlic bread from GOOP.com, corn fritters, and a simple bean salad).
sautéed greens with onions & soy sauce
THIS HEALTHY SIDE DISH has tons of flavor from the sharp greens, sweet onions, and soy sauce. Winter greens have many nutrients, so I love for my family to partake of them.
SERVES: 4 generously
ACTIVE & TOTAL PREPARATION TIME: 10 minutes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound seasonal greens (kale, Swiss chard, dandelion, etc.), stems removed and discarded, leaves washed and roughly torn
½ cup water
1½ tablespoons soy sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally for 5–7 minutes, or until just softened and a little crisp on the edges. Add about half the greens and the water–these will wilt significantly after a minute or two. Add the remaining greens and stir for another 3 minutes, or until the greens are wilted but still maintain a little bite. Add the soy sauce, cook for one more minute, and serve.
roasted cauliflower
ROASTING CAULIFLOWER SLOWLY IN OLIVE OIL brings out incredible sweetness and crunch—two things that go over big with the little ones. My kids love these. They are great as a side or chopped into a vegetable salad.
SERVES: 4
ACTIVE PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL PREPARATION TIME: 40 minutes
1 head cauliflower, hard core discarded, cut into small florets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch coarse salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a baking dish large enough to hold the cauliflower in one layer, toss all the ingredients together. Roast for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is caramelized all over. So simple and so unbelievably good.