Rapini is a green often used in Italian cooking. When choosing a bunch, look for a deep green colour with no yellowed bits, and tight buds. To prepare, cut off bottom inch or so of stalks. Bitter in taste, rapini can stand up to lots of garlic and hot pepper flakes as in this recipe.
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Garlicky Fingerling Potatoes & Rapini
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Mediterranean Green Bean Toss
Tender-crisp green beans spiked with capers and olives make a quick and tasty side dish to turkey or whatever else may be roasting in the oven.
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Chorizo Corn Bread Stuffing
Do not crumble corn bread too finely for this stuffing; 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks work best. If using to stuff a turkey, stuff loosely and roast until a thermometer inserted in centre of stuffing reads 165°F (74°C). You can bake any remaining stuffing in a separate dish.
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Mushrooms, Broccoli and Snow Peas with Sesame Dressing
This Asian-inspired vegetable dish makes a great side to a chicken or beef stir-fry, or serve with rice for a vegetarian meal.
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Broccoli and 5 Grain Salad
Arugula is the base for the dressing as well as the leafy green in this healthy grain salad. Substitute lime juice if you prefer for a different citrus kick.
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Spicy and Cool Roasted Cauliflower
A delicious contrast between the spicy cauliflower and the cooling yogurt makes this a fabulous vegetable side dish to serve with your favourite curry.
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Mashed Cauliflower with Goat Cheese
Cauliflower is high in Vitamin C and contains iron. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower have been shown to protect against some forms of cancer. Adding some potato to cauliflower helps it mash to a nicer consistency.
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Grilled Zucchini and Bean Medley
Grilling brings out the best flavour in zucchini. Tossed with beans and feta cheese, it makes a lovely side dish at a backyard barbecue. If you like a little spice, leave the seeds in the jalapenos before finely chopping.
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Loaded Sweet Potato Wedges
Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, full of fibre and vitamins A and C. Serve our loaded version in place of fries, with chicken fingers, burgers or almost any other main.
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Leek and Gruyere Bread and Butter Pudding
Make aheads are always welcome when you are serving a crowd. This savoury bread pudding is a wonderful side dish to serve with roast beef.
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Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Spice
Sweet potatoes are a traditional holiday side dish, but are great at any time of year. This big-batch, orangey sweet potato mash is perfect to make if the main course is in the oven so you need to make your side dish on the stove-top.
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Mixed Veggie Grill Basket
You’ll need a grill basket for this easy vegetable side dish. You use the same bowl for all the prep so there is minimal clean up.
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Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini
The table will be delighted when you serve these zucchini “boats” filled with a savoury stuffing. A mouth-watering change from your regular vegetable side dishes.
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Loaded Baked Potato
Fat free Greek yogurt replaces the sour cream typically found in a loaded baked potato. Packed with cheese and turkey bacon, this side dish will complement any entree; or serve it as a hearty lunch all on its own.
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Fried Quinoa
Cooked quinoa replaces rice in this twist on Chinese fried rice. The quinoa can be cooked well in advance and added at the last minute. This is a great way to use up left over vegetables. Don’t be afraid to add your favourites and make it your own!
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Jasmine Rice Stir Fry with Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms
This is the perfect side dish for our PC General Tao Chicken Bites, or most any other Asian flavoured main course.
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Belle Riviere Cauliflower Gratin
Adding cheese sauce to cauliflower or broccoli is a sure-fire way to get the kids to eat it! A wonderful dish to serve alongside a roast. You can steam the cauliflower, if you prefer steaming to boiling.
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Habanero Black Bean Mango Salad
Sure to be the summer’s favourite salad, this is great alongside burgers, ribs, chicken and steak.
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Edamame & Corn Salad
Most kids like edamame, even those who wouldn’t touch a canned soybean.
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Sweet Potato Aloo Gobi
Instead of the usual potato, we’ve used sweet potato for added colour, sweetness and nutrients. Aloo gobi is a side dish, but you can serve it over rice for a vegetarian main course.
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Fattoush
Fattoush is a Middle Eastern vegetable and herb salad that contains toasted bread, usually pita. You’ll need a vegetable grill basket for this grilled version, to keep the smaller veggies from falling through the grill.
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Hearty Mushroom Barley Pilaf
Barley is high in fibre and low on the glycemic index, making it a great substitute for the usual white rice used in pilaf. Try this side dish with a roast instead of potatoes or rice.
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Moroccan Couscous with Dried Fruit and Pine Nuts
Serve this easy and exotic side dish with roasted or curried meats.
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Maple Balsamic Fig Salad with Goat Cheese Croquettes
In the winter, sweeter Mission figs are in season, in summer the less sweet green figs. Walnuts give this salad a bitter edge to balance the sweetness of the vinaigrette and figs.
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