When cooking for two, side dishes don’t always come into play. Around our house, I would make four servings of something. We eat it for dinner, and then our lunch the next day. With a growing family, side dishes are becoming essential (and fun). The other night I made an entree with two bonus sides and the whole meal felt more home-cooked, intentional, and nourishing. Having a couple side dishes takes it from just-get-enough-nutrients-down-my-gullet-to-sustain-me to we’re-family-here-communing-and-eating-a-meal.
For that reason I say, long live sides!
Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Salad
Serves four
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup corn
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
30 ounces chickpeas
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 teaspoons honey
6 ounces crumbled feta
1/4 cup basil, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss grape tomatoes, poblano pepper, corn, and garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Arrange vegetables on a lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, tossing vegetables halfway. I like to then broil for a minute or two (watch closely!) to have a nice little char on the veggies.
Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper. Toss vegetables with chickpeas and dressing. Top with feta and basil.
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 1 cup corn
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon pepper, divided
- 30 ounces chickpeas
- 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 3 teaspoons honey
- 6 ounces crumbled feta
- ¼ cup basil, sliced
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss grape tomatoes, poblano pepper, corn, and garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Arrange vegetables on a lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, tossing vegetables halfway. I like to then broil for a minute or two (watch closely!) to have a nice little char on the veggies.
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper. Toss vegetables with chickpeas and dressing. Top with feta and basil.
Adapted from Everyday Annie.