Delicious Sides

After a long day at the office, I love to relax by cooking. There's something therapeutic about methodical chopping-- call me crazy, but I think it's true. A lot of folks focus on the main dish and rely on a bagged salad for your side. Lately I've tried some delicious combos to compliment the main dish, and I'd like to share them with you! These are all super easy, and would be great for your next get together, or just a quiet dinner at home.

Roasted Potatoes and Lemon with Dill

(Photo & recipe from Real Simple)

Ingredients: 

New Potatoes

Lemon

Olive Oil, 2 tbsp

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dill, chopped, 2 tbsp

Directions:

Chop the potatoes into quarters and slice the lemon thin. Toss these in a bowl with the olive oil, salt/pepper, and fresh dill. After coating thoroughly, lay out on a baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, for about 25-35 minutes. 

The other side that I've been obsessed with lately is Kale with White Beans. I had a bunch of kale and knew I wanted to use it as a side- so I just mixed it with what we had on hand. Fantastic result! It's so so so easy and incredibly delicious. I love the crunch of kale paired with the smooth texture of the white beans.

Photo from Sweet Savory Planet

Ingredients:
Kale

White Beans, one can drained

Garlic, 2 tbsp

Olive oil, to coat skillet

 

Directions:

This is a recipe you can do in your sleep!  Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add kale and white beans. Toss the beans and kale together, being careful not to smoosh (technical term) the beans. If the kale isn't getting soft, cover the pan with a lid to enlist the help of steam.

Do you have any go-to side dishes that are fun and interesting? I'd love to get some new ones in my repitoire.

*disclaimer: the photo of the kale recipe are from another blog. I'm horrible at taking pictures of food, and I wanted to picture to reflect a dish that you'd be interested in making.