You've got a one-track mind.
When you think about your dinners, you go straight to the meat, the chicken, the fish, the pasta. In other words, you think of the main course. And that's fineāeverybody does it.
But there's always that moment, that slightly panicked hustle about an hour before dinner when you think, wait, what am I going to serve this with?
The answer: A quick, effortless side dish that doesn't discriminate against any entree, be it beef, vegetable, or soufflƩ.
It's perfect for three reasons: 1. It cooks in almost no time. 2. It mixes well with all manner of vegetables, onions, and cheese. 3. It's delicious hot, warm, room temperature, and even coldāwhich means you can eat it tomorrow night, too.
In the time it takes to carry a roast chicken to the table, spinach can be sautƩed with garlic, a shake of chile flakes and maybe even finished with some sesame oil. Pro tip: Make more than you think you'll need, not only because spinach shrinks when cooked, but also because this stuff is always way more delicious than you think it will be.
Cherry tomatoes are as good in the winter as they are in the spring (and they're almost as good as they are in the summer). Slice a few, toss with salt to extract some juices, and mix with whatever herb, cheese, grain, or green you have around.
If you've got a vegetable (or fruit, for that matter) that can be shreddedāand most vegetables and fruits qualifyāyou can make a slaw. And if you have a slaw, you have a meal.
Another vegetable that's good year-round, broccoli has the added benefit of emitting a warm glow of nutritiousness. Quickly steam it, sliced it thin and eat it raw (in a slaw!), or give it a quick sautƩ in olive oil.
