Simmer

Enjoy a combination of nutritious vegetables and a whole grain all in one easy side dish. It goes equally well with Broiled Sirloin with Chile-Roasted Onions (page 176), Herb Chicken with Panko-Pecan Crust (page 148), or Wine-Poached Salmon (page 109).

Want a tasty new way to get vegetables into your diet? Try this eggplant and tomato side dish, which gets a flavor burst from chili powder and fresh cilantro.

Here’s the answer to what to do with cauliflower besides covering it with cheese sauce. Serve this alternative with Pork Chops with Herb Rub (page 196) and cinnamon applesauce.

Quinoa, an excellent source of protein that counts toward your whole-grain goal, is the base for this citrusy side. Be sure to use fresh mint leaves—dried mint won’t provide the flavor boost you want for this dish.

Full of mushrooms and carrots, this dish tastes great with Herbed Fillet of Sole (page 118).

A light cream sauce enhanced with Parmesan cheese coats fresh spinach in this side dish. Try it with pork chops, fish fillets, or turkey cutlets.

With this recipe, you don’t need to buy many ingredients or spend much time in the kitchen to get a colorful and tasty side dish.

Whenever you need a basic white sauce, this recipe does the trick. It’s also a useful substitute when a casserole recipe calls for a can of condensed creamy soup, which is usually high in sodium.

This salad gets its flavor from cumin, jalapeño, lime juice—and, surprisingly, a touch of honey.

After trying our healthful version of barbecue sauce, you’ll wonder why you ever bought the bottled kind.

Make a batch of this wonderful sauce ahead of time for the best blending of flavors. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or pour it into a freezer container and freeze it for up to six months.

Easy to make, this topping turns ordinary fat-free vanilla yogurt or ice cream into something special. Instead of using syrup on our Pancakes (page 290), try this as a less-sugary, healthier alternative.

This main-dish salad, topped with a sesame-wasabi dressing, is an interesting combination of colors, textures, aromas, and flavors.

Apples cooked in orange juice and flavored with fresh ginger and spices—the combination smells as delicious as it tastes! Serve the chutney with roast pork, chicken, or turkey.

Add some zing to your food, but without the sodium usually found in bottled chili sauce. Drizzle this chili sauce on Spicy Baked Fish (page 103) or use it to make shrimp cocktail.

Crisp, colorful vegetables are the highlights of this salad. Try it for a summertime picnic for a group or for the next family reunion.

Fresh sage garnish, lightly crisped on the stovetop, updates humble lima bean soup and gives it restaurant-like flair.

Lentils and potato provide wholesome fiber in this hearty main-dish soup. While it simmers, bake some Corn Muffins (page 286) and toss a salad with one of the vinaigrettes on pages 96–97.

Making this soup with roast beef you’ve saved from another meal (maybe Easy Roast Beef, page 170) cuts down on both prep time and cooking time. Even people who think they don’t like leftovers will enjoy this soup, which gets lots of flavor from fresh produce.

Curry powder and ground cumin add an unexpected flair to traditional split pea soup.