Nutritious Starchy Side Dishes
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Brown Rice with Sesame
Lime adds a pleasant splash of tartness to this quick side dish of brown rice.
Lemon-Herb Potato Salad
Made with peppery arugula, kalamata olives, fresh herbs, and lemon, this potato salad will stand out among the other side dishes at your next gathering.
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Quinoa with Toasted Pine Nuts
The perfect side-dish companion to a variety of meat-based main dishes, including fish, chicken, and steak, this quinoa recipe is simple and delicious.
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Fresh Corn Salad
Fresh, sweet summer corn requires no cooking, which makes this corn salad a particularly appealing warm-weather side dish for grilled fish, poultry, or meat.
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Microwave Sweet Potato Chips
You won't want to miss these sweet potato chips. You'll need a mandoline to slice the potato thin enough to crisp. The results are delicious and easy, sans the hassle of the oven.
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Smoked Potato Salad
The mesquite wood chips bring a strong smoky flavor to the potatoes, but the vinaigrette balances it out, especially when the kalamata olives are added to the mixture. To bring more heat to the potato salad, you can add cayenne or red chili flakes.
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Quinoa, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Chive-Infused Oil
Brightly colored flavored oil coats the quinoa grains and lends the salad fresh chive flavor. Refrigerate leftover oil to use as a dressing to drizzle over grilled fish or summer vegetables. Garnish with whole fresh chives, if desired.
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Rosemary Potatoes
These rosemary potatoes taste as if they were roasted in the oven–but take only half the time making them a versatile and easy side dish.
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Creamy Potato Salad
Light mayonnaise and nonfat Greek yogurt add creaminess without excess fat to this fingerling potato salad.
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Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges
These peppery-sweet potatoes are delicious with roasted meats. Cooking them at a high heat makes their interior tender just as the sugar-and-spice coating begins to caramelize and brown the outside.
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Wild Rice and Carrots
If you can't find precooked wild rice, substitute boil-in-bag or precooked brown rice.
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Lemon-Arugula Potato Salad
If you want to make this potato salad ahead, prepare the recipe through step two. Once the potato mixture is completely cooled, cover and refrigerate. Toss with fresh arugula just before serving so the greens don't wilt or get bruised.
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Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes
These roasted fingerling potatoes are perfect for a weeknight meal with company: quick and convenient, but still dressy. Bake the potatoes in their jackets so the outsides get nice and browned while the buttery interiors gently cook through.
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Garlic-Lime Grilled Corn
A garlic and lime sauce adds delicious flavor to grilled corn, making for a perfect barbecue side.
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Grilled Zucchini Bulgur Pilaf
This quick and easy dish makes good use of summer's bumper zucchini crop.
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Tabbouleh-Style Bulgur
Bulgur provides an excellent base for the vibrant colors and crisp flavors of the tomatoes and cucumbers.
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Bell Pepper and Corn Sauté
Want to add a bit of heat to dinner? Substitute 1 tablespoon of mined jalapeño for the bell pepper.
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Easy, Cheesy Potato Gratin
Refrigerated presliced potatoes slash tons of prep and cook time. The combo of Gruyère and Parm-Regg cheeses is delicious, but you can use all one type if you prefer.
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Sweet Potato Wedges
Your kids will adore the flavors of these homemade sweet potato steak fries, and you'll love how simple they are to prepare!
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Fried Brown Rice with Snow Peas and Peanuts
Make sure the wok has reached the proper temperature before you add any ingredients.
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Mint and Pistachio Tabbouleh
If you don't want to use pistachios, sub in almonds instead.
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Zucchini and Walnut Fried Brown Rice
The walnuts add a unique crunch to this quick and easy side dish.
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Creamed Corn
To get the creamy consistency of the corn without the unnecessary calories, we added flour to thicken up the milk.
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Balsamic and Grape Quinoa
The sweetness of red grapes tones the acidity of white balsamic vinegar to create a balanced side.
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Nutty Almond-Sesame Red Quinoa
Sliced, toasted almonds balance the thinly sliced green onions in this beautiful red quinoa. If you can’t find red quinoa, regular works just as well.
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Lemon-Snap Pea Quinoa
To know when the quinoa is done, look to see if the liquid is absorbed and tiny curly tails are emerging from the seeds.
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Greek Orzo Salad
We used briny, meaty Castelvetrano olives for a flavor boost in our Greek Orzo Salad. They are lower in sodium and available at the olive bar in your grocery store.
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