A meal isn’t complete if you only have protein on the table! Unfortunately, many of us don’t have a lot of time to stop and chop, peel, poach, and cream ingredients to make sides. These three recipes are all simple but gain complexity as this list goes on.
Cilantro Lime Rice
This side is the easiest of them all because it requires no babysitting after it’s been started. Rinse a cup and a half of rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Place the rice into a rice cooker, and then add water until you place your finger in the bowl touching the rice; the water covers up to the first knuckle on that finger. Zest a small lime, and then juice it into the rice cooker. Finely chop cilantro and add it to the bowl and then add a teaspoon of salt and stir. Start the rice cooker and let it run until it’s completed.
This goes well with almost any dish, especially tamales or barbacoa tacos!
Spunky Garlic Green Beans
This recipe is for when you want something spunky and flavorful with a sweet and savory twist. The green beans end up tender with a slight caramelization that will blow you away, with only five ingredients.
Heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan until it’s shimmering. Add a pound of trimmed green beans and half of a teaspoon of salt. Stir occasionally, cooking over medium heat for nine to ten minutes until they start to pick up some color. Remove them from heat when they’re cooked to your liking, and toss in 1/3rd cup pepper jelly. Top with crushed almonds for texture, and enjoy! This pairs well with honey garlic chicken.
Smashed Potatoes
This recipe calls for a little extra effort, but in the end, there are less than five minutes of busy work! The rest of the time on these is in waiting for them to boil and bake. Rinse a pound and a half of baby potatoes, and place them in a large pot of cold salted water. Start preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the pot on the stove on high; once it’s brought to a boil, continue boiling for eight to twelve minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Spray a baking pan with nonstick, and drain water out of the pot the potatoes are in. With the potatoes still in the pot, toss them with two tablespoons of oil, a teaspoon of salt, and whatever seasonings you enjoy. More is more here, so as much garlic, rosemary, oregano, as you want! This tastes best when you pair the potatoes seasoning with whatever protein you’re making them with.
Toss with the seasonings, and then move the potatoes to the baking sheet. Using the bottom of a liquid measuring cup or another sturdy cup, smash the potatoes down until they’re half an inch thick. Bake for twenty minutes, and then flip them over and bake for another ten to twenty.
These potatoes turn out crispy yet tender and full of flavor!