Most people assume that when you’re a vegetarian or vegan all you eat are side dishes, since they can’t imagine what we would eat instead of animal proteins. The irony is that protein is easy to substitute: beans, tofu, whole grains, soy meat; or products like veggie burgers, hot dogs, minced soy meat, tempeh, seitan or quorn.
The fun thing is to create killer side dishes to really elevate a meal, so here are two of my favorite side dishes. I’m a firm believer in lots of different vegetable side dishes to add more color to my plate and more nutrition to my body. The recipes are from Jamie Oliver’s 30-minute meal cooking show, which my daughter watches religiously and then tells me that we have to make the recipes. Chef Oliver served them with sea bass, but we ate them with a bean salad and soy nuggets.
Sweet Mashed Potatoes
- About 1 pound of sweet potatoes
- A small bunch of fresh coriander, minced
- 2 Tbsp. mango chutney
- 1 Tbsp. Bragg’s liquid aminos or tamari
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Wash sweet potatoes and pierce them a couple of times with a fork or knife. Bake in a F400 oven for 30-45 minutes or until soft,
With a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl with coriander, mango chutney, Bragg’s liquid aminos and oil. Using a potato masher, mash it all together.
Spicy Greens
- 1 fresh red chili, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- Juice from 1 lime
- ½ Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 9 oz. asparagus
- 1 head of broccoli
Cut broccoli into smaller pieces, remove ends of asparagus, and steam until tender. Blend red chili, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and olive oil in a large bowl. Add vegetables and turn them in the dressing to coat them.
