Simple Side Dishes

[tmnick]

Hi All - 

 

Just joined the forum.  I recently read Grain Brain (A Must Read) due to my wife's ill health.  She has been sick a long time and she has been from diagnosis to diagnosis and ultimately the doctors just give her another pill to treat the symptoms.  I am convinced that most of her 13 surgeries have been from a gluten intolerance.  Definitely gluten intolerant so I have put our family on a gluten free / low carb diet.  She is already showing signs of improvement (4 weeks) but I am already seeing a potential problem.  I am finding it is pretty easy to cook gluten free but I am having difficulty coming up with a good variety of "GOOD" sides so I thought about starting this thread so people can share their "SIMPLE" gluten free sides.  Green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, are all awesome but we seem to be eating it all the time now. Please share your successes with side dishes to help us all.  I will kick it off with one we have fell in love with.  I am sure it is certainly not new to this community but we have fallen in love with it.  We prefer it to mashed potatoes now.

 

Creamed Cauliflower

 

1 Large Head of Cauliflower

1/2 Stick of Butter

Milk 

 

Serves 4

 

Break cauliflower into florets and boil until tender

Drain cauliflower 

Add Butter

Cream cauliflower using food processor or immersion blender adding milk to desired consistency.  No milk may be needed depending on how much water is retained by the cauliflower.  

 

Don't know what happens but this simple recipe creates a sweet creamy "heavenly" dish that never disappoints!

[LauraTX]

I bet my husband would like the creamed cauliflower, he doesn't like veggies much.

 

Here is a Mexican rice recipe my Mexican friend told me.  I make it when I make tacos.

 

Mexican Rice

 

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 C long grain white rice

2 C chicken broth

1/2 small onion or 1 shallot

1 whole tomato 

1 tsp. garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat.   Add rice and brown until golden brown.  Carefully add chicken broth and grate in onion and tomato. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then simmer 25 minutes, covered, until rice is done.  Salt to taste.

 

To prevent rice from being soggy, use grated tomato towards total liquid volume measurement.  

[GottaSki]

Great Idea!

 

Butternut Oven Fries

 

Oven 350

 

Slice Butternut Squash into fry like pieces

 

Spread in single layer on baking sheet

 

Toss with Olive Oil to cover 

 

Add salt and pepper -- fresh chopped garlic is good too.

 

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Note:  Slicing Butternuts into fry shapes is a bit tough -- this recipe works just as well with cubes...baking time does need increase a bit and they aren't as satisfying as the french fry replacement I crave.

 

This also works great with Sweet Potatoes and Yams - edited after Laura reminded me...for potato or sweet potato I do use a hotter oven 

[kareng]

This is simple but my kids like it:

Frozen green beans ( petite or whole best). Boil but leave crisp. Drain. Put a little olive oil in the hot pan and put back on the hot, but turned off burner. Put in beans and toss with a little gluten-free teriyaki sauce.

My family just likes plain carrot or celery sticks or sliced apples, pineapple, fruit as a side. Frozen corn microwaved in individual bowl with a pat of butter. I have posted recipes for cheesy corn and green beans if you would like that. I made a corn soufflé thing that we liked. I will add canned tomatoes, onions, corn, etc to rice.

Asparagus - boil briefly. Drain. Put back in pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

[LauraTX]

 

This also works great with Sweet Potatoes and Yams

 

Oh, I make sweet potato fries all the time!  But I cut them into about 3/4 inch cubes because fry shape is hard to do.  I throw them in a ziploc bag, add olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and shake them up, then dump into a pan.  You have to over season because a lot sticks to the bag.  I cook them a little higher on either 375 with convection or 400 normal for about 20-25 min tossing halfway through, they get a nice little crispyness on the outside. Works with regular potatoes, too.  You can use a bowl but I like to do them in a bag because that is one less dish to wash, haha!

[bartfull]

I STILL haven't made this, but I keep hearing that roasted broccoli is heavenly. I think (but you'd best look it up), you drizzle it with olive oil and then roast it in the oven until it starts to brown a little?

[Fritz-in-pa]

Ok,,, the OP calls his creamed cauliflower,,,,  I call mine "mashed"

 

I do a 50/50 ratio of cauliflower and plantain centers... I use either milk or sour cream with some green onions and I put horseradish in mine. 

I puree mine with some s & p in the processor and then keep warm on stove.  You can use gravy or something if you want, but I like them just fine by them selves.

 

Then.....

Leftover Mashed Caluliflower and Plantains I mix up with an egg and maybe some parm cheese and a little gluten free all purpose flour...  and make small vegetabel pancakes  frying in a pan with palm oil until brown.

 

These are some that I did a week or two ago... The sauce is a beet relish tarter with horseradish...  really good!!!

Open Original Shared Link

 

Note: 1...  These are only about  two table spoons of batter each... anything bigger gets to hard to flip properly 

Note: 2... I dont usually garnish, but I was trying to show up a friend... lol (long story)  many times I eat right out of the pot when doing single servings... less to wash later!!!