Side dishes with something-something

Sometimes I just want to eat a piece of protein simply cooked with salt and pepper. Maybe a little fresh garlic or garlic powder.

Chicken breasts, boneless pork loin chops, even a hamburger patty.

But when I do I like to step the sides up a little.

Here are some quick and easy sides to go with simple proteins with a little extra something-something.

Asparagus with Tomatoes and Olives

1.5 pounds asparagus spears

1.5 cups diced fresh tomatoes

Balsamic vinegar

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425. If your asparagus is very big around you might want to peel them if they are tough. I like the thinner ones. Spread on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until done. The thinner ones take less than 20 minutes. While they are roasting chop your tomatoes into bite size pieces, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar (or olive oil if you’re not a fan of balsamic), salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese. When the asparagus spears are done, spread the tomatoes over them and serve. To go a little Greek instead add feta instead of parmesan and some Greek seasoning.

—kwc—

Pati Jinich had this potato recipe on her website recently and they sound yummy and easy to me.

Jalapeno Garlic Crispy Potatoes

3 pounds red bliss potatoes, rinsed, cut into bite size chunks

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, divided, more to taste

7 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped 1 jalapeño, stemmed and

1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped (keep the seeds)

Set a rack on the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425. Place the potatoes in 9”x13” baking dish. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and a teaspoon of the salt. Roast for 45 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the garlic, jalapeño, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, mix well. After 45 minutes, remove potatoes them from the oven and toss with the jalapeño mix, scraping the bottom of the baking dish as you do. Mix well and place back in the oven for another 35 minutes, flipping and scraping once in between, until completely crisped up.

—kwc—

Here’s one from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, for fancied-up green beans.

Green Beans Gremolata

1 pound French green beans, trimmed

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons) 3 tablespoons minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 2½ tablespoons good olive

2½ tablespoons good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch them for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain the beans in a colander and immediately put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color.

For the gremolata, toss the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan, and pine nuts in a small bowl and set aside.

When ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Drain the beans and pat them dry. Add the beans to the pan and sauté, turning frequently, for 2 minutes, until coated with olive oil and heated through. Off the heat, add the gremolata and toss well. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and serve hot.