Weight Loss Side Dishes

Brussel sprouts with chesnuts

Brussels Sprouts are a wonderful vegetable full of nutrients and excellent for health and weight loss. Too often, however, they are over-boiled and end up mushy. They should be green and crisp, marking a fantastic contrast to the softer and sweeter chestnuts. Glaze with a little broth and your memories of soggy Brussels sprouts will hopefully fade.

Ingredients:

200g chestnuts
600g Brussels Sprouts
2 tbsp fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
Ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to high.

Mark chestnuts with an X on flat side and place them on a baking sheet; roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender. While still hot, remove shells and skin.

Trim Brussels sprouts and mark an X on the underside. Place in a large pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Return to heat, add broth and peeled chestnuts; cook for 1 minute and toss to coat. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Calories per serve – 180

Garlic, nutmeg and potato mash

Garlic mashed potatoes can be creamy and flavorful without all that butter and cream which harm your weight loss. Try this version for your dinner table, and as an ideal side dish

Ingredients:

2 large white potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
4 large sweet potato peeled and cut into pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup fat-free milk, warmed
1/3 cup fat -free sour cream
1/2 tsp black pepper
Chives, freshly chopped

Preparation:

Boil potatoes and garlic cloves in a large saucepan for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain and return to pan. Add heated milk plus sour cream to potatoes and garlic, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Use a little more milk if you prefer thinner mashed potatoes. Add black pepper to taste. Garnish with some chopped chives.

Calories per serve – 210

Crispy garlic potatoes

Ingredients (serves 12)
10 (2kg) white potatoes
1/6 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch lemon thyme

Method
Cut potatoes into quarters. Place into a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Partially cover. Boil gently for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain. Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a large roasting pan with baking paper. Spread potatoes over roasting pan. Combine oil, garlic, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle over potatoes, making sure they are well coated. Add thyme. Roast, turning occasionally, for 45 minutes, or until tender, golden and crisp.

Calories per serve – 160

Marinated mushroom salad

Ingredients (serves 12)
1 cup walnuts
2 x tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
800g button mushrooms, sliced
2 x large avocadoes

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place walnuts onto a baking tray. Cook for 10 minutes, or until toasted. Transfer to a wooden board. Roughly chop. Shake oil, juice, sweet chilli sauce, and salt and pepper in a screw-top jar until well combined. Place mushrooms into a serving bowl. Pour over three-quarters of dressing. Toss to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until mushrooms are tender. Just before serving, peel avocados and dice flesh. Add to mushrooms with walnuts and remaining dressing. Toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Calories per serve – 145

Horseradish-Mustard Sauce

Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly shredded horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup non-fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Cooking Instructions
1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Chill well before serving. Serve with beef.

(This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Calories per serve – 10

Sautéed Green Beans with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions

Ingredients
2 cups green beans
1/2 cup pearl onions, peeled
splash peanut oil
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup quartered mushrooms

Cooking Instructions
1. Bring 1/2 gallon of salted water to a boil. Cook green beans and pearl onions separately in the boiling water until just tender, about 4 minutes for the beans and 8 minutes for the onions.

2. Cut the onions in half.

3. Heat oil over high heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the green beans and cook 2 more minutes.

4. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Calories per serve – 40

Garlicky Roast Asparagus & Tomatoes with Olives

Ingredients:

750g cherry tomatoes, vine ripened if you can find them
6 garlic cloves
24 asparagus spears
Small handful pitted black olives
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil

Method of Preparation:

Peel and halve the garlic cloves. Snap the woody ends off of the asparagus spears – they will bend naturally where you need to snap them.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Stab each tomato with a fork. Toss the tomatoes, salt and pepper, half the olive oil and halved garlic cloves together in a roasting tin.
Roast for 15 minutes and then push to one side in the roasting tin. Toss the asparagus spears with the rest of the oil, salt and pepper and then lay them flat in the roasting tin. Roast for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the dish with the olives, toss to coat the olives with the roasting juices and then serve immediately.

Recipe serves 8, calories per serving: 92. Serve with some toasted pitta bread

Butter Bean Mash With Garlic, Spinach And Kale

Ingredients

2 x 400g cans of butter beans, drained and well rinsed
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 sprig of rosemary
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 cup baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup kale leaves, stems removed, roughly chopped
Pinch of sea salt flakes

Directions

Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over low-medium heat.
Add the garlic and allow it to simmer gently, flavouring the oil.
After 2 minutes, add the rosemary sprig and the lemon juice and zest.
Stir to prevent any of the ingredients catching.
After a couple of minutes, remove the rosemary sprig and set aside.
Add the two cans of butter beans to the saucepan and stir to coat well in the oil mixture.
Once beans have warmed and softened, start mashing with a potato masher/wooden spoon/other heavy object till the beans have melded and look similar to mashed potato.
Reduce heat to low.
In a small frypan, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat.
When warm, add the spinach and kale.
Stir continuously till the greens start to wilt.
When fully wilted and softened, add greens to the bean mix and stir to combine well.
Season with salt flakes and serve.

This dish works well as a light main meal or lunch or can be served on the side of something like chicken or steak.

Makes 4 serves – Cal per serve – 188