As Winter comes around we’re all looking for some exciting yet hearty dishes that we can add to our dinner table. We have selected a few of our favourite side dishes for you to experiment with this season.
Sweet Potato Wedges with Pistachios and Goats Cheese
Cut up your sweet potatoes into wedges and toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, then put them on a tray to roast for about 25 minutes. Once roasted, sprinkle chopped pistachios and goats’ cheese on top of them, place into oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese and then serve.
Cauliflower Casserole
In a large pot, boil cauliflower for 3 minutes and then lay out to dry. In a large pan, add butter and garlic, allow to cook until fragrant. Whisk in flour until combined fully with butter. Add milk slowly and stir until mixture simmers, boil until slightly thickened. Turn off heat and add cheddar, parmesan and fresh thyme; stir until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper. Add half of the cauliflower to a buttered dish and pour half of the sauce mixture, repeat with the second half and then cover with cheddar. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden and then serve.
Green Beans with Bacon
Chop the ends off of your green beans and place in a pan with butter. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes. Dice your bacon and add to the pan, cook for about 10 minutes or until bacon is crispy. Serve with goats’ cheese if you wish for an added element to the dish.
Creamed Spinach
Chop up your spinach and sauté in a pan with butter, garlic and smoked paprika. In a pot, melt your butter, whisk in flour and then slowly add milk while stirring, allow mixture to thicken and season with salt, pepper and onion powder. Add one cup of the cheese of your choice to the sauce and mix until the cheese is melted. Add the cooked spinach to the sauce mixture and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve just like that or with pine nuts as a garnish.
Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan
Peel and then boil your potatoes in a large pot, once cooked through, place them in a large bowl. Use your masher or a fork to mash the potatoes, add butter, cream, salt and pepper and then mix together. Finally, add a cup of parmesan and mix in to the potatoes. There you have the perfect creamy cheesy mashed potatoes.
Balsamic Maple Roasted Root Vegetables
Cut sweet potatoes, beetroot and carrots into roughly the same size pieces and then add to a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine balsamic vingegar, olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon and thyme. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and mix until all vegetables are coated. Place the vegetables on a baking tray, lay rosemary on top and roast for 45-60 minutes. Your result will be sweet and hearty vegetables for the family to enjoy!
Cheesy Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Cut tomatoes in half, place on a baking tray and add grated parmesan and grated mozzarella on top. Sprinkle some chopped fresh basil on top of the tomatoes and drizzle olive oil over each one. Bake until cheese is golden brown and then serve with salt and pepper on top.
We hope that these have inspired you to jump into your kitchen and get cooking this Winter!