Vegetables don’t have to be boring or bland! Here are five easy, delicious, healthy veggie side dishes that will have your family asking for more!
Chunky Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1kg orange-flesh sweet potatoes, skin on
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 5 cloves garlic
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Slice the sweet potatoes into 2-3cm thick slices and place them in a roasting tray with the stock. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to the tray. Season and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Pour off the liquid. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and place back into the oven for a further 10 minutes; then serve.
Baby Spinach & Sprout Salad
Ingredients:
- 100g baby spinach
- 50g watercress
- 125g mangetout (edible peas in the pod)
- 2 handfuls bean sprouts
- Handful pea shoots
- Handful onion sprouts
- Red-wine vinegar, for dressing
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for dressing
Method:
- Place the baby spinach and watercress in a large bowl.
- Slice the mangetout into three strips lengthways and toss into the salad.
- Scatter shoots and sprouts over salad and serve dressed with vinegar and olive oil.
Beetroot Salad
Ingredients:
- 500g beetroot, scrubbed and halved or quartered
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 handfuls wild rocket
- 100g feta cheese
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the beetroot into two separate oven-proof dishes to make sure the colours don’t run or keep them separate in a large dish. Drizzle olive oil over, season and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve with rocket, feta and pumpkin seeds.
Orange & Honey Carrots
Ingredients:
- 600g rainbow carrots
- 1 orange, zested, juiced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Place carrots in a griddle pan set over medium-high heat.
- Juice the orange and pour it over the carrots, adding a little zest. Drizzle the honey and olive oil over the carrots and season to taste. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (the carrots must still retain a crunch). Serve with the orange sauce.
Green Beans With Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
- 400g green beans, trimmed
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 50g pine nuts, toasted (or use chopped, toasted almonds)
Method:
- Steam the green beans for three to five minutes (either in a steamer or in the microwave) while you sauté the garlic in olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Transfer the beans to the pan, toss with the garlic, season and serve with pine nuts.
For more inspiration on how to get more veggies into your diet, read Easy Ways to Eat More Vegetables Plus Tasty Veggie Recipes Be sure to visit the Medshield Instagram page to stay up to date with all our latest articles, recipes and pro-health content.