tessipes:

Often, in imaginary conversations that take place in my brain, people will ask me “Hey! What are some easy side dishes I can prepare in 5 minutes to complement the thing I cooked that took a lot of effort?”  I have the answers.

1. Tomatoes + tarragon + olive oil + salt and pepper + red wine vinegar

— This looks and tastes as though it is not just a salad without lettuce.  TRUST.

2. Sauteed or steamed spinach + garlic and/or lemon juice + olive oil

— This takes about 2 minutes and is hard to screw up.  Just don’t over-cook it.

3. Asparagus sauteed in olive oil + tiny bit of butter + lemon + lemon pepper

— Also hard to screw up.  A nice variation is soy sauce, ginger and garlic instead of lemon and lemon pepper.

4. Make-ahead pasta salad [shells or macaroni + olive oil + dijon mustard + fresh thyme + salt and pepper]

— <3 carbz

5. Rice + sauteed leeks (slice into rounds, then halve the rounds and sautee in butter and/or olive oil and some white wine until soft) + sauteed mushrooms (shiitake, button, portabella)

— Comfort food, goes great with chicken, absorbs sauces

6. Arugula + dried cranberries + candied pecans + vinaigrette

— Elegant, easy

reblogging myself because i’m just being miley