Matching Mains with Sides

[millich]

First, hello everyone. This is my first post although I've been reading (and learning!) for over a year now.

Here's what I'd like help with. I don't always feel comfortable when menu planning that I know what vegetables/side dishes go well with which main courses. Sure, I know the basic rules about staying with one theme (stir-fried veggies with soy sauce don't go well with an Italian main like veal parmesan) and about varying texture and color.

Reading The Flavor Bible has given me the realization that things that are often cooked together go well together - like roast beef with potatoes and carrots, shrimp and pasta, etc. But, the Flavor Bible has it's limitations: for instance, the only meat listed under brussel sprouts is bacon. So what can I serve brussel sprouts with? How about Broccoli? How about Zucchini?

So, like the Steak & Sides thread, I'd like for you to take a meat and tell me what you usually serve with it. Or, take the opposite approach and pick a veg and tell me what main you usually serve it with. I'll compile results as we go along.

THANK YOU!!!

[millich]

I'll go first:

Ham

macaroni and cheese

apples - sauteed or applesauce

sweet potatoes

Steak

***potatoes - baked, fries, au gratin

**mushrooms - sauteed or stuffed

brussel sprouts

pinto beans

*onion rings

Carrots

fish

prawns

barbequed chicken

barbequed ribs

roast beef

*stars indicate the most frequent responses

Edited January 23, 2010 by millich (log)

[Shalmanese]

Lamb

Olives

Potatoes

White Beans

Root Vegetables

Peas

Squash

[JAZ]

If you haven't read my eGCI class on menu planning, you might find it helpful.

In my experience teaching, beginning cooks tend to concentrate on flavors so much that they forget about texture. It's important not only to pick flavors that go together, but also to match textures so that you have some contrast.

[kayb]

Welcome, Millich!

Here are a few of mine:

Ham (or pork in general) -- potato salad, baked beans, apples, sweet potatos, green beans, asparagus, winter squash, fried okra, sliced tomatos

Steak -- onions, tomatos, potato gratin, rice, mushrooms, grilled squash, asparagus, grilled or caramelized onions

Roast beef -- potatos in most any form except potato salad; roasted root vegetables, carrots in any preparation; green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, baked or grilled onions

Fried chicken -- mashed potatos, green beans, fried okra and sliced tomatos.

Roast chicken -- asparagus, carrots, sauteed squash, apples, sweet potatos, cornbread dressing (stuffing), tomatos

Baked or sauced chicken -- Rice, polenta, root vegetables, green beans

I'm not including cooked greens because I don't like them and thus don't prepare them. There are few legume dishes because I tend to use them in entree soups and stews that generally don't have a side dish.Tomatos, when they are in season, go with anything, or by themselves.

I think the most important rule is to cook what you like.

[millich]

Thanks very much Shalmanese & Kayb for your ideas! Kayb - hope you don't mind if I steal your format since you wrote the most. Jaz - actually, no, I hadn't seen that particular eGSC class. I will definitely study it.

So far it looks like:

Ham (or pork in general) -- potato salad, baked beans, apples, sweet potatos, green beans, asparagus, winter squash, fried okra, sliced tomatos, mac & cheese

Steak -- onions, tomatos, potato gratin, rice, mushrooms, grilled squash, asparagus, grilled or caramelized onions or onion rings,

Roast beef -- potatos in most any form except potato salad; roasted root vegetables, carrots in any preparation; green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, baked or grilled onions

Fried chicken -- mashed potatos, green beans, fried okra and sliced tomatos.

Roast chicken -- asparagus, carrots, sauteed squash, apples, sweet potatos, cornbread dressing (stuffing), tomatoes

Lamb --Olives, Potatoes, White Beans, Root Vegetables, Peas, Squash

Shrimp --

Mild White Fish --

Salmon --

How about broccoli, greens, brussel sprouts?

[Emily_R]

I love brussel sprouts with all kinds of pork and with turkey or roast chicken.

I like broccoli with beef best, though also with chicken and shrimp -- for some reason I don't love it with pork.

Dark greens like kale or broccoli rabe are a natural pairing with pork and sausage... Though I have come to love sauteed spinach or swiss chard with roast chicken.

[nakji]

When I'm planning a Japanese or Korean meal, with many small side dishes to go along with whatever main course were having, I like to try and balance textures, tastes, and ease of preparation.

So for example -

Korean - Ddalk Galbi (a spicy dish of chicken ribs sauteed with chili paste, green onions, and sweet potato)

This is spicy, so I need side dishes that will work with that. I would make a cold cucumber soup with vinegar and a bit of chili for seasoning; a creamy salad, like a macaroni salad made with mayonnaise and fresh vegetables; and a kimchi, for salty-sourness and crunch - I prefer radish cube kimchi, although cabbage kimchi is fine as well.

Japanese - Nikku Jyaga (a soy-and-sesame oil accented beef and potato stew) This is a relatively mild, rich dish, so I want something green, like cooked spinach dressed with ponzu or lemon, to cut through that. I don't need a protein, so I probably wouldn't include a tofu dish, but I would add a crunchy pickle of some sort - maybe pickled cucumbers with sesame seeds or daikon with yuzu zest.

[Chris Amirault]

Are we talking primarily about European protein preparation here, meat and two veg sort of thing, with little additional seasoning to the protein? Lamb can work great with simple roasted cauliflower if it's also roasted with simple flavors; a blistering lamb curry, however, would overpower that same simple cauliflower. Shrimp Diane demands white rice, or perhaps a baguette, and little else; fried shrimp benefit from something pickly or slawy, as well as fresh tomatoes.

Seems hard to declare sides given the wide variety of preparations for these mains!

[nikkib]

Spinach with White fish and salmon - I serve a wilted spinach, courgette (zucchini!) lemon zest and chilli as a typical side with spinach, a cucumber salad is also good with both of those, peas - either buttered, crushed with mint or a la francaise are favourites as well. I normally have a simple salad with something like Dover sole, where as fish like john dory and monkfish hold up well to roasted or confit root vegetables such as beetroot, navet and carrots. Potato wise either boiled new potatoes or chips would be the norm for me if I was having them as a side with fish unless I was in need of some comfort food in which case something like cod with pommes mousseline and peas a la francaise is about as good as it gets for me. I also love sweetcorn with chicken and sprouts with turkey or pork - an especially tasty way is to make a gratin with plenty of cheese to go with roast pork.

[millich]

Ham (or pork in general) -- potato salad, baked beans, apples, sweet potatos, green beans, asparagus, winter squash, fried okra, sliced tomatos, mac & cheese, brussel sprouts (esp gratin) with pork,

Steak -- onions, tomatos, potato gratin, rice, mushrooms, grilled squash, asparagus, grilled or caramelized onions or onion rings,

Roast beef -- potatos in most any form except potato salad; roasted root vegetables, carrots in any preparation; green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, baked or grilled onions, broccoli

Fried chicken -- mashed potatos, green beans, fried okra and sliced tomatos.

Roast chicken -- asparagus, carrots, sauteed squash, apples, sweet potatos, cornbread dressing (stuffing), tomatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, sauteed spinach, swiss chard, sweet corn

Turkey -- brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, cranberry

Lamb --Olives, Potatoes, White Beans, Root Vegetables, Peas, Squash, simple roasted cauliflower

Shrimp -- carrots, broccoli. Shrimp Diane - white rice. Fried Shrimp - fresh tomatoes, something prickly or slawy.

Mild White Fish -- spinach salad, peas, potatoes

Salmon -- spinach salad, cucumbers, peas, potatoes

Kale, broccoli rabe -- pork, sausage

Edited January 24, 2010 by millich (log)

[millich]

Thanks very much for the input EmilyR, Nakji, and NikkiB.

I'm sorry for such an entry level question. I know most of you are much more highly skilled than I, but I'm learning!

Chris, you raise a valid point - yes, I was asking about your basic meat with a couple of sides meal. OTOH, though, I'd also like ideas for other simple home meals like beef stroganoff, white chili, steak hash, shrimp enchiladas, tetrazzini, etc, etc. What if I want a green vegetable with beef stew?

[jdtofbna]

One obvious omission in my opinion is the lowly cabbage, an excellent accompaniment to pork/ham. Creamed, roasted, lightly sauteed in butter with fine breadcrumbs. Yum!

I also like simple broccoli with salmon--steamed, dressed with a little butter and a sprinkle of lemon.

Also--can't remember if anyone has mentioned turnips? Another somewhat lowly veg, but I remember my mom used to serve turnips with lots of black pepper alongside roast pork.

[santo_grace]

I'm going to suggest some sides other than vegetables - quinoa, couscous, and lentils. All these can easily be added to with herbs (dill is delicious with lentils, parsley in the quinoa and couscous), and a little acid (lemon juice, red wine vinegar, etc.). Any of these sides work well with any meat. They also help soak up some of the juice from the meat, which is tasty.

Others:

Chicken or Eggplant Parm with Pasta/Marinara Sauce

Stews or Soups - for me nothing beats a green salad

Pork - roasted beets sprinkled with a little lemon juice and parsley

[highchef]

In South Louisiana, there's an old saying "the rice is on, now what do you want for dinner?"

Pork: sweet potatoes, rosemaried'd potatoes, mango salsa, or any sweet sauce. plum sauce.

Ham: cheese and potatoes. spinach. small bisquits, grits.

steak: baked potato. sauteed' mushrooms and/or onions. pilaf.

chicken: anything. my theory is they don't say it taste like chicken for nothing..you can do/add/put anything with it and it's still, well, chicken.

lamb: mint, rosemary, cheese and potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice and peas, couscous, polenta especially..really just about anything is great with a nice piece of lamb.

most seafood really likes tarragon, and

rice and pasta go with everything.

regards!

[millich]

Thanks everyone! So far it looks like:

Ham (or pork in general) -- potato salad, baked beans, apples, sweet potatos, green beans, asparagus, winter squash, fried okra, sliced tomatos, mac & cheese, cheese and potatoes. spinach. small bisquits, grits, cabbage

Pork --brussel sprouts (esp gratin),rosemaried'd potatoes, mango salsa, or any sweet sauce. plum sauce, roasted beets, cabbage, turnips, quinoa, couscous, and lentils

Steak -- onions, tomatos, potato gratin, rice, mushrooms, grilled squash, asparagus, grilled or caramelized onions or onion rings, pilaf

Roast beef -- potatos in most any form except potato salad; roasted root vegetables, carrots in any preparation; green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, baked or grilled onions, broccoli, quinoa, couscous, and lentils

Fried chicken -- mashed potatos, green beans, fried okra and sliced tomatos.

Roast chicken -- asparagus, carrots, sauteed squash, apples, sweet potatos, cornbread dressing (stuffing), tomatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli, sauteed spinach, swiss chard, sweet corn, anything,

Chicken/Eggplant Parm -- pasta w/ marinara sauce

Turkey -- brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, cranberry

Lamb --Olives, Potatoes, White Beans, Root Vegetables, Peas, Squash, simple roasted cauliflower, mint, rosemary, cheese and potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice and peas, couscous, polenta, quinoa, and lentils

Shrimp -- carrots, broccoli. Shrimp Diane - white rice. Fried Shrimp - fresh tomatoes, something prickly or slawy.

Mild White Fish -- spinach salad, peas, potatoes

Salmon -- spinach salad, cucumbers, peas, potatoes, simple broccoli

Kale, broccoli rabe -- pork, sausage

Stews or Soups -- green salad

Beef Stroganoff -- noodles, rice

Tetrazzini -- peas