Side Dishes

What more can you say about a category that hasn’t been already said, done, tried, toppled over and tunneled under? I’m talking about side dishes. You know, those things that you were forced to eat as a kid — like lima beans — slipped under the table to your dog and now are trying to create as a hot-selling consumer product.

Whether it is a bag of potato chips or sweet parsnips, we still want something to complement our main entrée, incorporating crunch, flavor, color, and a whole array of sensory attributes that will satisfy our mouths and stomachs in the process. But as we venture though the retail aisles, or dine in restaurants, the side dish is still the bridesmaid of the wedding plate. In general, the foodservice industry does not place a whole lot of emphasis on the creativity and/or combination of the items served with the main entrée. And today’s retail products often suffer from the “same-old, same-old” syndrome.

Do consumers care about what is being served with their steak, fish or chicken? I think yes! People want something that completes the whole plate, complements the flavor and enhances the eating experience. That’s why we ask waiters to make substitutions. That’s why we choose things other than baked potatoes with our home-grilled steak. We’re all becoming more sophisticated about flavor, texture and, increasingly more important, nutrition. And the more educated we become, the more we want our side dishes to go beyond the basics.

Sidestepping the normSide-dish creativity can stem from how we pair up the starch, vegetable or fruit with the protein. Are you locked into thinking that a baked potato must go with steak, or rice with chicken? Or are there ways we can create a cure for the common combo? To me, it starts with the three T’s of Texture, Temperature and Taste, and playing with complementary and contrasting attributes.

We all know that a baked potato is a great pairing with a New York strip. For a fresh approach, that same steak could easily be matched with a thin, crisp potato pancake, or fried polenta cake. One step further, you could top the polenta with a roasted fruit salsa and you’d have a whole new steak entrée combining hot/cold, crunchy/ smooth, mild/zesty. And instead of typical sautéed mushrooms for that steak, a crunchy veggie slaw with Oriental dressing would introduce an exciting new flavor, texture and temperature combination.

And rice is rice, right? Chicken and rice is always nice, but the rice doesn’t have to always be boiled, hot, and white. How about a poached chicken or fish with a savory, crispy fried rice cake, or served with a chilled Tuscan pilaf using wild or basmati rice, marinated olives and tomatoes? Rice is the perfect carrier for creating unique flavors, whether it’s jasmine rice spiked with ponzu sauce or wild rice with porcini mushrooms.

Fruit also has a place on the main plate. The combination of fruit with heat or fruit with savory has been growing in acceptance as we see more products hit the retail shelves. Mainstream menus are seeing more tropical fruits, particularly mango, as the popularity of this fruit has exceeded salsas, chutneys and Floribbean cuisine. With the rise of Latin American cuisine as well as the regional Asian influences, the tropical-fruit trend will only continue.

Sassing up starchesLet’s return to the humble potato. We’re all familiar with the basic ways we can either purchase or prepare it. The great thing now is that manufacturers have started to build in convenience by preportioning, mashing, roasting, grilling and even turning them different colors. But what if we were to take it even further?

Beginning with the three T’s again, let’s look beyond regular mashed or classic baked potatoes. Begin by seasoning potatoes with fresh herbs, even some crab or chopped mushrooms, and stuff inside a portobella mushroom and bake. Talk about textures! Capitalize on rising Indian flavors by taking basic potatoes and adding cilantro, cumin, chile pepper, garam masala and lightly pan-frying. How about that taste? Or take popular roasted red potatoes and add chipotle peppers for smoky roasted pueblo potatoes. Now you’re talking temperature!

The three T’s can be manipulated and combined in several ways. With the smoky roasted pueblo potatoes, you not only get the heat, but the savory as well. Add balsamic vinegar and blue cheese with some walnuts to the roasted potatoes, and you’ve added yet another dimension.

Here are a few other potato ideas to ponder. Away with the au gratin — build a Mediterranean sliced-potato bake with marinara, olives, goat cheese and fresh basil. For salt and crunch lovers, try a little stir-fry sauce with scallions and fried noodles instead of butter and sour cream on baked potatoes. And sweet potatoes don’t have to be slathered in butter and brown sugar every time. Try adding a little lemon pepper and Parmesan, or cilantro and lime, to give the creamy, smooth tubers some spark.

Think past-a the same old sidesPasta — even old standards like macaroni and cheese — is the other great side with tremendous versatility. Just ask chef Thomas Keller, of the French Laundry, Yountville, CA, whose “macaroni and cheese” consists of a creamy lobster broth and mascarpone-enriched orzo, not to mention the butter-poached Maine lobster to accompany it.

For the rest of us, the process would be a little simpler. For example, with an American-cheese-based sauce, try adding familiar cheese and savory combinations. How about ketchup, mustard and pickle flavors for a cheeseburger profile? Or try bacon and tomato for a BLT mac; experiment with garden herb; or try a curry or tandoori seasoning. Go ahead, you’ll be amazed at how incredible it tastes (we were). Swiss cheese would also provide variations. Imagine angel hair and sauerkraut in a Swiss cheese sauce or smoky Cheddar with fresh jalapeños for a pasta con queso twist.

Companies have put dozens of pasta meals out there in shelf-stable packs, microwaveable bowls and frozen trays. But we shouldn’t limit ourselves to linguini or fettuccini. The traditional durum semolina flour pasta that is usually served al dente could be switched with an Asian-type noodle made from rice, egg or mung bean to offer a unique textural and visual change. Imagine a sweet and sour stir-fry with chewy mostaccioli, or clear, thin rice noodles with salami and pepperoncinis. Combine a typical cheese ravioli with a new pesto, adding mint instead of basil, hazelnut oil instead of olive, and peanuts instead of pine nuts.

Couscous is not just for Moroccans or vegetarians anymore. This coarse-textured, pregelatinized pasta can replace rice for a different look and feel. It lends itself to all flavors and ethnic cuisines. Add easy-to-prepare seasonings, vegetables and herbs prior to serving.

Bean there, haven’t done thatLegumes make wonderful sides. Granted, we’ve all had enough Boston baked beans, refried black beans, and red kidney beans, but not enough attention is given to this category and its versatility. The pinto is just one variety. From adzuki beans to pigeon peas, the dried peas, lentils and beans category offers endless opportunities for sides thanks to the influence of Asian, Latin American and Mediterranean cuisines.

Heirloom beans, for example, are grown from specially saved seed that was handed down from generation to generation from foreign lands with different cultures and traditions. They have no cholesterol or sugar, are high in complex carbohydrates and are one of the lowest-fat choices you can make. One example is the scarlet runner, its crisp texture excellent in salads and popular in Southwestern dishes. The borlotti bean, part of the cranberry family, has a firm texture and a sweet, nut-like flavor that complements salads, stir-fry vegetables or rice dishes. In the lentil family, pink lentils (masoor dal) have a smooth, creamy mouthfeel, while green lentils are quite firm. Looking at these examples, you can see how the type of bean itself can make a big difference in a dish.

From an R&D standpoint, the greatest benefit to working with the dried instantized versions is their use in convenient blends and the quick-prep servings today’s fast-paced culture demands. We can now find cannellini beans with Italian herbs, tri-color lentils or Middle Eastern chickpeas and prepare them in less than 20 minutes. These beans can combine with vegetables for a unique side or stand-alone dish.

Soybeans have also made great strides in their acceptance in the marketplace. The nutritional factor gives soy a strong following, not to mention recent improvements in taste.

Veggie talesThe fact that vegetables make up the majority of today’s side dishes is no accident. If we go back to the first Thanksgiving, the abundance of vegetable sides probably overshadowed the protein portion of the meal. Nothing has changed. It’s how we continue to prepare them that is changing. The key again is the three T’s: Taste, Texture and Temperature.

Ever since Clarence Birdseye gave us the first frozen vegetables 80 years ago, we’ve been looking for ways to prepare, enhance and improve what Mother Nature provides. From mixing and matching (e.g., California blend, stir-fry blend, French, Italian and even tropical), to the various culinary methods (e.g., roasted, grilled, sautéed, smoked), our “5 A Day” vegetables can come in any taste, texture or color. Speaking of color, do you think that peas and carrots were originally paired for any reason other than beautiful contrast? We can learn from this as we build sides in consideration of color, taste, temperature and texture.

From asparagus to zucchini, everyone wants more flavor. And it’s not always about the cure-all sauce. For example, take fresh broccoli, asparagus or string beans, and parboil them to retain the color and texture. Next, create a base of peanut, olive or sesame oil and add a supporting flavor, such as onion or garlic. Coat the vegetables with this flavored oil. From here, add in acidic flavors such as wine, vinegar, lemon or even tomato. Add lemongrass instead of lemon, raspberry or other fruit vinegars instead of red or white, Italian cippolini onions in place of regular onions and even white asparagus instead of the standard green.

It just takes a simple idea to create the next mesclun. Who would have thought these baby field greens would ever become a must for everyday salads? Even more amazing is that chefs are now letting these same greens grow up and are using them as sides. Mature bronze fennel, Russian red kale, and arugula are now “braising greens,” using a slow-cook approach to capture the flavors. And organic vegetables are hitting the marketplace faster than ever, becoming ever popular on menus and in produce sections.

Our industry is facing more sophisticated customers with varied tastes who are seeking more from their sides — more variety, more color, more tastes, more textures, more temperatures. We’ve all got the tools at our fingertips for making side dishes that customers crave. Play around and explore your creativity. It can make all the difference between an average product and a bestseller.

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