Side Dishes

Quinoa is a complete protein containing all eight essential amino acids. It's light and fluffy in texture but has that whole grain ability to fill people up--and if you've got company coming, this recipe easily doubles to serve eight people.

This savory side is perfect paired with corned beef or as a hearty vegetarian entree. To serve 8 or 10, simply double the recipe and bake it in a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish instead. It's filling and satisfying enough to help you budget bully a single corned beef brisket into serving a big crowd. Gratin defined.

Serve as a vegetarian main course or as a side dish with steamed fish or roasted chicken. If you don't have any leftover brown rice on hand, use a package of frozen cooked brown rice as a shortcut.

Cauliflower replaces potatoes as the secret Phase 1 ingredient in this South Beach Diet classic.

Coarse-ground degerminated cornmeal such as yellow grits (with grains the size of couscous) works best in this recipe. Avoid instant and quick-cooking products, as well as whole-grain, stone-ground, and regular cornmeal. Do not omit the baking soda—it reduces the cooking time and makes for a creamier polenta. The polenta should do little more than release wisps of steam. If it bubbles or sputters even slightly after the first 10 minutes, the heat is too high and you may need a flame tamer, available at most kitchen supply stores.

Texture and flavor contrasts make for an addictive side dish or starter.

Cooking beans at home is renowned as a simple way to save money and provide the base for many a healthy meal. It requires little effort and they're easy to keep on hand in the fridge or freezer. And then you can quickly put together everything from basic beans and rice (seasoned differently in different cultures) to soups, salads, dips and spreads.