Sides

This is one of the best ways to eat kale. The high heat of a sauté softens the kale while still maintaining the structure of the leaves. This can be a very quick and simple side, or stir it through pasta with lots of olive oil, parmesan, and lemon juice. Serve it on top of a rice bowl, as a side with grilled fish, or use it as a filling for an omelette with a little goat’s cheese.

Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer that is both simple and delicious. It typically consists of crusty grilled bread topped with a mixture of fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil. The dish can be enhanced with additional ingredients such as balsamic glaze or feta cheese for extra flavour. This recipe emphasizes using high-quality ingredients, like sourdough or ciabatta bread and fresh cherry tomatoes, to create a traditional yet flavourful bruschetta.

Chimichurri is a tangy herby green sauce originating from Argentina and is usually served with grilled meats. It’s bright, zesty and fresh and is equally delicious with crispy fried potatoes.

Parsley, coriander, capers, garlic, cumin and chilli make this potato salad a flavour sensation! We’ve made it easy in this recipe and given you a simple chopped chimichurri, so there’s no need to get out the food processor.

Perfect as a side dish for barbecues, it pairs beautifully with grilled meats, fish, or as part of a vegetarian feast.

Traditionally, cornbread is made from cornmeal and bacon drippings. In Australia, cornmeal is hard to come by so we have come up with this recipe using fine polenta, butter, and plenty of fresh corn kernels. While this is not a purist’s version, it is as rich and crumbly.

We eat this cornbread with barbecued fish and slaw or alongside tacos. You can also serve it with homemade baked beans or with eggs for breakfast.

Making your own homemade Labneh is not only super simple and delicious, it’s so much cheaper to do! It is essentially strained yogurt, and the longer you keep straining it, the thicker the labneh will be. You can store any excess labneh in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Serve it with fresh mint or oregano and plenty of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Labneh requires a minimum of 24 hours to strain, so ensure you keep that in mind before preparing and serving.

This Mediterranean Baked Fennel recipe really transforms the flavor of this vegetable from a licorice-like taste to a more sweet, caramelized flavor with a soft, ‘melt in your mouth’ texture. Combined with the Mediterranean flavors of juicy tomatoes, salty capers, fragrant thyme, and extra virgin olive oil, it makes for a tasty, healthy, and easy-to-prep side dish to jazz up your midweek dinners.

This Miso Butter Broccolini recipe is a delightful way to elevate your dinner table with minimal effort and maximum flavour.

Those who crave a quick, flavourful side will love how the savoury miso and buttery notes complement the freshness of broccolini in just 20 minutes.

Pair it with grilled fish, chicken, or a bowl of steamed rice for a complete meal that’s sure to impress.

I’m always looking for simple ways to make mid-week sides more interesting. Adding olives and capsicums in the tray when roasting potatoes adds saltiness and sweetness, making this the perfect side for grilled fish, a steak, or a roast chicken.

These mini cabbages are nutritional powerhouses. Hidden amongst those tightly packed leaves are essential vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, so get them on your plate! The peppery and earthy flavours of Brussels sprouts are a perfect pair with salty ingredients like parmesan and pancetta. We’ve added some chilli flakes and red wine vinegar to really make these bad boys sing. You want as much crisp and char as you can get, so crank up the oven and get roasting. They make a great side; pile them onto a lentil stew or serve them with polenta and a hearty ragu.

Nothing looks better on an antipasto board than roasted capsicums. Rich and colourful, your guests will be impressed knowing they are homemade. Make sure you have enough bread on hand so that every last delicious drop of garlic and capsicum-infused oil can be mopped up.

Peperoni can also lift the calibre of a fresh panino and are a perfect accompaniment for sausages or cotolette (schnitzel).

These are best served at room temperature. They will last for up to 7 days in the fridge.

Often we only use the main part of a vegetable and throw away the stems, peels or leaves. Silverbeet stems can end up in the bin without much thought. If you’ve used silverbeet leaves in a recipe or salad, don’t throw away the stems, make this recipe!

Adding yoghurt in this dish makes it tangy and creamy without being rich. Serve with fish, falafel or lamb skewers, a chickpea stew and flatbreads.

Green vegetables and nuts are a perfect pairing. Think of steamed green beans and almonds; roasted brussels sprouts and hazelnuts, a broccoli and cashew stir fry; even pesto is greens and nuts.

This dish is a riff on the Japanese side dish gomae, usually it’s made with a pounded sesame paste, but here we’ve used peanut butter as the base, making it more savoury with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

Serve warm or cold with rice and grilled fish; with teriyaki chicken or noodles.

And remember, greens should never be boring, so make them the hero of the meal.

At Clove, we’re committed to helping you get excited about vegetables! Teaching you simple and delicious ways to get more veggies into your diet. Try these addictive orange and mustard weeknight carrots; they only take 15 minutes and make the perfect side to roast chicken, a juicy steak, or a lentil stew. They’re cheap, full of flavour, and good for you. What’s not to love?

If you’re looking for a change from mash or roast potatoes, give this simple delicious potato bake a go.

A potato gratin is generally made with cream, however you can make it less decadent and more weeknight by replacing the cup of cream with a cup of milk or stock.

Be sure to use full cream milk and read the cooking tips below!

Having a series of quick weeknight sides up your sleeve means that you can get veggies on the table every day. We love simple cooking techniques, like a quick flash in a hot pan, to keep our greens vibrant, crunchy, and bright. These snow peas are cooked with ginger, soy, and a little rice wine vinegar, but would be equally delish with chili paste, salt, and pepper. Try this method with other tender greens, like sugar snap peas or spinach.

Serve weeknight snow peas with grilled fish, noodle dishes, rice bowls, or a delicious perfectly cooked steak.