When I'm planning a summer barbecue menu, side dishes are often an afterthought.
I'll go through my recipe box looking for burger, chicken, seafood or steak recipes, but I'll often forget the side dish, then whip together a quick salad to get some veggies on the table.
With farm fresh vegetables available during the summer, I'm missing out, so this year I'm making an effort to serve sides with pizzaz.
To that end, I've gathered this crunchy, colorful collection from my recipe book to share with you.
Garlicky Roasted Eggplant Salad With Tomatoes And Feta Cheese 
Chard with White Wine and Parmesan Cheese 
Roasted Asparagus with Fresh Basil 
Chopped Salad With Colorful Squashes In A Honey Garlic Vinaigrette 
Zucchini Salad With Pecans And A Sweet And Lemony Vinaigrette 
Flank Steak With Roasted Mushrooms And Onions 
Asparagus, Mushroom And Tomato Sauté With Fresh Basil And Parmesan Cheese 
Kale And Yukon Gold Potatoes With Parmesan Cheese 
Green Beans With Mushrooms And Sun Dried Tomatoes 
Mexican Black Beans and Rice 
Low Sugar Baked Beans 
Quinoa Salad with Watermelon and Feta Cheese 
Fruit Salad With Cantaloupe, Grapes, Walnuts And Goat Cheese 
Quinoa Fruit Salad with Cherries and Walnuts This is a good start, though I'm sure I'll find more deletable side dishes as summer moves on. After all, the farmers markets call my name with something new to try every Saturday!
Enjoy!
PS - You can follow my Must Try Pinterest Recipe board to see what fellow healthy cooks are sharing. This is where I get my slender cooking inspiration.
Follow Kristi Rimkus's board Must Try Recipes on Pinterest.
