Show your green side: Healthy vegetable sides for your summer barbecue season

Burgers? Check. Brats? Check. Potato salad, baked beans and potato chips? Check, check, check. We're well into cookout season in Southeast Missouri, and every family has its favorite dishes. Just be sure your smorgasbord comes with a side of something healthy, too. Here are three ideas for nutritious -- and delicious! -- sides for your next get-together:

__Spinach berry salad__

Ingredients:

SALAD

4 packed cups torn fresh spinach

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 small sweet onion, sliced

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

DRESSING

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon curry powder (can be omitted)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, toss together spinach, strawberries, blueberries, onion and pecans. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine dressing ingredients. Shake well. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Makes four servings.

Nutrition information (per serving):

25 g total carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 197 mg sodium; 0.5 g saturated fat; 5 g total fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 4 g protein; 3 g monounsaturated fat; 158 calories.

Recipe submitted by Ashley Lipke, certified diabetes educator at Cross Trails Medical Center, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic.

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__Roasted garlic green beans with lemon and Parmesan__

Ingredients:

1 medium head of garlic

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed

1/3 cup sliced almonds

2 or 3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice abut 1/4 off the top end of garlic clove (not the stem end) and peel away the outer layers. Place on a sheet of foil and drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil over top, then sprinkle with salt. Secure in the foil and place in oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown and tender. Open and let cool for 10 minutes, then squeeze the stem end to release the cloves. Chop the roasted cloves.

While garlic is roasting, toss beans with remaining melted oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread on large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast about 32 to 38 minutes until starting to brown. Toss once or twice while roasting.

While roasting, place dry pan over medium-low heat on stove. Add sliced almonds to pan. Watch closely and stir frequently until just starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once beans are done roasting, toss with lemon juice, lemon zest and chopped roasted garlic. Spread onto platter and top with Parmesan, toasted almonds and more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Yields 6 to 8 side dish servings.

Nutrition information (per serving):

122 calories; 8 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 5 g monounsaturated fat; 1 g polyunsaturated fat; 0 g trans fat; 4 g cholesterol; 65 mg sodium; 11 g total carbohydrate; 4 g dietary fiber; 2 g sugars; 5 g protein.

Recipe submitted by Ashley Lipke, certified diabetes educator at Cross Trails Medical Center, courtesy of edibleperspective.com.

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__Shades of green salad__

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise

1 medium zucchini, halved, seeds scraped out, then cut into thin half moons

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated shallot

Zest and juice of 1 orange

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 avocado, sliced

Manchego cheese, to serve

Fresh dill, to serve

Honey, to serve

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and have it near the stove.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender and bright green. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer them from the boiling water to the ice water. While the green beans cool, add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks, until just barely tender. Transfer the asparagus to the ice water with the green beans.

Once they have cooled, drain the green beans and asparagus, pat them dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add the snow peas and zucchini.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, shallot, orange zest and juice, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir gently to coat well. For best flavor, allow the vegetables to marinate in the dressing for at least 30 minutes.

Serve topped with sliced avocado, grated manchego cheese, sprigs of dill and a drizzle of honey. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information (per serving):

200 calories; 13 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 7 g protein; 130 mg sodium.

From the Associated Press