Need a side dish

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lyndalou

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I am having friends over for dinner on Monday and am trying a new recipe. ( I warned them) It is made with shrimp, leeks, couscous, peas and shredded carrots.

Can someone come up with a side dish for this? We will have Naan (mediterranean flat bread) with it, and I'd like one more thing.
Thanks for any help.
 
For the main, you might also serve some long crisp green beans. Or some acorn squash quarter bakes. Maybe even black beans on the side.
Are you going to have a dessert?
 
Well, as I was reading the question I was also thinking about baked or grilled squash slices. I understand couscous would be the starch but I have a "thing" about both dishes, if salad is chosen, being in bowl type foods. I know, I'm just weird that way.

Hummus seems like a natural. Even sauteed baby pattypan squash, baby zucchini, or even grilled eggplant slices. Steamed asparagus bundles or green bundles tied with a piece of bacon (if you are bacon eating people) or tied with a strip of carrot cut with a vegetable peeler.

Another thought would be a "salad" of cucumbers, grape tomatoes, feta, red onion, which could also be scooped up with your flat bread. A few sprinkles of white balsamic, some salt, black pepper should do it for the "dressing".
 
Am raising my hand for the salad here, but I would give it an Asian twist.

Some kind of cabbage, maybe bok choy, some sprouts, thinly julianned carrots for color or julianned red and yellow peppers.

The main dish is relatively bland in color. Jazz the presentation up with the side.

The dressing shold be vinegary I would think. And have a bit of ginger and some soy sauce. A touch of sugar would make it just right.

If you like sesame seeds, toss them on.

Like the idea of the naan, but would serve it first with hummus. A chance to talk and nosh before the meal. Over a glass of wine perhaps. And hummus is so easy to make.

Have a great dinner.
 
Thank you all! I have some great ideas now. I want to make it all, but will probably go with the hummus idea (never even thought of that) and a simple salad of tomatoes and cukes with maybe some feta.
 
I agree about it being all in one.
You've got the protein, the starch and the vegetable in the dish.
For me, it'd be complete with a fruit of some sort. Beautiful slices of the fruit in season, laid out on a small platter with nuts along side. Just a thought.
 
Well when I read in I thought of spinach with garlic and lemon, and thought I was alone till I saw VB said spinach too. Sounds delicious what ever you go with.
 
lyndalou said:
I am having friends over for dinner on Monday and am trying a new recipe. ( I warned them) It is made with shrimp, leeks, couscous, peas and shredded carrots.

Can someone come up with a side dish for this? We will have Naan (mediterranean flat bread) with it, and I'd like one more thing.
Thanks for any help.

Lyndalou, sounds yum. I think you have all your bases covered re starch, seafood, veggie & bread. You could add soup/bisque, salad, a fab dessert, appys, & beverage - maybe Sangria.
 
We had the dinner last evening. It was delicious. I had the aformentioned shrimp and couscous dish along with a tomato and cucumber salad with my really killer (and very simple) dressing. Hummus and naan filled out the menu, along withsome good wine, of course.

I forgot dessert. Just a simple dish of fruit sorbet.

Thanks again for all of the great suggestions.
 
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