Move over mains! These side dishes are so good they'll steal the show

1. LOW FAT BEETROOT, ASPARAGUS AND ORANGE SALAD

It may not be citrus season, but there are always oranges around. You can also replace them with slices of watermelon, nectarine or plum.

Prep: 15 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

Orange dressing:

30ml (2 tbsp) orange or other fruit juice

10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

15ml (1 tbsp) white wine vinegar

5ml (1 tsp) mustard powder or ready-made mustard

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

1 punnet green asparagus, trimmed

1 bag of mixed lettuce leaves

1 punnet ready-cooked beetroot, halved

10ml (2 tsp) toasted pine nuts, or use flaked almonds

2 oranges, segmented, or use slices of watermelon, nectarine or plum

75g feta, crumbled

Method:

1. Make the orange dressing by combining all ingredients in a screw-top jar.
2. Cook asparagus in a medium saucepan of boiling water, 1 minute; drain, rinse under cold water, drain.
3. Arrange leaves on serving plates; top with beetroot, nuts, asparagus, orange segments and feta. Shake the dressing well and drizzle over salad and serve.

2. LYONNAISE POTATO

Lyonnaise potato is a French dish of cooked potato enriched with bacon usually served hot, but served at room temperature it makes for a great side and a different take on the traditional potato salad made with mayonnaise.

You can replace the bacon with plant-based bacon or chorizo sausage. The mint gives the salad a freshness — or you can use parsley.

Prep: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1kg boiling potatoes, peeled, chopped coarsely

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, plus extra

2 red onions, thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

6 rashers of rindless streaky bacon, chopped coarsely

60ml (4 tbsp) fresh mint or parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until just tender; drain.
2.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan; cook onions and garlic, stirring, until onion softens. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Fry the bacon in the same pan, stirring, until crisp; then drain on absorbent paper.
4. Preheat a splash of extra olive oil in the same pan with the residue bacon fat and fry the potatoes, stirring, for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Return onion mixture and bacon to pan and stir gently to combine.
5. Remove and cool before stirring through the mint or parsley.

3. SPICE-ROASTED BUTTERNUT, CARROT AND PARSNIP

A South African favourite, butternut is given a spicy roasting with carrot and parsnip. You can replace the parsnip, which looks like a white carrot, with a mix of pepper pieces for lovely colour.

Prep: 1 hour

Serves: 6 as a side

Ingredients:

1 large butternut (or use a 1kg piece of pumpkin, unpeeled, sliced thinly)

4 large carrots, halved and sliced into chunks

2 large parsnips, chopped coarsely, or use 2 large peppers, seeded and cut into chunks

30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil

A large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves

A small handful of toasted pine nuts or flaked almonds

Spice paste:

2 cloves garlic, quartered

1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped

10ml (2 tsp) each cumin and coriander seeds

5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

Generous grinding of salt and black pepper

15ml (1 tbsp) butter

15ml (1 tbsp) light brown sugar

375ml (1½ cups) apple juice or vegetable stock

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
2. Place vegetables and oil in a large baking dish and toss to coat with oil, and bake for 35 minutes.
3. While veggies roast, make the spice paste in a pestle & mortar or spice blender by combining garlic, chilli, cumin and coriander seeds, cinnamon and seasoning to make a paste.
4. Melt butter in a small pan, then fry paste till fragrant, adding the sugar and juice or stock, and cook stirring till you have a well-blended mixture. 
5. Pour over vegetables and bake for another 15-20 minutes until tender and fragrant.
6. Serve garnished with parsley and a sprinkling of nuts.

4. TROPICAL SALAD

Using gorgeous mangoes in season, now is the time to make a great light meal or salad on the side. Good with chicken, fish or prawns.

Prep: 15 mins

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

200g vermicelli rice noodles

125ml (½ cup) flaked toasted coconut — not desiccated coconut

1 large mango, or tropical fruit of choice, peeled, grated, chopped or sliced (optional)

1 fresh long red chilli, seeded and sliced thinly

A small handful of roasted cashew nuts

A large handful of rocket and/or baby spinach leaves

A large handful of coriander leaves

Dressing:

60ml (4 tbsp) olive oil

45ml (3 tbsp) cider vinegar or lemon juice

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Place noodles in a glass bowl and pour over boiling water. Stand for 3-5 minutes until noodles are tender and drain well.
2. Place noodles and coconut in a large bowl with remaining ingredients, tossing gently to combine.
3. Combine dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar. Shake and pour over salad, toss and serve.

5. NUTTY LEMON COUSCOUS

Couscous is made from semolina flour from durum wheat, so though it looks like a grain it’s technically a tiny pasta. It marries well with almost any flavour and can be served hot or cold. Look out as instant couscous rehydrates in boiling water.

Serves: 4

Prep: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

250ml (1 cup) instant couscous

180ml (¾ cup) boiling water

Pinch of salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

60ml (4 tbsp) lemon juice

125ml (½ cup) pistachios or flaked almonds

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 small red onion, chopped finely

125ml (½ cup) fresh mint, shredded

Method:

1. Combine couscous, the boiling water, salt, rind and juice in a medium heat-proof bowl. Cover with cling film and stand for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed, fluffing with a fork occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, dry-fry pistachios or almonds in a heated small frying pan until fragrant. Remove the nuts and chop coarsely.
3. Heat oil in the same pan, add garlic and onion; cook, stirring, until onion softens.
4.  Using a fork, fluff the couscous; then stir in nuts, onion and mint through the couscous.
5. Pile onto a serving plate and serve.