I definitely have a pattern, when it comes to a typical week-night dinner. Protein, Green Vegetable, Starch. Sometimes salad, though Aidan is a much bigger fan of mixed leafy greens than his mom is. Here are some of my go-to green vegetable side dishes.
The routine is the same; Prep, Blanch, Drain, Saute. The timing depends on what we're cooking - tender greens are only a few minutes, where some of the tougher greens require a bit more time. I find that I rely quite a lot on my sense of smell for determining doneness, less so on a timer.
Asparagus, Snap Peas, Snow Peas, Broccoli - all of these I prepare in much the same way...
Asparagus
Snap the stem off where it naturally breaks when you hold each end and gently snap off the bottom (the dry, cut end). I usually snap each stalk this way (it's fun) or I use that first one as a guide for cutting off the ends of the rest. Discard the ends.
Place the stalks in a shallow saute pan with just enough water to cover.
Cook over medium heat until the stems turn a vivid green, the water is slightly green-tinged, and you can smell the asparagus. Immediately drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the asparagus from cooking. If you want, you can stop at this point, and refrigerate the asparagus for later, or you can hold off on finishing it until just before the rest of your meal is ready to serve.
To finish, melt a little butter (or use olive oil) in that same sauce pan, add the blanched asparagus, and saute over medium to high heat until the stems sizzle a bit and get a little browning on them. Be careful not to over cook - asparagus goes from slightly firm but tender to complete mush pretty quickly, and you definitely want to stay on the firmer side. Add a little salt and pepper, and serve.
Sugar Snap Peas
Same as the asparagus!
Snow Peas (Pea Pods)
Skip the blanching part. Go straight to the saute step, these cook really quickly.
Broccoli
Use less water - maybe 1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan. Trim small pieces (florets) off of the main stalk. I like the stalk, so after removing the tough woody end, I will peel the stalk, cut it into pieces which are similar in size to the florets, and cook these, too.
Put all of the pieces in the pan with the water. Cover with a lid (glass is best, so you can see the color of the broccoli as it cooks).
Cook over medium heat. You're steaming, rather than blanching, and you'll know it's done when the broccoli is emerald green, and it smells good. Immediately remove from heat, drain off the water, return it to the pan but do not return it to the hot stove - instead, add a bit of butter and stir to coat the florets and cut stem pieces. You can add salt and pepper, or you can toss a handful of shredded cheese on top, and cover with the lid to help the cheese melt.
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