ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

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Okay, so it’s a Wednesday evening at five o’clock, and so far the week’s been a total dumpster fire. Limping into the kitchen, you find yourself faced with a choice: You can give up entirely and reach for a flaccid box of something frozen. Or you can do this: roll up your sleeves, grab some carrots, steam ’em with butter and salt, blend ’em, and hit ’em with a blast of lemon.And that, as they say, is that. That’s everything you need to create a side dish that will turn any old plate into a Technicolor wonderland ruled by flavor. Combine with a dead-simple <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-chicken-breast">sous vide chicken breast</a> and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/crispy-crunchy-apple-fennel-salad-with-walnuts-and-honey">a crispy, crunchy apple salad</a>, and now you’ve got a pretty great-looking meal to lure your family to the table. When they see this perfectly constructed, lovable dish, their faces will light up and the flames of anxiety and chaos will subside, leaving you surrounded by serenity and the simple pleasure of a midweek meal with the ones you love. And that, household hero, is something you’re unlikely to discover inside a cardboard box.