So many Thanksgivings and so many Christmases of the past our Moms were in the kitchen making everything from scratch. At least that's how it was at my house. I might have helped chopping or stirring a little of this or that, but the show was my Mother's. She loved making the meal from start to finish for her family. Then she started slowing down, getting older.
I started cooking the holiday meals at my house and my parents came over. Working all week and then getting up at the crack of dawn and fixin' fixin' fixin' stuff. Then both my parents were gone. I was single and my kids were grown and out in the world. Went to friends for holidays and the new deal was they cooked the main and we supplied the sides, appetizers and desserts. I think this is a good thing!
So for y'all that need good sides to "take to" or just warm up or have on the big day without much fuss….here ya are. These are all dishes that can be made in advance and just warmed a little or just room temperature for the meal.
P. S. These sides work all year round!
The Orange Group:
Umami Carrots
I have been making these carrots for about 25 years. I clean the organic carrots (if they are not too hairy) by rubbing two together to knock off the dirt. They usually are ready to chop after that.
Serves 8 as a side dish
Equipment: 2 quart pot with lid
1 lb. organic carrots
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 T fresh tarragon, torn in pieces
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Clean carrots and cut root and tip off. Quarter and cut in 2" sticks. Place in a pot of hot water and bring to a boil then immediately turn down to a medium simmer until the carrots are just tender crisp. Drain.
Place the carrots back in the empty hot pot, add butter and brown sugar and toss until the butter and sugar are melted, add salt and black pepper to taste and to balance the sweet/savory taste, add tarragon at the last and toss. Serve warm.
I've been know to add mint on occasion.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
As I have been delving further into Indian and Carribean cuisine, I have found lots of sweet potato dishes.
Serves 8 as a side dish
Equipment: 4 quart pot & 9" X 13" pyrex dish with tight fitting lid
3 lb sweet potatoes peeled and diced 3/4"
3 T olive oil
1 C fresh orange juice with goodies
1/2 - 3/4 tsp light brown sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 fresh jalapeno, deveined, seeded and minced (more if you like it hot)
1/3 C red onion, small dice
1/3 C cilantro leaves, washed and patted dry
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, brown sugar, kosher salt and black pepper. Cover and set aside for at least 15 minutes to mellow.
Boil some salted water in the pot and drop in the sweet potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until a fork can just pierce a piece of sweet potato. Drain and put the slightly cooked sweet potatoes in the pyrex pan. Add the dressing and toss. Roast for 30-40 minutes tossing them at least twice until they get just a little caramelized and tender. Take out of oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes until all the dressing is absorbed.
Add the jalapeno, onion and cilantro and toss again. Serve slightly warm.
For a different flavor, don't roast them as long, about 20-25 minutes.
Instead of jalapeno, red onion and cilantro, use a sweet pepper, shallot and chiffoniered sage leaves, or use red bell pepper, shallot, scallion, Thai basil or mint and a Thai pepper. Add some orange zest.
Easy to stick in the fridge overnight and just let sit out the next day near the stove to warm up. It is actually better 1-2 days after making!
The Green Group:
Warm French Green Bean Salad
A tasty and easy Jamie Oliver dish
Serves 8 as a side
Equipment: 2 quart pot, large colander, large serving bowl
1 lb frozen or fresh French green beans
3 tsp Dijon mustard or whole grain Dijon mustard
2 T white wine vinegar (I used a mellow Italian brand)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
1 T capers, drained
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Boil some water and turn down to a fast simmer and drop the prepped green beans in. Stir and simmer for 2-5 minutes until barely tender keeping the green color. Using a spider, drain the beans into a large colander. Wash with cold water and then toss the beans until dry. Combine the mustard, vinegar and olive oil and whisk until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk again. Pour over the dry green beans in a serving bowl along with the shallots, capers and garlic. Toss well and taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve warm or room temperature.
Shamrock Peas
Been using this for 30 years. My Momma didn't think it would work, but it did!
Serves 8 as a side
Equipment: 2 quart sauce pot the wider the better with a tight fitting lid
24 oz package frozen peas
2 T butter
Place frozen peas and butter in a saucepan; cover with a tight fitting lid. Place pan on slow heat. Gently shake pan from time to time while cooking. This takes about 15-25 minutes to thoroughly heat the peas. Do not lift the lid while cooking - just shake the pan. They do retain their bright green color and fresh flavor and will "pop" in your mouth with this method.
Brussels Sprouts With Wine & Garlic
After I made this the first time I saw lots of caramelized Brussels sprouts recipes on the google. I must be a trendsetter!
1/2-3/4 C brussels sprouts per person
2 small to medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced per person
1 T EVOO or peanut or canola oil per person
2 T savinugion blanc wine per serving
sea
salt to taste (I didn’t use any salt)
freshly grated nutmeg after the last browning
Wash the brussels sprouts well, cut off the stem end, and halve and/or quarter the big ones. Wash again and drain.
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until hot. Add garlic, turn heat down to medium low, and cook until tender. Add brussels sprouts halved side down. Put lid on pan and gently cook until caramelized. Add 1/2 of the wine, put lid back on, and cook until absorbed.
Flip the brussels sprouts and cook the same way until caramelized on that side. Add the rest of the wine. Put the lid back on and cook until wine is absorbed. Add the sea salt and nutmeg. Toss and serve warm.
The Fruit Group:
Poached Fruit in Ginger Syrup
Summer in a jar. Decadent. Keeps well.
Serves 8
Equipment: 2 quart pot with lid
2 C water
1/2 C sugar
1 3" strip orange zest
1 2" strip lemon zest
1/4 C orange juice
1 stick cinnamon, cracked and tied in muslin cloth
1 T + 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 medium tart apples, peeled and cored and sliced (2 cups)
2 medium pears, peeled and cored and sliced (2 cups)
1/2 C raisins(both golden and dark)/dried apricots, diced
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon/orange peel
Thin strips lemon/orange zest for garnish
Combine water, sugar, orange and lemon zest, orange juice, cinnamon and ginger in a large saucepan. Boil and turn down to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Add apples and simmer for 3-5 minutes, add pears and simmer 3-5 minutes, add raisins and apricots, cook for 2-5 minutes, stir and take off heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.
Take the cinnamon in the muslin cloth out of the mixture. Drain the apples, pears, raisins and apricots and set aside. Take the syrup and zest and heat again until reduced to 1/2 Cup. Add 1 T lemon juice and extra zest if you want. Take off heat and let sit until room temp. Add to fruit and refrigerate overnight in container with a tight fitting lid. Serve either warm or room temperature.
Minted Fresh Fruit Salad
A burst of citrus with fruit and herbs. Yummy!
Serves 8-10
Equipment: bowl with tight fitting lid
Dressing:
3 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 oz simple syrup
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tsp lime zest
Apples and bananas are the foundation of this salad. I use peaches and plutots or cherries or strawberries in the summer. In the fall it is pears and sometimes plums or grapes. This is an opportunistic salad. Use what you like in season.
4 small to medium apples (use a good eating apple, maybe 2 tart and 2 sweet)
2 bananas
2 small to medium pears
2 other small fresh fruit
1/4 C fresh mint, torn in pieces
1/8 C fresh basil, chiffoniered
Make the dressing and whisk together, set aside for 15 minutes. Wash all the fruit very well. Slice and core and chop the fruit into bite size pieces (I leave the peel on except for the banana). Toss everything together and place in a bowl with a tight fitting lid, stick it in the fridge at least overnight, shaking the bowl once or twice.
Cranberry Nut Mold
An oldie but a goodie. This will please all but the walnut allergic.
Serves 10
Equipment: 3 quart pot with lid, 2 quart mold
16 oz fresh cranberries
1 - 1 1/2 C white sugar (your pick depending on how tart the cranberries are)
1 1/2 C dry red wine
water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 6 oz pkg lemon flavor gelatin
1 1/2 C finely diced celery
3/4 C lightly roasted chopped walnuts
2 T lemon zest
Combine cranberries, sugar, wine and 1/2 C water in pot. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the mixture, stir in and put pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add lemon flavor gelatin and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 1 C cold water. Place lid on pan and refrigerate about 2 hours until mixture starts to solidify. Fold in celery, walnuts and lemon zest and pour into mold. Cover and refrigerate until set at least 4 hours or overnight.
To unmold, lower mold into warm water for a few seconds and unmold on a chilled plate.
You can serve this with a sour cream/mayonnaise dressing. I like it just like it is.
I hope you enjoy these. What are you having for dinner?