Put twist on classic side dishes
Lightly Candied Sweet Potatoes
We love sweet potatoes on the holiday table, but some sweet-potato dishes are too, well, sweet for modern tastes.
This dish keeps the sweetness - and the fat and calories - to a minimum, while still packing lots of flavor.
3 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
⅓ cup orange juice
1. Boil the sweet potatoes until almost, but not quite, done, 20 to 25 minutes, then drain. When cool enough to handle, peel them and cut into large chunks.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread sweet potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and brown sugar and dot with butter. Pour orange juice over sweet potatoes. (Dish can be assembled up to three days ahead of time; bring to room temperature before baking.) Cover and bake until well glazed, about 30 minutes.
Makes 6 servings.
Creamed Onions
Creamed onions were always on the holiday table when I was growing up. And, as I never met an onion I didn’t like, they’re on my table, too.
Some recipes call for baking this dish, even adding cheese on top, but I prefer mine simply cooked on the stovetop. I do like a pinch of nutmeg for holiday flavor, though.
This dish can be made ahead, but plan on having to thin the sauce with onion cooking liquid or milk when reheating.
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add onions and simmer until almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, reserving about ½ cup cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring or whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, increasing the heat as needed, and cook until thickened to a sauce consistency, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the pinch of nutmeg and the onions and stir. Taste again for salt and pepper. If sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved cooking water.
Note: Frozen pearl onions, which are already peeled, work great in this recipe. If using fresh, unpeeled pearl onions, boil them in water for about 1 minute to loosen the skins before peeling.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
This recipe skips the can of condensed soup in the classic recipe for this casserole in favor of a homemade sauce that gives a fresher and lighter taste to the overall dish.
1½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 onion, chopped
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup pecan halves
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup bread crumbs or crushed saltine crackers
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1½- to 2-quart baking dish. In a pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes more. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour to the vegetables and cook, stirring 2 minutes.
Add the cold milk and stir well. Simmer until the sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire and hot-pepper sauces. Add the green beans, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
3. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Top with the pecans, cheese and bread crumbs. Dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces. Bake 30 minutes, or until bub-bly.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Easy Cranberry Orange Relish
With no cooking involved, this side comes together in minutes - and it can be made days ahead.
1 orange
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries
¾ to 1 cup sugar
Dash salt
1. Cut orange into eighths and remove any seeds. Do not peel.
2. Place half the orange sections and half the cranberries in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining orange sections and cranberries. Place in bowl and stir in sugar to taste. Store covered in refrigerator. Serve cold or room temperature.
Makes 12 servings.
By Michael Hastings
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