Cooking

Advent IV: Familiar Sides Dishes with a new twist!

Southern Cooking at it’s Best!
by Eddy Browning
eddy@saintpetersnc.org
It isn’t always easy to determine whether a vegetable dish is something to serve “on the side” or as the main attraction. Think about a typical Christmas table: At the center, a large, glossy brown turkey, a nice Standing Rib Roast or a Baked Ham; arranged all around are a banquet of vegetable sides: Brussels sprouts with chestnuts, green beans flavored with nuts or bacon, creamed corn or spinach, baked squash drizzled with honey, sweet potato soufflé. Adding a variety of vegetable dishes to your meals livens up any main dish, even main dishes that feature vegetables.

One of the greatest pleasures of shopping at farm stands and local markets is seeing the parade of seasonal vegetables. Whenever something is at its peak, you get more than the best buy. You also get the best flavor and all that nutrition. Sometimes, you may even want to let the side dishes help you decide what main dish to prepare.

Vegetables have distinct and at times, assertive flavors. Think about how different flavors will work together on a single plate. Vegetables that are somewhat sweet or starchy, for example may taste too dull or bland; especially when paired with a creamy or delicately flavored main dish. Those same vegetable side dishes take on a different character when balanced with a more intensely flavored main dish.

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Too much of any one color on a plate can be boring. Especially when you have so many colorful choices; deep greens, soft yellows, reds that range from pink to burgundy, and oranges. A plate of sliced roasted chicken is more attractive when bold colors are added, but less appealing when paired with only white or pale yellow vegetables.

Just as the texture of a chicken changes depending upon the cooking techniques used, so too will the texture of your vegetable side dishes. Zucchini is tender when stewed as part of a ratatouille, but takes on a whole different character when it is turned into crisp pancakes.

Here is a recipe for Sweet Potato Soufflé that is a little different than the usual one that most Inner Bankers serve at holiday time. I prefer using fresh sweet potatoes over the canned variety-but that’s each chef’s choice. Around the fall holidays, towering mountains of canned yams are constructed in grocery stores throughout the Inner Banks. Truth is, the contents are not yams at all. What is often labeled and sold as yams are actually sweet potatoes. Botanically speaking, yams are tubers and a member of the lily family; sweet potatoes are the root and a member of the morning glory family. Yams originated in Africa, whereas sweet potatoes are New World plants. There are many varieties of both that differ in size, taste, shape, and color.

This recipe is not sweet and syrupy. When I doubted mama about the change in her recipe, she laughed and said, “Y’all will like it this way.” And we did!

Sweet Potato Soufflé
Like carrots, sweet potatoes rarely get out from under a syrupy glaze. Here they are presented in an elevated savory dish that pairs well with roast pork, Turkey or game. Also, there is no cinnamon is sight!
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes; 1/2 cup freshly grated dry Monterey jack cheese; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns; 2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 cup whole milk; 1 cup grated Edam cheese; 4 large egg yolks; 4 large egg whites; pinch of salt; caraway seeds.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until very tender when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool.

Butter a 2-quart mold or six individual soufflé dishes and coat with some of the jack cheese.

When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and mash or push it through a ricer or food mill.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion, garlic, and rosemary until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger, pepper, and flour, and stir to combine. Cook and stir for 3 minutes before adding the milk. Cook, whisking until thickened- about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the Edam cheese and stir until melted. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with the salt until the whites hold a soft peak. Fold the whites into the sweet potato mixture in four additions. Spoon the mixture into the soufflé dish, filling it to the top. Sprinkle with the remaining jack cheese and the caraway seeds. Run a damp fingertip around the rim of the dish.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

NOTE: The soufflé can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked when needed. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

I always thought I did not like cauliflower. Turns out, I did not like overcooked cauliflower. I was converted with this dish which recipe follows. This is a crunchy, savory dish that my whole family enjoys. It’s different with a new twist!

Crumb Cauliflower
Serves 4

1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and separated into florets; 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese; salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the cauliflower in the olive oil for 2 minutes. Stir to coat with the olive oil, then cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Scatter the garlic and the bread crumbs over the florets. Cook uncovered, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender and the crumbs are nice and brown. Add the parsley.

Turn out onto a warm serving platter. Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Greens make an excellent side dish during the holidays. This recipe is easy to make and loaded with nutrition. It is also delicious! This dish is elegant and makes a grand presentation on your holiday table.

Inner Banks-Style Spinach
Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons diced pancetta or 1 slice bacon, diced; 1 anchovy fillet, chopped; 1/4 cup minced yellow onion; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 8 cups spinach leaves; salt and pepper as needed; 2 tablespoons dark or golden raisins; 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until the fat renders and the pancetta is translucent, about 1 minute. Raise the heat to high and add the anchovy, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the garlic is aromatic and the anchovy has dissolved into the oil, about 1 minute more. Add the spinach and sauté until deep green, tender and softened, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Drain the mixture, if necessary, and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

We always try to have a truly eye-catching dish on our holiday table. I would suggest that you try combining several different colors of beets such as red, golden, or the candy-striped Chioggia beets, which when cut reveal a pattern of pink and white concentric rings.

1 pound beets (about 6 small beets); zest of 1 orange; 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus additional to taste; 2 tablespoon olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, or mint.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trim the stem ends of the beets, leaving about 1 inch intact; leave the root ends untouched. Place the beets in a small baking dish with water to a depth of 1/14 inch. Scatter half of the orange zest, the salt, and the pepper over the top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the beets are tender enough to pierce easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 1 hour.

When beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends and slip off the skins. Quarter each beet lengthwise and cut each quarter into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Whisk together the olive oil, remaining orange zest, orange juice, and cilantro in a serving bowl. Add the roasted beets and toss well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Everyone loves mashed potatoes on their holiday table. This recipe is similar to the standard one but with a new twist. It’s different and delicious!

Inner Banks Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered; coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 head cauliflower, separated into florets; 2 cloves garlic; 1 carrot, chopped; 1/4 cup buttermilk, plus more if needed; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, place the potatoes and cover with cold water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat; add the cauliflower, garlic, and carrot. Decrease the heat to low. Simmer gently until the vegetables are fork tender, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the buttermilk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. cook until the butter is melted; cover and keep warm.

Drain the vegetables in a colander, and return them to the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until a floury film forms on the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Mash the vegetables in the saucepan until smooth with a ricer, food mill, or potato masher. Add the warm buttermilk mixing in the parsley, stirring vigorously until well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

It is my hope and prayer that each of you will have a very Merry Christmas and that you will be surrounded and engulfed by love. Also, please remember to share with those that are lonely and less fortunate. Rejoice!

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