Monday, November 13, 2006
Mash your Thanksgiving sides
We all have our favorite dishes for the holidays, and you might already have some for popular root vegetables. But these vegetables don’t have to be boring. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, try adding a few ingredients to those old favorites. With a few simple additions, these vegetables can go from being Thanksgiving extras to starring roles.
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Mashed Carrots and Turnips
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium turnips, peeled and diced
1/2 cup butter or margarine, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Place carrots and turnips in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil; cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, salt and pepper. Makes 8 servings.
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1/8 cup milk
Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Mix in the sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Add the apple slices, cover, and let simmer until the apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Mix the apple mixture into the drained sweet potatoes along with the milk. Mix well using an electric mixer or just a fork until potatoes are mashed. Makes 6 servings.
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When making this recipe, be sure the garlic gets mashed well along with the potatoes.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
5 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
15 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup whipping cream
Place potatoes, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes; drain. Transfer potatoes and garlic to a mixing bowl; mash. Add butter, cream and remaining salt; mix until smooth. Makes 6 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
Warming liquid ingredients such as milk or cream before adding to root vegetables helps reduce lumps. This also keeps the vegetables from cooling down before serving them.
Cook vegetables only until they are fork-tender. Overcooked vegetables get soggy when mashed.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com