Many Blessings,
Julie
So you have the turkey......but what about the sides?!
Try these two sides.....even delicious and hearty without the meat.....
Instead of traditional mashed potatoes, try this Veggie Mash!
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced
3 lbs. red bliss potaotes, cleaned, peeled with a bit of skin remaining, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 cup cooked cannellini beans
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic and parsnip about 7 minutes. Add potatoes, cover with 3 inches of water, and simmer until tender. Add beans and heat through. Drain reserving some water to mash more easily.
Roasted Vegetables with Chickpeas
Use the veggies below or whatever you have in abundance and roast to perfection!
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 lb. red potatoes cut into cubes
1 head of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
16 oz. chickpeas, cooked (if using can, rinse and drain)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon each dried rosemary and thyme, crushed
1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients except mushrooms in a large roasting pan. Stir well coating vegetables. Roast for 30 minutes, add mushrooms and continue to roast for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Green Beans and Garlic
2 lbs. of green beans
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Steam beans for five minutes and then immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain. In a frying pan warm olive oil. Add beans; stir to coat. Add garlic. Stir and toss for one minute. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper.
Squash, pear, cranberry bake
substitute apples for pears if you wish
2 lbs. winter squash, peeled, cleaned and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 cups dried cranberries
1 onion, chopped
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup olive oil
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a shallow baking dish. Stir well allowing the olive oil and maple syrup to coat all ingredients. Bake for about 45 minutes or until squash is tender and carmelized. Stir occasionally.
Stuffed Acorn squash
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut each squash in half through stem end. Scrape out seeds with a spoon. Place cut side down in baking dish with small amt of water. Cover with foil. Bake until fork easily pierces through the squash, about 40 minutes.
When you remove from baking pan, fill squash over to reveal their cavity which can simply be flavored with a small amount of olive oil, sea salt, maple syrup. For a full meal stuff with Forbidden Rice recipe (below), a wild rice stuffing, or simply rice and beans.
Holiday Forbidden rice
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of fresh shitake mushroom caps
4 medium carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/3 cup of minced shallots
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups cooked Forbidden Rice (follow package instructions)
1-1/3 cup of fresh orange juice
1-1/3 cup of dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté for one minute. Add carrots, celery, and shallots. Season with salt and pepper; sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, orange juice and cranberries. Toss to mix well. Pour into a 9” x 13” baking dish. Cover loosely with tin foil and bake until liquid evaporates, about 35 minutes.
roasted sweets and beets
5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 large beets, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces (reserve beet greens for salad)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 c. olive oil
2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. garlic powder
Mix all ingredients well in a bowl and transfer to a shallow baking dish. Bake on 400 degrees, mixing twice during baking, for about 40 minutes or when veggies are soft and carmelized.
