|
Holiday Side Dishes from Everyday
Southwest
Sandra Hoopes EverydaySouthwest.com
Chiles aren't the only way to add Southwest
flavors to your Christmas dinner. Try my
Bourbon-Molasses Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping,
Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing and Green Chile
Potato Gratin.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon, Molasses and
Pecans
Serves 12
4 pounds sweet potatoes
1 cup heavy cream,
warmed ¼ cup bourbon
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ teaspoon salt
Pecan topping (recipe follows)
Directions: Pre-heat oven
to 350°. Bake potatoes for one hour to one hour and 20
minutes or until fork tender and syrup begins to bubble
out. Remove from oven and cool. When the potatoes are
cool enough to handle, remove the skins and put flesh
into a large mixing bowl. Add bourbon, brown sugar,
molasses, salt and 2/3 of the cream. With an electric
mixer, beat on high speed until smooth. Add enough of
the reserved cream until the potatoes are the desired
consistency. Pour into a heated serving dish, cover and
keep warm. May be reheated before serving. Top with
pecan topping just before serving.
Pecan Topping
1 ½ cups lightly toasted pecan halves
1 cup sliced almonds
¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet
with non-stick cooking spray, set aside. In a large
mixing bowl, toss together the pecans, almonds, oats,
brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the butter until
the mixture is blended but still a little lumpy.
Green Beans with Warm Bacon Dressing
Serves 12
2 pounds fresh green beans, trim ends
4 quarts boiling water
2 tablespoons salt
6 strips bacon
Dressing
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons mesquite honey
1 shallot, finely minced
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Blanch green beans for
about two minutes in large pot of boiling water until
bright green but still crisp. Strain and plunge
immediately into ice bath until chilled. Drain green
beans and pat dry.
Fry bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove from pan and
drain on a paper towel. Chop bacon. Remove all but three
tablespoons bacon drippings from pan. Set aside. Whisk
together mustard, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, honey,
shallot, olive oil. Pour vinegar mixture into bacon
drippings and whisk together over medium-low heat until
heated through. Add green beans to pan the with
dressing, toss until heated through but still al denté.
Salt and pepper to taste. Place green beans on a warm
platter and garnish with chopped bacon.
Green Chile Potato Gratin
Serves 12
6 russet potatoes
3 cups heavy cream
10 ounces gruyere cheese,
grated 2 roasted poblano chiles, diced (or one can diced
green chiles)
Salt Fresh cracked white pepper
Fresh chives,
minced Red & green jalapeño or Serrano chiles for
garnish (optional)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°
Peel potatoes and slice 1/8 of an inch thick (use a
mandolin if you have one, the slices will be even and
stack nicely. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Neatly
layer potato slices on the bottom of the dish. Spoon
five tablespoons of heavy cream over the potatoes,
sprinkle sparingly with cheese and green chile. Season
with salt and pepper. Repeat the layering process until
potatoes, chiles, cream and cheese are gone. Be sparing
with the cream and cheese if you want the layers to
stack nicely when cut and plated.
Press down on the potatoes to firmly stack them and to
make sure they are covered in cream. Cover with foil and
bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 30
minutes until the potatoes are fork tender and the cream
has been absorbed. Check potatoes 15 minutes before the
time is up. If they are browning too quickly replace
foil. When the potatoes are tender, remove from oven and
let rest about 10-15 minutes. Slice into squares and
garnish with chives, sliced jalapenos and serrano
chilies if desired. For more great southwestern
recipes visit
www.everydaysouthwest.com |
