THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES

 

Thanksgiving ‘side dishes’

           There is little dispute about the star on the Thanksgiving table, a roast turkey in all its browned glory.  But the supporting cast often varies from family to family and occasionally we are tempted by something else than the regulation mashed and sweet potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans or Brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce etc. etc.

The gravy and cranberry sauce seem to be inviolate, but there are alternate choices to explore for others. Roast parsnips decorated with chopped parsley and sesame seed come to mind as an alternative to sweet potatoes with a less overpowering sweetness. A potato-shitake gratin provides another eye-catching possibility and has the advantage of freeing the cook from having to stand over the stove with a beater, mashing potatoes at the same time when gravy needs to be made.

                                                    Potato-shitake gratin

This recipe is for 4 persons, made in a 10-inch pie dish, but it can be scaled up with additional baking time. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1)    Brush, trim and slice 4 oz. fresh shitake mushrooms and 2 peeled large shallots. Heat 1 tblsp. oil and 2 tblsp. butter in a pan and fry the mushrooms and shallots on medium high heat for 3 minutes, turn once and continue heating for another 2-3 minutes until nicely browned. Stir in 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and 1 tblsp. lemon juice and set aside.

2)    In a small pan heat 1 ¼ cups Half and Half with ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. nutmeg.  Stir in 1 tblsp. Arrowroot mixed with 2 tblsp. water to slightly thicken the mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.

3)    Generously butter a 10-inch pie plate. Wash and peel 3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, slice in thin slices enough to cover well the bottom of the plate, sprinkle with salt and spread the mushrooms on top, then cover with the rest of the potatoes. Pour the cream-cheese mixture on top, pushing down the potatoes to cover and sprinkle with an additional ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, return to the oven, and bake for additional 15-20 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives.

If you want to introduce something a bit unusual with your side dishes, these balsamic roasted onions are sure to make everyone sit up and notice and eat every one of them.

                             Balsamic roast onions

Cut tops and a thin sliver off the bottom of 2 large red onions. DO NOT PEEL. Cut each onion in 6 large wedges lengthwise. In a small pot melt 2 tblsp. vegetable oil, 2 tbslp. butter and mix with ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. thyme.

Dip the onions in the balsamic vinegar and place cut side down, not touching on an oiled baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees 1 hour, turning the cut sides occasionally. If it looks too dry, baste occasionally with hot chicken broth to loosen the glaze. Remove from the oven, peel off the outer skin, and serve the wedges with the browned sides ‘up’.

This recipe also works for small peeled white onions, with more frequent turning and a shorter roasting time.

          With turkey for Thanksgiving there are invariably leftovers that the cook tries to fashion in different and appetizing meals. Recently I discovered empanadas as an interesting and easy dish to infuse new flavors in an unusual combination. 

                                      Turkey-kimchi empanadas in puff pastry

1)    In a medium pan sauté 1 chopped onion in 1 tblsp. olive oil 3 minutes, stir in 2 cups chopped cooked turkey (or thick sliced smoked deli turkey at other times of the year), 1 sliced garlic clove, Add 2/3 cup chopped kimchi plus 4 tblsp. of the kimchi liquid and 1 tsp. cumin. Cook 1 minute and stir in thawed ¾ cup chopped spinach, drained well.

2)    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large cookie pan with parchment. Thaw one package (17.6 oz) puffed pastry. Spread each of the two pieces out on a lightly floured board with a rolling pin and cut each piece in 4. You will have 8 squares. Spoon a line of filling diagonally on each square, fold it over in a triangle and twist the sides together, pinching to close and arrange on parchment. Baste each empanada with an egg beaten with 1 tblsp. water and bake 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be frozen.

Traditional food can be equally comforting with an occasional tweak in those delicious flavors.

                  

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)