Mom’s Beet Salad – This Week’s Feast – Episode 48!
Mix finely chopped good quality chocolate and chopped chocolate mint into vanilla ice cream!
I know Thanksgiving is over. I know, I know. But, we had such a fun time with our family and friends that I just want to write about it one more time.
You see, each year, for a long time, Tim has been making a Thanksgiving video. Some years it involves the Turkey being driven around the family farm, other years it features us. He’s so creative.
Normally, you see videos of my cooking show on here. But, I feel like giving you a glimpse of our life, our family, our holidays.
We had Thanksgiving dinner with my Uncle Larry and Aunt Gail, cousins: Ted, Jake, Renée, Gracie, Josiah; Tim’s parents, Terry and Cathy, and our friends, Doris, Brad, Mary, Brian, and Sarah. It was a blast!!
I’d planned to make my Roasted Garlic Yams, but ended up making a variation of them, which you can see below. It would work well for any holiday or regular dinner, so keep this one bookmarked!
Happy the holidays! Enjoy a laugh, on us.
Happy Eating!
Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Yams
Recipe Type: Side, Roasting, Oven, Squash, Winter
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Yams are roasted. Parmesan cheese is grated. Almonds are chopped. They are all combined to make a delicious fall dish.
Ingredients
9 yams, cut into large chunks
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 to 1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes
1-2 T olive oil
1/4 C garlic infused olive oil (I used Bari’s)
1 C parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 C reserved)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t lemon juice
1/4 C apple cider
1/2 C roasted almonds, chopped
Instructions
Toss yams with 1 1/2 T olive oil, and seasonings. Place on 2 or 3 baking sheets (making sure they are not overcrowded). Drizzle cut side of squash with 1/2 T olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast at 350F for 60 minutes (at 30 minutes rotate which is on top and bottom oven racks).
Whisk together garlic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and cider.
When squash is tender, scrape into a bowl, mash a bit, and combine with roasted yams, 3/4 C parmesan cheese, and cider mixture.
Top with remaining 1/4 C cheese and bake for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Serve topped with almonds.
Notes
This can be made the day before, up thru step 3. The following day, place in an oven proof pan, covered, and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes. Uncover, and bake an additional 20-40 minutes more (or until it’s heated to at least 165F). In last 15 minutes of baking, top with remaining 1/4 C parmesan cheese. Serve topped with almonds.
I really enjoy making soup. I love making a soup completely from scratch, or using leftovers to invent a one of a kind creation. It’s pretty much my favorite.
My mom-in-law loves to make Pulled Pork Sandwiches (and we love to eat them). When we were at their house for Thanksgiving, she made them. But, it was just four of us eating, so there were lots leftover. I thought that it might make a yummy chili. I looked in their cupboards and they had some beans and tomatoes. We were set.
This is a super easy meal that can be made with what you have on hand! If you have something a little bit different, try it! Maybe you had roast beef, or chicken, that would taste great! Our Pulled Pork had BBQ Sauce in it, so if you aren’t using Pulled Pork, just add some (from the store or homemade). Use the veggies you have in your drawer, or things that sound good to you. If you prefer not to cook with wine, you could use an equal amount of apple cider… Got it?!
Make this. Hang out with your family or friends. Eat it along with some bread (mom made homemade Beer Bread – it was yummy!). Mmmmmm…
1-14 oz. can Italian Stewed Tomatoes (or whatever canned tomatoes you have), diced
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained
1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1-15 oz. can chili beans, drained (or pinto beans and add some: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and tomato paste)
2-3 t (or 3-5 cloves) garlic, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 C chicken stock
1/2 C red wine (or apple cider)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T lemon juice
pepperjack cheese, cut into matchsticks, for topping
Instructions
Heat soup pot, add oil. When oil is hot, add onion, bell pepper, and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes, over medium heat.
Add garlic, 2 min.
Add balsamic vinegar, cook 1 minute.
Add beans, tomatoes, and pork. Cook 10 minutes.
Add stock and wine or cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, for at least 30 minutes, or until it’s the desired thickness (I wanted mine thick, so I cooked for a little longer than 30).
Ten minutes before serving: add spinach and wilt down. Cook for 8 minutes. Add lemon juice, cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
1-14 oz. can Italian Stewed Tomatoes (or whatever canned tomatoes you have), diced
1-15 oz. can black beans, drained
1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1-15 oz. can chili beans, drained (or pinto beans and add some: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and tomato paste)
2-3 t (or 3-5 cloves) garlic, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 C chicken stock
1/2 C red wine (or apple cider)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T lemon juice
pepperjack cheese, cut into matchsticks, for topping
Instructions
Heat soup pot, add oil. When oil is hot, add onion, bell pepper, and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes, over medium heat.
Add garlic, 2 min.
Add balsamic vinegar, cook 1 minute.
Add beans, tomatoes, and pork. Cook 10 minutes.
Add stock and wine or cider. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, for at least 30 minutes, or until it’s the desired thickness (I wanted mine thick, so I cooked for a little longer than 30).
Ten minutes before serving: add spinach and wilt down. Cook for 8 minutes. Add lemon juice, cook for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
When I was young, like the year I got my Cabbage Patch Kid for Christmas, I think I would have made a really weird face at you, had you promised that I would somday love things like spinach, kale, radicchio, and swiss chard. Or, I may have ignored you altogether and continued to play with my doll. But now, 26 or so years later. I do.
I love them as a salad, in scrambled eggs, with fried potatoes, and maybe best of all, wilted, wilted, wilted down, then topped with some crispy bacon and crunchy almonds… I might not want to share (yes, sometimes I am still a bit like my 5 year old self).
For this week’s episode, I was trying to think of something you might have wanted to try, but haven’t had the courage to. Something that’s simple, yet seems a bit intimidating. Perfect for episode 47, for a cold fall – almost winter’s dinner.
If you’ve looked at the recipe already, you will see that not only are there tons of weird greens (weird if they’re new to you maybe), but also a wacky Black Spanish Radish.
Don’t run away. Please.
Radishes add a spicy kick that (especially when grated) isn’t overpowering. They’re rich in absorbic acid, folic acid, amd potassium. They’re a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium.(1) In addition to grating radishes into salads (wilted or regular), I use them in soups, stews, salads, and stir fries… among many other things.
So now that we’ve got that settled, eat along friends! Let’s wilt some greens!
1/2 C black spanish radish (or other kind of radish), peeled and grated
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 t maple syrup
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne
3 C spinach, roughly chopped or torn (could also use swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens, or any other greens you love)
3 C kale, roughly chopped or torn (any kind of kale)
1 1/2 C radicchio, chopped
1/4 C roasted almonds, roughly chopped (for topping)
Instructions
Place bacon in cold pan, cook until crispy. Remove with slotted spoon and set on a paper towel to drain.
Either discard bacon grease from pan and add 2 T olive oil, or leave about 1 T bacon grease and add 1 T olive oil. Heat and add onion and radish. Cook 3-5 minutes, or until softened, over medium heat.
Remove stems from greens, wash well, and dry.
Add vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, and seasonings to the onion pan. Stir, then add all the radicchio and some of the greens, wilting down and tossing, then adding more greens and repeating until they are all gone. Turn the heat down to medium-low.
Once all greens are wilted, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
