3 Yummy Holiday Side Dishes – Bonnie & Jessy learn to cook!

Oh no, the holidays are approaching and you have no idea what side dishes to make.  I know, this topic is keeping you up at nights.   Never fear, my sister-in-law invited Bonnie and me to join her for a ‘holiday sides’ cooking class, so now you can sleep well at night – we have 3 delicious and easy recipes to share.

We met at a private residence with the kitchen that had me drooling.  The focus?  Easy side dishes for the holidays.  A champagne toast and we were on our way….Great fun, great company, great food.  Here’s what we learned along with some really helpful cooking tips from Don, our chef and teacher.

Tante Marie’s Cranberry Chutney with Figs
I am not a fan of Cranberry sauce for the holidays, but this chutney is a winner.  I plan to make it year round.  Its not your ordinary red sauce that never gets eaten.  The ginger gives it just the right zip without overwhelming the taste buds.

Ingredients

2 12-oz pkgs. cranberries
2 oranges, chopped with skins, seeds removed
1/2 cup chopped red onions
4 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
2 sticks cinnamon, broken into 1″ pieces
1 tsp salt
3 cups sugar
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried Black Mission figs, halved
1/4 cup dark raisins

1. In an enamel pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and cook over moderate heat stirring often
2. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely and the chutney comes to a boil
3. Continue cooking until the cranberries ‘pop’. That’s when the skin on the cranberries split open

TIP: Don’t over-stir or over-cook to keep the chutney looking nice

Yukon Gold & Yam Mash

This dish was really tasty and easy to make.  The ricer was a great tool to get the mash really smooth.  I love kitchen gadgets…

TIP:  To keep potatoes from browning before you use them, immerse them in water with a little lemon added.  It’ll stop the browning.

Ingredients

1 lb yams, peeled and diced
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
4 oz creme fraiche
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp whole grain mustard
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes and yamsin water with 1 tbsp salt.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 – 25 minutes, until the potatoes and yams are tender
3. Drain in colander and return to saucepan
4. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and mix well
5. Use a rice to get a smooth to get the mash smooth and creamy.

Corn Sticks

Arriving to a party starving is never a great idea, but Don feted us with these tasty and fun shaped cornbread sticks.  Needless to say, these go fast so make a lot.  Don mentioned that you can get creative with these by adding bacon, scallions or chilies to the batter.  He added some fresh corn which added a nice texture and taste.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose
2 tbsp sugar
1.25 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp milk
1 egg, separated

TIP:  Eggs separate more easily when still cold, but make sure they are room temperature when you use them to bake.

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Lightly brush the corn stick pans with oil, place in hot oven, and heat until very hot and oil sizzles, about 15 minutes
3. Place cornmeal in a large bowl and sift together the dry ingredients into the corn meal.  Make a well in the center
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, cream, milk, and egg yolk.  Add to the dry ingredients and gently fold together
5. In a small, dry bowl, whip the egg white until soft peaks form.  Fold into the batter (P.S. – we didn’t beat whip the egg whites, we were lazy!)
6. Remove the hot pans from the oven and fill the molds 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges