Potato-Yam Chipotle Mash

Prep time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

With our turkey holiday right around the corner, I started thinking about smaller feasts. What do you do when you're not cooking for 15 to 20 people? You downsize a recipe, right? And, you can also tweak a traditional recipe like mashed potatoes.

Here's a  Potato-Yam Chipotle Mash for four that'll blow you away. Made with potatoes, one yam and spiced with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce - it's deliciously sweet and HOT!  Of course, you can control the amount of heat you want. 

Ingredients:
Two medium Russet potatoes, about 5 inches in length (preferably organic)
1 medium yam (weighing about 1/2 pound)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons milk (2% milkfat, 1% milkfat or whole milk*)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce**
Salt, to taste

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-inch chunks; transfer the potato chunks to a bowl of cold water and set aside.

2. Peel the yam and cut it into 2-inch chunks; transfer the yam chunks to the bowl of potatoes and cold water.

3. Drain the potato and yam chunks and transfer them to a 4 to 6-quart saucepot. Cover with cold water. Set saucepot, covered, on a burner on high heat and bring to a boil. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt.

4. Uncover saucepot and cook the potato and yam chunks for 7 to 8 minutes or until they are fork-tender.

5. When the potato and yam chunks are cooked, drain them in a colander and transfer them to a medium glass or porcelain mixing bowl or stand mixer. Add the butter or olive oil to the poato-yam mixture.

6. If using a mixing bowl, beat the potatoes with a hand mixer. Alternatively, use medium mixing speed on a stand mixer.

7. When the potatoes are beaten, stir in the milk and 1/2 teaspoon of the mashed chipotles. Beat once more until well-blended. Taste and add more mashed chipotle, if desired. Adjust salt level, if needed.

Serve Potato-Yam Chipotle Mash with turkey on Thanksgiving Day. This recipe makes for a great side with any meat, poultry or fish filet such as salmon, halibut, sea bass, etc.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real


*If using fat-free milk, the consistency of the mash will be less creamy.

**Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are sold in a can in Latin American Supermarkets or in the ethnic section of conventional supermarkets. To prep and store the "whole" chiles in adobo sauce, simply puree them in a blender or food processor. Store the mashed chiles in a glass jar, covered and refrigerated. The chipotle chiles will keep up to two months.

Drunken Brussel Sprouts

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 to 6 (as a side dish)

How do you prepare Brussel sprouts? Do you boil or steam them? 

I sauté Brussel Sprouts with a splash of Whisky or wine. As they cook, the alcohol reduction makes this simple veggie sweet - and happy! 

Enjoy these Drunken Brussel Sprouts as a side dish for your Thanksgiving turkey. You'll get great reviews on this recipe.

1/3 cup olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 pounds fresh Brussel sprouts (15 to 18 count)
1/2 cup chopped white or brown onion
1/2 cup Whisky or dry white wine
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Working over a sink, trim and discard the stubs from the Brussel sprouts. Remove outer leaves, cut the sprouts in half lengthwise. As you cut the sprouts, place them in a bowl with cold water.

2. Drain the Brussel sprouts and pat them dry with paper towels; set aside in a bowl.

3. Heat the oil in a 10 to 12-inch skillet. Add the Brussel sprouts and stir fry on medium high heat for about 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the chopped onion and stir fry 2 minutes or until onion is clear.

5. Add Whisky or wine, salt and pepper to the Brussel sprouts in skillet. 

6. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until the sprouts are crunchy-tender. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer for a softer consistency.

Serve as a side dish to poultry, meat or fish.

Text and Photograph ©2012 Nancy Real

Aunt Menina's Leaves & Potatoes (Foglie e Patate)

Prep time: 30 to 35 minutes

Serves: 4 to 6

While living in Avellino, Italy, my Aunt Menina sometimes came to spend the day with us. These visits stand out because Menina was great at creating exquisite dishes from my Nonna's vegetable garden. And she would introduce us to recipes from her husband's village, Pietrastornina (that's a mouthful, ain't it?).

Today, Menina and Antonio Urciuolo serve a fav of mine, Foglie e Patate (Italian for "Leaves and Potatoes) at their restaurant, La Locandina (located in Pietrastornina).

Although my recipe is delicious, whenever I have this vegetarian dish at La Locandina, it's as though I'm tasting it for the first time. The main ingredients of this recipe are rapini (the leaves) and potatoes.

Make it - I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

2 pounds Russet potatoes (about 3 large potatoes)

1/3 cup fine quality extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced

1 bunch rapini, washed, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

Dash ground black pepper & nutmeg, to taste

Place potatoes in a 5 or 6-quart saucepot and cover them with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and fry on medium heat until the cloves are golden. Add the rapini to the oil and garlic. Cook rapini on medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, occasionally tossing with thongs, until crunchy-tender. Stir in the salt and set skillet with rapini aside.

Peel the cooled potatoes and mash them in a large bowl; set aside.

Return the skillet with rapini to a burner set on medium heat. Heat the rapini until they are hot.

Stir the mashed potatoes into the rapini. Stir and cook until Leaves and Potatoes are warmed through. Season with a dash of black pepper & nutmeg.

Serve in 4 bowls as a vegetarian meal or as 6 side dishes to chicken, fish or meat.

Wine pairing suggestion: Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon (red).

Text & Photographs ©2012 Nancy Real