Thanksgiving Adventures: Yams

There are a number of benefits in having a steady female presence in one's life. Among the numerous reasons I'm thankful for the lady in my life is her cooking. Catfish? Whoo boy! Her macaroni & cheese? Ruined me for anyone else's or any brand, for that matter.

So, when she told me that Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without yams, I said sure thing, Babe, let's hit the grocery store and get down to business.

Ingredients:

1 29 Ounce Can of Yams

1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tablespoon Melted Butter

1/4 Cup of Evaporated Milk

Mini Marshmallows

Steps/Analysis:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the yams into an oven safe baking pan or casserole and get mashing. If you don't have a potato masher on hand, a fork works just as well.

Add the remaining wet and dry ingredients, except for the marshmallows, and stir to combine. You'll notice the pumpkin pie spice coming into play again. There's no sense in letting it go to waste, but if you didn't just finish baking a pie, cinnamon and nutmeg are essential.

Next, toss in a handful or two of marshmallows and give them a quick stir as well.

Finally, use the rest of your marshmallows to create a thin top layer. It's okay to see some yams poking through this level of soft, pillowy sweetness, so don't pack them too tight.

That's really all there is to it. Pop those yams into the oven for about 20 minutes or until the marshmallows on top are melty and starting to brown.

Serving/Notes:

Spoon these bad boys onto a plate with some turkey and enjoy.

In all likelihood, you'll have a ton of marshmallows left over because they're generally packaged in pretty big bags. My suggestion? Make some hot chocolate for yourself.

Simply Sides: Pineapple Slaw

To wrap up my report of this week's dinner, I wanted to share this really easy, colorful, and tasty side with you.

Ingredients:

1/2 Small Pineapple

1 Red Bell Pepper

4-6 Carrots

1 Lime

Small Bunch of Parsley

Steps/Analysis:

I made one significant change to the original Real Simple recipe I found. It called for one small jicama. Now, I'm not entirely sure what a jicama is, but I do know that my local grocery store doesn't carry them. Stymied in the produce aisle, I racked my brain for a logical substitute. Carrots seemed a welcome addition to any slaw and the bright, orange color would go well with the yellow pineapple and red bell peppers, so I grabbed a pack and called it a day.

If you have a greater variety of produce at your disposal, I encourage you to try jicama (and let me know what it tastes like!).

I was actually able to find a nicely plastic-wrapped half pineapple. If you can't, you'll have to make do with what's available, but I would avoid the temptation to sub this ingredient out. Carefully cut away the sharp, knobby skin and slice the fruit into thin strips, about 2-3 inches long.

Treat your bell pepper and carrots the same way, making sure to peel the carrots beforehand. Toss all three prepared ingredients in a large bowl.

Roughly chop the parsley and add it to the mix. Try not to let any stems in; they're not particularly pleasant to chomp on.

Finally, cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over the slaw. Mix everything up with a large spoon and bring it to the table.

Serving/Notes:
The combination of fruits and vegetables may seem odd, but this turned out to be a very nice, refreshing side. I was particularly surprised by the remarkably tasty combination of bell pepper and pineapple. The two really compliment each other well.

This sweet, tangy slaw goes well with the pork tenderloin from my last post, but I imagine it would be a welcome addition to any strong meaty entree, especially if that entree happens to be served at a barbecue.

Garlic Bread Doesn't Get Any Easier

Remember that toast sitting next to the frittata in my last post? That, my readers, is the easiest garlic bread you'll ever make.

Ingredients:

Bread

Olive Oil

Garlic Salt

Steps/Analysis:

It seems a little misleading to even call this a recipe. Three ingredients and barely as many steps. The hardest part is finding the right bread. A French baguette or Italian bread will do nicely. Basically, though, you'll want a nice, crusty loaf - something that you can cut into thick slabs.

Lay your slices out on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil. You'll want to get a nice, even coating so feel free to use a brush if you have one. A paper towel can be used to effectively spread the oil as well.

Next, sprinkle some garlic salt over the whole kit and caboodle. Be careful, though, because its potent stuff. Too much will overload your taste buds in the final product, but just enough will provide all the garlicky goodness you'll need.

Place the baking sheet on the top rack of a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it because it'll burn quickly. Once it's brown and crispy, it's done.

Notes:

Is it fine dining? Not quite, but it's pretty much interchangeable with the garlic bread you'll find at just about any restaurant. It's a damn fine second fiddle to an appropriate entree.

Simply Sides: Roasted Vegetables

Robert Burns once wrote "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Nowhere is that more true than in the kitchen. Last night, I fully intended to set the scene for another Leftover Corner, turning chili into chili cheese dogs. Alas, I returned from work to find that the chili I had been counting on had been someone's lunch, just hours earlier. That's the risk you take, though, when you play the leftover game.

Since I assume that just about everyone knows how to make plain hot dogs, I offer, instead, a consolation side: Roasted Vegetables.

Ingredients:
3-5 Potatoes
1 Bell Pepper
1 Large Onion
1 Bag of Baby Carrots
Olive Oil
Thyme
Basil
Rosemary
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt

Steps/Analysis
Slice your onion, pepper, and potatoes into wedges of roughly the same shape. This ensures that everything will be done at the same time.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your olive oil, herbs, and spices. You want enough oil to coat all of the veggies, but not so much to soak them. There's a fine line between sticking to the pan and sogginess; it'll take a couple tries to get it right, but the potential damage is minimal so don't be afraid. I also encourage you to play around with your herbage. This combination (heavy on the thyme) has worked well for me in the past, but there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Place your sliced vegetables and baby carrots into the bowl and toss to coat. Pour everything into a baking dish and place in a 375 degree oven. Cooking time will vary slightly depending on the thickness of your wedges, but you should check on them after about half an hour. If the potatoes are tender, you're good to go.

Notes:
This is a simple, hardy side. It's easy to replicate and vary. It's hard to screw up and goes with just about any meal.