Having a little fun with tradional Thanksgiving sidekicks

Hi everyone!

I'm brand new to the forum and thought it would be fun to get input on new spins on old tradional side dishes...you know, deviled eggs, Ambrosia salad, mashed potatoes and gravy. What are your takes on these? Here's my go at peas and carrots... it's also on my brand new blog

Recipe: Peas ♥ Carrots


What to get

8 ounces of fresh or frozen peas (if frozen, keep them this way until they hit the pan)
4 medium-sized diced carrots
1 julienne cut shallot
Small handful of fresh mint leaves - chiffonade
2 diced strips of bacon
Zest of half an orange
A few dashes of garam masala
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

What to do with it all

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat for a few seconds before adding the diced bacon (I actually like to use kitchen shears for this and cut directly over the pan). Fry bacon until crisp and then remove. Add carrots to the bacon drippings and sauté for 7 minutes then reduce to low and add shallots with a sprinkling of salt. Salt removes moisture from vegetables so it's good here because you want to soften the shallots, not sauté them which would add some bitterness in this case. After about 5 minutes the shallots will be translucent and carrots will have given up some tasty juices. Turn the heat back to medium and add the rest of the ingredients and return the bacon. Sauté until the peas are cooked but not soggy (about 5 mins).

Substitutions:

Fresh mint - Fresh tarragon or dry dill. Dry mint is a no-no as it doesn't retain a fresh taste very well.
Shallot - 1/2 yellow or sweet onion
Bacon - Butter & shaved Parmesan or coconut oil & soy parm (vegans)
Orange zest - a splash of orange juice
Garam masala - ground allspice and cinnamon


Makes 1 to 4 servings depending on your appetite!

I like this! Thank you, maebybaby. I always keep a big bag of frozen peas and carrots in the freezer and try to work them in to dinner (and thereby, work some veg into Sweet Baboo's diet), whenever I can. But just peas and carrots get boring, so I appreciate the new ideas.

My experimentation on side dishes has lately been in the mashed potatoes area. I'll try to post some test results soon.

Great! Bring on the potatoes!

Several years ago I found Ina Gartern's Parmesan Smashed Potatoes recipe. Most years I've used all low fat or fat free half & half and sour cream so it's not so deadly. I really like the texture of this style of potatoes, and I even go so far as to use a hand smasher, just until the pototoes are broken up a bit, then a silicone spatula to fold them until perfectly mixed.