Simple Sides

Wow, it's been over 2 months since I shared a recipe. Funny I haven't stopped cooking... I just made the Moroccan Chicken, Turnip and Carrot Tagine right off this very blog.  Mom actually picked up her plate and drank the remaining sauce.  It wasn't pretty but did prove how tasty this did was.  This reminded me of a dish Mom raved about over the holidays that I really must share.  Over the holidays we went to cottage in the woods, on a lake.  It was gorgeous and I wanted to spend my time relaxing, hanging with the dogs and not in the kitchen so I made simple dishes.  I cooked a ham, a pork tenderloin, roasted a prime rib, steamed some mussels but the sides, oh the sides did sing.  And I made them ahead!  Easy peasy.  This first one freezes beautifully.  It's a real treat to have veggie sides ready to go.  So here goes.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Makes 8 - 10 pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 lb sweet potaotes, peeled and shredded
• 3 tbsp veg oil

Instructions:

1. Mix everything from flour to the salt and pepper. 
2. Stir in the eggs and enough of the milk to make it moist, toss in the sweet potatoes and add more milk if necessary to make a nice stiff batter.  Don't worry, you really can't screw it up. 
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high until hot.
4. Drop 1/4 cup of the sweet potato mix and flatten with a spatula.  Repeat until the pan is full but NOT crowded.
5. Cook 5 - 8 minutes until golden, flip and repeat on the other side.
6. Place cooked pancakes on a paper towel lined plate and cook the rest of the mixture. 
7. Serve with yogurt or
8. Cool completely before freezing.
9. Reheat by placing on a single layer on a baking sheet in a preheated 325F oven for 10 minutes or until hot through.

**If you wish to bake these you can.  Do it on parchement paper and at 425 for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 5 - 10 minutes. 


Here's another make ahead that actually does freeze well.  I like to reheat it in the oven.

Mustard Tatties
Serves, well that depends on how many tatties you peel...

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes per person plus 1 extra for the pot (seriously, this is how I learned to plan enough mashed potatoes)
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Sugar.
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Peel the potatoes and place in a pot.  Fill with an inch of water.  You want to steam the potatoes more than boil them.  You can use a steamer if you like.
2. Cook the potatoes until they are tender when poked with a fork.
3. Drain the potatoes and let cool a bit, about 10 minutes
4. Mash the potatoes
5. Add equal parts mustard and mayo to start.  I usually start with 1//4 cup of each if I'm making potatoes for 2.  Taste.  Add more mustard and/or mustard as you like.  Add a tsp or 2 of sugar to balance the mustard.  Taste.  Add salt and pepper if necessary.  Taste.  Are you getting my point?  It's all about your taste. 
6. Once you've got it to your liking you can serve it warm or cold (Newfoundlanders have this as part of a "Cold Plate" for all sort of functions all year long!)
7. You can also freeze this but if you do you really have to serve it warm after the it's defrosted.  Just heat it in a baking dish at 325F for about 30 minutes until heated through.  It's quite nice.