Sides - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with side dishes, including Jollof Rice and Roasted Squash and Apple Chowder with Colorful Potatoes. Enjoy!

SPICY COLESLAW

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “This easy, crisp slaw can be made a few hours ahead of time. It goes well with ribs and a cold beer, fried chicken or whatever summer feast sparks your fancy.”

Yield: Serves 6; Time: 10 minutes, plus hours’ refrigeration

This was featured in “Lone Star”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012539-spicy-coleslaw.

Ingredients

1 medium head green cabbage

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons pickle relish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons pepper sauce, like Frank’s, or to taste

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Cut the cabbage in half and remove the core. Cut each half in half and slice each resulting quarter into thin ribbons. Mix with carrots in a large, nonreactive bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss. Season to taste.

The coleslaw may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for a few hours. Toss again before serving.

JOLLOF RICE

This is from Yewande Komolafe, also in the The New York Times cooking email. Yewande wrote, “A successful batch of jollof rice requires a few key ingredients (tomatoes, peppers, onions, a few herbs, spices and some stock) and a perfect sauce-to-rice ratio, so the cooked grains remain separate. I have found that the best, no-fuss way to do this is in the oven. Jollof is typically made with long-grain rice, though in Nigeria, parboiled rice is the norm. Most jollof is prepared over an open flame or on a stovetop. Missing from this oven version is the slightly smoky flavor you get from the little bits of rice that have browned on the bottom of your pan, but that’s nothing a pinch of smoked paprika can’t fix. Serve with braised goat or other stewed meats, and a side of fried plantains.”

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 1/2 hours

This was featured in “Yewande Komolafe’s 10 Essential Nigerian Recipes” and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020288-jollof-rice.

Ingredients

For the Obe Ata:

1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1/2 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 red habanero chile, stemmed

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

For the Jollof Rice:

1/2 cup canola or other neutral oil

2 medium red onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

3 cups parboiled long-grain rice (such as Carolina Gold or Uncle Ben’s Original), basmati or jasmine rice (about 1 1/4 pounds)

5 fresh thyme sprigs

1 fresh bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups beef, chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation

Prepare the obe ata: Working in batches if needed, combine all the obe ata ingredients except the canola oil in a blender and purée on high until smooth. The liquid from the can of tomatoes should suffice, but you can add up to 1/4 cup of water if necessary to get the purée going. (You should have about 3 cups of purée.)

Heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add the purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced by about a third of its original volume, 18 to 20 minutes. (It should make about 2 cups. Obe ata can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 1 month.)

Prepare the rice: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the 1/2 cup canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove half the onions to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, turmeric and smoked paprika, if using, and toast, stirring occasionally, until turmeric is fragrant and tomato paste has deepened to a dark red color, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the obe ata sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. The habanero oils love to disperse in the air, so you may want to turn on your stovetop fan or open a window while simmering the obe ata. Stir in the rice, thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the stock and cover with a lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook until rice is just tender, 35 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and let sit, covered (no peeking) for 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the reserved sautéed onions. Adjust seasoning, if necessary, and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Serve warm.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This is from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

4 medium Sweet potatoes or yams (about 2 lb)

1/4 cup Packed brown sugar

1/4 cup Butter

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 Can (8 oz) crushed pineapple

1 tablespoon Packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon Butter

1 teaspoon Water

1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups Miniature marshmallows

1/4 cup Chopped pecans

Wash sweet potatoes. Prick each 2 or 3 times with fork to allow steam to escape. Arrange in oven at least 1 inch apart. Microwave at HIGH (100%) until fork-tender, 8 to 10 mins. Cover & let stand 5 minutes.

Peel and slice potatoes. Place in 2-quart casserole. Add 1/4 cup butter and the salt. Mash until no lumps remain. Mix in pineapple. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 2 minutes. Stir and set aside.

Place 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, the water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in medium bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) until butter is melted, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after half the time. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Top sweet potato mixture with marshmallows. Microwave at HIGH (100 % until the marshmallows are melted and potatoes are heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans.

ROASTED SQUASH AND APPLE CHOWDER WITH COLORFUL POTATOES

This is from the October 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 76. It starts off, “Puréed roasted butternut squash provides the creamy base for a hearty chowder. If making the chowder ahead, prepare the recipe through step 3, then assemble and reheat just before serving.” Serves 8.

2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (6 cups), divided

3 medium apples, peeled and diced (3 cups), divided

2 large leeks, white parts cut into 1-inch chunks (1 cup), plus 1/2 cup thinly sliced leek greens, divided

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 lb. multicolored potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup apple juice

1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine 5 cups butternut squash chunks, 2 cups diced apple, leek whites, oil, and maple syrup in large bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread squash mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet, and roast 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Cook potato chunks and remaining 1 cup butternut squash in boiling, salted water 5 to 7 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, and set aside.

Purée roasted vegetables in blender until smooth. Add purée and apple juice to large soup pot with 4 cups water. Whisk in vinegar, and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add boiled potatoes and squash, remaining 1 cup diced apple, and leek greens, and simmer 5 minutes, or until hot.

nutritional information Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 162; Protein: 3 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Fiber: 4 g; Sugar: 12 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free

BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE

Ah, yes, another recipe from that infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup Carnation Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups (8 oz. Pkg) shredded 2% cheddar cheese, divided

6 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

Sliced green onions (optional)

Directions

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 2 1/2 to 3-quart casserole dish.

Return potatoes to saucepan, add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat with hand-held mixer until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese and half of bacon. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining bacon and green onions. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

QUESO

This is from Alexa Weibel in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Alexa wrote, "Queso, a popular Tex-Mex dip made with processed American cheese and canned tomatoes, was inspired by chile con queso, a Mexican dip of melted cheese and chiles that made its way to the United States in the 1930s and ’40s. As the two-ingredient Americanized adaptation gained popularity, supermarkets began placing Ro-tel canned tomatoes near shelf-stable Velveeta cheese, and queso became mainstream. Purists will argue that any ingredient beyond American cheese and spicy diced tomatoes is unnecessary, but you can customize this recipe by adding any combination of black beans, scallions, cilantro, garlic, cumin, red-pepper flakes, oregano, lime zest or juice."

Yield: 6 cups; Time: 20 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020844-queso.

Ingredients

For the Queso:

1 (2-pound) block processed American cheese, such as Velveeta

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, preferably Ro-tel brand

Tortilla chips, for serving

For the Additions (Optional):

1 cup rinsed canned black beans

3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 7 scallions)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

1/4 packed teaspoon fresh lime zest, plus 2 teaspoons juice (from about 1 lime)

Minced canned chipotle chiles en adobo, to taste

Kosher salt

Preparations

Roughly chop the processed cheese into 1-inch cubes, then add to a medium saucepan. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, plus 2/3 cup water, then heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy, 5 to 7 minutes. You can stop here, and serve immediately with chips, or proceed to Step 2, if you’re feeling extra.

Stir in any combination of desired additions: black beans, scallions, cilantro, garlic, cumin, red-pepper flakes, oregano, and lime zest and juice. Heat over low, stirring occasionally, until warmed and flavors meld, about 5 minutes. If you like some extra heat, stir in chipotle chiles en adobo. Season to taste with salt, and additional red-pepper flakes, if desired, and serve immediately. (You could also keep your queso in a slow-cooker on a low setting, stirring occasionally, to keep it molten.) Mixture will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.