Side Dishes

I have to admit, I love veggies.

There, I said it. And while I do tend to favor some of them more than others, I'm willing to give most veggies a try at least once. Who knows where one's next favorite will come from?

If you're like me, I think you'll find these a nice variety to get you started, including the Twice Baked Potatoes and Onion Supreme. Enjoy!

Note: The first five recipes in today's post can be found in my e-cookbook, Off the Wall Cooking.

BAKED BUTTER CARROTS

These are from my Grandma Hallock, who was a fantastic cook. She wrote, “Good with Veal Birds (Beef Rolls).” Eat & enjoy!

2 1/2 lbs. carrots

2 T oleo or butter

dash of pepper

1 T salt

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. lemon juice

Peel carrots. Cut into lengthwise slices. Put them & rest of ingredients into casserole. Cover & bake at 275 degrees for 3 hours. Uncover & brown on top for 15 minutes. Serves 6.

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

My mom’s recipe. Really good with baked ham.

4-5 sweet potatoes

1 small can pineapple

2 T orange juice concentrate

cinnamon

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 C nuts

1/2 tsp. salt

dash pepper

9 large marshmallows

Peel & dice sweet potatoes, place in pan of water, and cook until tender. Mash & add other ingredients except marshmallows. Put in square pan, cut in 9 squares & place 1 marshmallow in each square. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

ONION SUPREME

My dad came for a week at Christmas, 1987. He fixed this to go with Christmas dinner, along with several other veggies. The day I drove him to Tampa International to fly back to New York, we went for coffee at a shop in the airport. When I asked for a copy of this, he grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down the recipe. It’s a great way to fix onions; I’ve always had onions in things, but never as a side dish. However, this is incredibly easy, as well as fantastic.

2 leeks (discard green), sliced thin

4 bunches scallions (discard green), sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

3-4 yellow onions, sliced thin

1 stick butter or margarine

20 small white onions

1 1/2 C half & half

Melt butter over low heat & sauté leeks, scallions, garlic & yellow onions for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook white onions in enough water to just barely cover. Add white onions (after 45 minutes) to skillet & pour in half & half. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes more & serve.

JASON'S HOME FRIES

This is one of my oldest son's inventions. He fixed this on one of his many trips back home.

3-4 potatoes, scrubbed, not peeled

3-4 T butter or oil (or both)

1 pepper (red, green or yellow), diced

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Cut potatoes across (not length-wise). Heat oil or butter. Add potatoes, onions, pepper & garlic. Cover, cook over medium heat, turning occasionally with a spatula, until brown & crusty.

JEAN'S SPECIAL POTATOES

Jean and I used to spend many hours on the phone together. One afternoon, we spent the better part of 30 minutes talking about food. I told her about Dad’s Onion Supreme; she, in turn, gave me this recipe.

8-10 potatoes

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1/2 C butter

2 tsp. chives

Peel & cook potatoes. Whip cream cheese & add potatoes. Mix sour cream, butter & chives. Add to potato mix. Cover & chill overnight (or several hours). Put in greased 2-quart casserole & cover; bake in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

This last recipe is from The Food Network and can be viewed online at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/twice-baked-potatoes-recipe-1942581.

Total Time: 1 hr 35 minutes; Active Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy
Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried

2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup sour cream

1 scallion, finely chopped

Freshly grated nutmeg, optional

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.

Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with fork along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the butter and sour cream. Stir in the scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.

Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.