Holiday Recipe Slam

[kimberlysteele]

 Hey Everyone,

I find I have no time this week to write an essay on several topics that are percolating in my brain.  I'm planning future essays on speaking with the dead, the demise of woke, an essay in praise of Christmas lights and many more.  Unfortunately, I find myself out of time and mojo this week to explore any of those topics with the detail they deserve, so I'm asking for a few good recipes or links to recipes.

Yes, I'm vegan, but I am fine with people posting non-vegan recipes or links to non-vegan recipes.  I am secure enough in my veganism to understand that not everyone is on the same path as I am.  

Please don't confine recipe ideas to holiday foods or desserts.  Personally, what I need right now are dinner ideas that can be put together in a few minutes.  When it's the end of the evening and I have worked a long day at the end of the week, sometimes I have nothing left.  Fast recipes are a lifesaver for me and any normal person.

Here is one of my favorite casserole recipes (the pictures leave much to be desired, sorry) for Lazy Pierogi, a quick lasagna with canned sauerkraut, caramelized onions, and sweet potato.

Comments

Sweet Potato Casserole

[randomactsofkarmasc]

One big can of canned yams/sweet potatoes (the really big size... as big as your head); drain the fluid, put the yams into a big bowl.

Add molasses (2 or 3 tablespoons; I just pour a big dollop).

Add some rum (2 or 3 tablespoons; I just pour some).

Add some softened butter (2 or 3 tablespoons or whatever is left on the butter dish. There is no such thing as too much butter.)

Sprinkle a good bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Use an eggbeater and beat until everything is mixed together and the consistency of mashed potatoes.

Put it in a casserole dish; smear it flat with a spatula. Cover with mini-marshmallows. (You can just dump them on top, but I push mine in a little and do it in a clockwise spiral design. It doesn't look like anything once the marshmallows poof up from being heated, but I think it adds some mojo.)

Bake it in the oven until warm all the way through and the marshmallows have poofed up and started to brown on the top. Officially, 45 minutes at 350, but if I am doing something else in the oven, the yams are pretty flexible... you can cook them at a lower temperature for a little longer. If the temp is higher, maybe protect the marshmallows with some aluminum foil until the last minute.

Probably not the healthiest thing, but definitely delicious. And not a complete meal, it is definitely a side dish.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Re: Sweet Potato Casserole

[kimberlysteele]

Anything with rum and butter for the win... sounds delicious! I will definitely give it a shot. White rum or dark rum?

Re: Sweet Potato Casserole

[randomactsofkarmasc]

I prefer dark (but when I drink it as rum, I prefer dark, too). I'm sure it would taste good with white, too.

[(Anonymous)]

I've reached that awkward point where recipes are not a thing I use much anymore-- all the good things I like to cook, I forgot the measurements for years ago, and just eyeball it.

So now the two easy, tasty, quick things I like to put together when company comes over without notice, or when something is needed for breakfast, but all we have in the fridge is random leftovers and eggs... are not really dishes so much as categories: custard, and fritters. If you have eggs, and something that resembles milk, nearly anything can become custard or fritters.

For holidays, I make pumpkin custard-- which basically means I cook a pumpkin from the garden and scrape out the flesh, or use the canned stuff (whatever's available), mix it with 4 eggs and a can of condensed milk (someday I'll experiment with coconut milk and chia-- I'm told it works), some nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger, and either add 1/3c of brown sugar or not, depending on who I'm cooking for (I like it unsweetened, but it's not to everyone's taste-- are you serving it as a veg side, or a dessert?), and bake until it's not liquid in the middle.

But the same basic approach works without the pumpkin, and with other carby vegetables-- you could probably do it with sweet potatoes, squash, or even coconut shreds.

And fritters are a similarly versatile and easy concept. They are an easy, tasty, generally popular way to avoid wasting all sorts of leftover grains and starchy vegetables. I've made them with corn, rice, cold oatmeal, leftover potatoes, bananas, cooked beans, and even leftover pasta with good results. I've even done it with canned fish-- which ends up something like crab cakes. Take whatever starchy leftovers, mix them with a little flour (or not), a little milk or coconut milk (or not) and enough eggs to make a gloppy mix that will spread out a bit in the frying pan, but not too thin. Then fry up like pancakes in whatever frying oil you have handy (at our house, usually coconut oil, butter, or beef tallow). The kids turn up their noses at dry leftover rice. But throw in a little cinnamon, a spoon of honey, and eggs, and now it's rice fritters and it's a whole new dish and it all gets eaten!

[kimberlysteele]

Thank you for this! I never would have thought of custard even though I literally just made a pumpkin pie last night for Thanksgiving that was a bit too soft and custardy. It was good, especially with Cool Whip, but next time I will make a smaller, firmer pie. Tofu often can sub for eggs in any blended thing, and either arrowroot or cornstarch thickens it to an egg-like texture.

I have made Chinese-style vegetable fritters and potato pancakes before but I never thought of putting rice or oatmeal in them. I'm guessing plantains would be outstanding smashed up with some rice, tofu, and spices. I also make a lot of mock seafood dishes with unsweetened green jackfruit -- I'll bet I can easily make a jackfruit, artichoke, or heart of palm mock crab cake.

Thanks again for these ideas. I would not have thought of them.

[methylethyl]

The pumpkin custard happened one Thanksgiving after half the family went gluten-free. I was like-- why make a fake crust? We will just add extra egg, bake it without a crust, and call it custard! Thus was born a new holiday tradition. Now I bake one with sugar for the kids, and one without for the grownups, and it remains a family favorite. Wouldn't fly for people used to desserts, but we're all diabetic so... everybody appreciates something pie-ish without all the extra sugar.