Chef Steve Norton invites you to join your fellow Ability360 foodies to learn how to “eat to thrive, not just survive” as you sharpen your cooking skills and become more efficient in the kitchen.
This pilot episode of 360 in the Kitchen features three low-cost, healthy, holiday sides you may like better than the traditional dishes. Enjoy!
Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients:
- 4 large (or 6 medium) sweet potatoes
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup slivered, roasted almonds
- Not-so-secret ingredient: pomegranate seeds (optional)
Directions:
- Wash potatoes, let air dry
- Chef’s Tip: Using a knife, cut slits into potatoes so they can create steam
- Lay out potatoes on a roasting pan.
- Roast in oven at 400 degrees for 1.5 hours (depending on potato size)
- Chef’s Tip: Any juice that comes out of sweet potatoes is like sugar. You want the sugars to run out in the pan, not the oven, so use a baking sheet with sides.
- Stick a fork in the potatoes to check if they’re fork tender (comes out easily/clean).
- Use knife to cut potatoes and let heat escape, then remove skin from potatoes
- Chef’s Tip: Handle the potatoes according to your confidence level. Removing skins can be a bit difficult, so make the activity fun for you.
- Add potatoes to a mixing bowl
- Smash potatoes using spatula or potato masher
- Add ½ cup almond milk, 1 tbsp honey, and any optional spices (see below)
- Chef’s Tip: You can make this dish savory, smoky, or sweet. For smoky, add ½ tsp of chipotle chili powder. For added sweetness, use extra honey. Explore savory and sweet together, and let me know what you think!
- Mix all ingredients, adding pomegranate seeds (if using), plus almonds
- Add potato mixture to a baking dish, and use a spatula to flatten the potato mash
- Place 1-2 tbsp butter on top of potatoes
- Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes
- Serve warm, garnish with any extra almonds or pomegranate seeds, and enjoy!
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 10-12 Fingerling potatoes
- 1 tsp coarse pink Himalayan sea salt
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic (fresh, minced is best – but garlic powder is okay)
Directions – parboil potatoes (Part 1 of 2):
- Fill a saucepan with potatoes and enough water to cover the potatoes
- Add ½ tsp salt, and bring to a boil
- Parboil potatoes for 4-5 minutes, until soft inside – poke with fork to check
- Drain potatoes and transfer to mixing bowl
- Drizzle potatoes with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Let cool, add garlic, and toss potatoes with spatula or by hand
- Add dried rosemary, dried thyme, back pepper, and ½ tsp salt
Directions – roast potatoes (Part 2 of 2):
- Transfer potatoes to small, oven-safe ceramic pan or baking sheet
- Arrange potatoes in a single layer, careful not to stack potatoes
- Bake at 420 degrees for 25-30 minutes, rotating potatoes after 15 minutes
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Sauteed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
- 1 package fresh, store bought mushrooms, sliced (Button, Oyster, Portabella, etc.)
- 4 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp butter or ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Directions:
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
- Add garlic, then mushrooms
- Place lid on saucepan to steam and saute mushrooms for 5-10 minutes, allowing them to shrink in size and absorb butter/ghee
- Chef’s Tip: Be careful not to overcook mushrooms, stop before they turn to mush. The number of minutes needed depends on the size and type of mushrooms. Mushrooms are like “sponges” that absorb other flavors and juices.
- Add balsamic vinegar, and toss to coat evenly
- Serve warm and enjoy!