FAMILY SIDE DISHES

APPLESAUCE PANCAKE TOPPING
from the kitchen of Kay Edman

This delicious topping is low calorie.

2 Cups peeled, thinly sliced tart cooking apple
3 Tablespoons apple juice
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine and cook in covered saucepan over medium heat until apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Sister Edman says, “I always increase recipe, as the applesauce is good to eat alone.” 

CEVICHE (Citrus marinaded fish)
Always loved this stuff!


1 lb firm white fish
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
4 or 5 sprigs of cilantro
1 small hot chili
about 8 limes (for ¾ cup of juice)
¼ teaspoon salt,
and pepper to taste

Cut fish into ½ inch cubes. Mince the onion, garlic, and chili coarsely. Chop the cilantro very finely. Juice the limes; strain to remove the pulp and seeds. Shrimp (or for the very daring, clams) can be substituted for the fish. Mix all of the ingredients and refrigerate tightly covered for at least 3 hours. Serve with corn tortillas, tortilla chips, or crackers.

FUNERAL POTATOES
(from the kitchen of Jayme Blazian)





1-24 oz. bag frozen shredded (not diced!) hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream*
1 cup grated cheddar*
1/2 cup plus 2 T melted butter*
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cups crushed cornflakes
salt to taste
pepper of desired

Combine 2 T melted butter and cornflakes. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend well. Pour into a large oblong baking dish that you have sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle cornflake mixture on top and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot. *Do not use lo-fat versions of these ingredients. Lo-fat sour cream and cheddar will not melt, and margarine has water in it. Jayme says, "I have skipped the cornflakes and it still tastes good. I have also substituted crushed Ritz crackers or croutons for the cornflakes, since we aren't cornflakes fans and it isn't something I usually have on hand."


GUACAMOLE




4 avocados
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons salsa

Peel avocados, mash with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Stir in salt and salsa. Serve immediately.

LIQUADO de PLATANO (banana milk)
I grew up drinking these and love to have it for a bedtime snack.



1 banana
4 cups milk
1 cup yogurt
dash cinnamon

Combine ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. Alternatives: add strawberries, different flavored yogurts, or any fruit.

MANGO LASSI




country of origin: India
This was so delicious and my daughter who has never liked the taste of mangoes loved it also.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste
A dash of ground cardamom (optional)

Put mango, yogurt, milk, sugar and cardamom into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then pour into individual glasses, and serve. Can sprinkle with a little cardamom. The lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Makes about 2 cups.

RICE WITH CUMINO (cumin)
from the kitchen of Justina Baza


Justina taught me how to make this rice one day when we lived in Southern Monterey County. As Relief Society President I would visit her and she would offer me delicious things to eat.  I altered the original recipe. She began by frying a half onion in oil without chopping it and then removing it. She would then fry the ground beef in more oil.

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 Tablespoon oil
2 Cups rice
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, ,pressed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 cups water


Brown ground beef. Set aside. Saute dry rice in saucepan with oil until slightly browned. Stir in onion and spices and stir over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add beef and water. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or just until the water is absorbed.




STUFFING
Running out of pots, pans, and counter space is always a problem during Thanksgiving. I like stuffing sort of dry. I use a crock pot to cook the chicken broth, placing it outside, or in another room. Then I stir in the bread crumbs a few minutes before serving dinner. I love onions, you may want to use only one.


12 oz bread crumbs
1 cup butter
2 large onions, diced
1 small celery bunch, diced
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
Optional: 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans



Place everything, except the bread crumbs, in a crock pot that has been set out of the way of the kitchen, if you are needing counter and kitchen space. Turn on low setting. 5 minutes before serving dinner, stir in the bread crumbs.


SWEET POTATOES WITH MARSHMALLOWS
We usually boil and mash our yams for Thanksgiving with butter, then cover with
marshmallows and toast in the oven. Joan taught me to do that. Since I grew up in a Mexican household - we had turkey and stuffing, but none of the other traditionally American side dishes.



2 pounds yams, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 bag mini marshmallows
2 Granny Smith apples (Optional)
Sugar (to taste)

Peel and boil yams in a large pot until soft, about one hour. Yams take longer to cook than russet potatoes. Drain and mash with butter. Transfer to casserole dish and top with marshmallows. Toast in 350 degree oven until lightly brown.

GRANNY SMITH VARIATION: My nephew, Jesus, got a sweet potato casserole recipe from his wife's family. Same recipe as above, then slice a few Granny Smith apples very thinly on top. Sprinkle with sugar and melted butter before baking. The tangy apples and sugar are wonderful. We decided to add the marshmallows on top of that.





SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (Southern)


Danielle's co-worker from Tennessee prepared southern sweet potato casserole - wow - could have put this in a pie shell and had it for dessert. Loved the way she'd say "yes, Ma'am" and "yes, sir" - although Randy said it made him feel old. I
just reminded him, "We ARE old!" When Nicole told me she also had this dish in Louisiana, I knew I had to add this to our recipes.  This is adapted from a recipe online. I eliminated the egg and added vanilla.




2 pounds yams, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter, softened (Betty's: 1/2 cup)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar (Betty's: 1 cup)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (Betty's: none)
1/4 teaspoon salt (Betty's: no salt)
(Betty's version: add 1 teaspoon vanilla)

Sweet potato topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter (Betty's: 1/2 cup)
1 cup pecans
(Betty's: add 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla)

Peel and boil yams in a large pot until soft, about an hour. (Yams take longer to cook than russet potatoes.) Drain and mash. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add sugar, spice and salt; beat to blend. Pour into prepared baking dish.
Prepare topping: Mix together all ingredients in medium bowl. Crumble evenly over sweet potato mixture. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes.


Betty's Version "Scalloped Sweet Potatoes"

(Betty's: Blend topping ingredients to a consistency of wet cookie dough. Drop by spoonfuls evenly on top of yams. Connect the dollops to create a smooth topping.  Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees until brown and crusty.)