Jewish flavors 101 Cooking with Masha

Dear cooks!

Last week we tried to start a small salad revolution, reinventing our regular salad fare. Since we already started, why not continue with side dishes. Let’s do it!

Squash and sweet potato casserole

4 large sweet potatoes

1 medium, cubed butternut squash (about 8-9 cups)

3 Tbsp avocado oil, divided

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pecan topping

1 ½ cups pecans (roughly chopped)

2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare 2 baking trays lined with parchment paper.

Add halved sweet potatoes to one baking sheet, and the cubed butternut squash to another. Drizzle each with half of the avocado oil.

Sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Rub sweet potatoes together to distribute the oil, and toss the butternut squash as well.

Roast butternut squash for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and test doneness. It should be very fork tender and easily mashed. Once it’s done, remove from the oven and set aside.

Depending on the size of your sweet potatoes, they should take anywhere from 20-35 minutes total. Remove from the oven when very soft to the touch. Then reduce oven heat to 350°F.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped pecans and toast for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If browning too quickly, turn the heat to low. Add oil, sugar, salt and maple syrup. Stir to coat and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and using a food processor mash sweet potatoes with butternut squash.

Add more salt + pepper, if needed, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and maple syrup. Mix once more to combine, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed. This process can be done manually using a fork or potato masher.

Transfer mashed squash and potatoes to a prepared 9x13 deep baking dish and top with toasted pecans.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until completely warmed through and fragrant. Serve warm.

Green bean casserole

1 pound green beans (rinsed, trimmed and cut in half)

Sea salt and black pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 Tbsp rice flour

3/4 cup vegetable broth, white wine or water

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 ½ cups crispy fried onions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well – it will help season the green beans. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes, then drain and place in an ice water bath to stop cooking.

To prepare the sauce, place a large oven-safe frying pan (not with a plastic handle) on a medium heat. Add olive oil with onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add mushrooms and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes more or until lightly browned.

Sprinkle in flour and whisk to stir and coat the veggies. Cook for 1 minute, then slowly add in vegetable stock (or a liquid of your choice), whisking to incorporate.

Add coconut milk next and whisk to stir again. Season with more salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low to thicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until thick and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Remove from heat and add ½ cup of fried onions and all of the cooked green beans. Toss to coat well, and top with remaining fried onions. If you do not own a frying pan with a metal handle, simply move everything into a baking dish, top with crispy onions and place the dish into the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until warmed through and bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serve hot.

Variation: for those who like shortcuts, use frozen beans for this recipe. Let them thaw first, drain and add to the sauce to cook for a minute before baking them. (This should be done before adding the crisp onions)

Until next week and happy cooking!

Masha Rodov