How Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil Side Dish Can Steal The Show
So, you’ve been asked to bring a side dish to Thanksgiving dinner; the perfect time to put health on the menu with your extra virgin olive oil.
Do you know that you can use extra virgin olive oil as a substitute for butter when cooking your Thanksgiving side dishes? Not only will this make them healthier, but they will also taste delicious! In this blog post, we will share some recipes for Thanksgiving side dishes that are made with olive oil.
Although a quality olive oil can be a great addition to the main dish itself, by coating the entire bird with olive oil in the last 30 minutes of baking for crisp, brown skin, here are some knock out side dishes with olive oil to add to the feast.
The lively little number from the Foodnetwork.co.uk is vegan friendly and bursting with some of the best seasonal flavors around.
Vegan Quinoa Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash (2 to 2 1/4 pounds each)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Morocco Gold olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 185g red quinoa, rinsed well
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 30g dried cranberries
- 25g loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 40g roasted, salted and shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
- Cut each squash in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds. Arrange the halves in a large baking dish, flesh-side up.
- Whisk together the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the oil and the maple syrup in a cup.
- Brush the flesh side of the squash halves with some of the maple mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Put the squash flesh-side down in the baking dish, then brush the skin side with maple mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Roast until the squash is fork-tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Poke the inside of the squash halves with a fork and brush generously with more of the maple mixture.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the quinoa, curry powder, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir until the spices are toasted, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the cranberries, remaining maple mixture, half of the parsley and half of the pistachios.
- Stuff the squash halves with the quinoa and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Kale & Olive Oil Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds unpeeled yellow potatoes (or Yukon Gold), cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- ⅓ cup Morocco Gold extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- 4 cups finely chopped kale (1 small bunch)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pinches of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Heat ½ teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the scallions and kale, and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes and garlic. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the ⅓ cup olive oil, ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid, the kale, scallions, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Continue folding until creamy, adding up to ½ cup more cooking liquid and additional drizzles of olive oil, if desired. Season to taste with up to ½ teaspoon more salt, and pinches of red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve hot.
- This fabulous take on the humble mashed potatoes from loveandlemons.com is a sheer joy to hand over to your Thanksgiving hosts.
