{"id":1429,"date":"2017-11-17T21:18:02","date_gmt":"2017-11-17T21:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/?p=1429"},"modified":"2017-11-17T21:18:02","modified_gmt":"2017-11-17T21:18:02","slug":"dishing-on-the-simplest-holiday-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/?p=1429","title":{"rendered":"Dishing on the simplest holiday side"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>[I] think more than any other meal, it is the sides of Thanksgiving that get us all excited. Never is more effort put into all the bowls and platters on the holiday table; never is there more variety (outside of a summer potluck). And they bring with them rich flavors exclusive (but, why?) to this time of year \u00e2\u20ac\u201d seasonings of sage and thyme; earthy sweet potatoes and hearty squash; stuffing\/dressing, that intoxicating meld of crunchy veggies, spices and breads; mashed potatoes and gravy; the rare ruby-red tart of cranberries. And the more the merrier \u00e2\u20ac\u201d perhaps you will also have green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts or a side salad featuring fall pears.<\/p>\n

So many options, one should never be stuck in a rut, but supposing you are\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6suppose you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been featuring the same sides and want to shake things up, or you are tempted to add a side, but adding to your time and ingredient list is not a desirable proposition.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It should be something that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth whatever trouble it is, but how would you like a side dish that is virtually no trouble at all \u00e2\u20ac\u201d simple as can be, featuring flavors that are a perfect accent to any of the usual suspect sides on the Thanksgiving or Christmas table?<\/p>\n

More than 20 years ago, I was introduced to a hands-down, winning side dish that was another family\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tradition, a so-simple recipe of onions, garlic, butter, canned mushrooms and sour cream. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s it! So yummy, like a stroganoff, sans meat. It can be made early Thanksgiving day and served room temperature (which is actually preferable). It is light, but sumptuous and an amazing extension and enhancement on the same plate with all the turkey (or fish, pork, beef or chicken), gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes and other veggies for Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>[M]y long-time friend and collaborator\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mom remembers her grandmother on the East Coast making these Sour Cream Mushrooms. The simplicity of the recipe does seem to speak to simpler times. But simple here also means delicious. How can that be wrong. It starts with onions and garlic saut\u00c3\u00a9ed in butter, which is a beautiful beginning. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Canned sliced mushrooms are then added. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important here to emphasize that it is better to use the canned mushrooms, as fresh ones, if not completely cooked, release too much moisture and the end result will not be the creamy concoction you want. The beauty of canned mushrooms \u00e2\u20ac\u201d besides the fact that they are relatively inexpensive and can be found anywhere \u00e2\u20ac\u201d is that you can stock up on them in August. Along with using them in this dish, you can toss them into your stuffing or gravy.<\/p>\n

Sour cream is the key ingredient that brings this all together. It MUST be brought to room temperature to properly adhere to the onions and mushrooms. Take it out, and sit it on the counter when you put your turkey in the oven.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Once your mushrooms are combined with the saut\u00c3\u00a9ed onions and garlic and seasonings, you let them cool. Simple, but crucial, instruction, because if they are too hot, when you add the sour cream, the cream will separate from the onions and mushrooms. Having a recently become a big fan of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153faux\u00e2\u20ac\u009d sour cream (non-dairy, tofu-based cream), it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been tested in this dish and wins big. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thicker and firmer than traditional sour cream (think more like a soft cream cheese), and it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to break down as easily. SO, if you have true vegans in the crowd, this recipe would win them over, too!<\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s creamy and dreamy, this dish. The onions and mushrooms (they count as a vegetable) are sturdy, still firm and a bit crunchy, but made rich with that sour cream. The dish is rich and sumptuous enough to stand up to all the other sides and the turkey and gravy. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s substantial without being too filling. Made in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153off-season,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d this makes an excellent topping for a baked potato.<\/p>\n

Try some on your holiday table. A single batch will serve four, but be prepared to double or triple that batch, once tried. The crowd will be more than pleased.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nGreat-Grandma\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Sour Cream Mushrooms
\nMakes 4 servings
\n1 large onion, chopped
\n2 13.25- to 14-ounce cans sliced mushrooms, drained
\n1 tablespoon olive oil
\n3 tablespoons butter or margarine
\n2 cloves garlic, chopped
\nPinch of cayenne
\nPinch of dried Italian seasoning
\n8 ounces of sour cream, room temperature
\nSalt and pepper to taste<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: Make sure you sit carton of sour cream out a few hours earlier to ensure you have brought it to room temperature.<\/em><\/p>\n

In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onions until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, pinch of cayenne and pinch of Italian seasoning, and heat through. Turn off heat and allow to cool at least 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Mix in sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve.<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[I] think more than any other meal, it is the sides of Thanksgiving that get us all excited. Never is more effort put into all the bowls and platters on the holiday table; never is there more variety (outside of a summer potluck). And they bring with them rich flavors […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,10,12,1],"tags":[49,159,216,305,126,44],"class_list":["post-1429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-kitchen","category-oantry","category-recipe-box","category-uncategorized","tag-holiday","tag-mushrooms","tag-onions","tag-side-dish","tag-sour-cream","tag-thanksgiving"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.womansconed.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}