Here is one recipe for festival occasions that can be served as either a vegetable side dish with dinner, or a savory/sweet dessert. There is not a better dish to serve up with your Christmas Turkey, or, Christmas Ham, or, Christmas Goose. The chioce is yours. (recipe enough for 12)
Ingredients:
3 to 4 large sweet potatoes or yams
6-8 medium bananas
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup brown sugar
Grate peel of half a lemon or orange zest depending on your taste
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 a small bag of miniature marshmallows (coloured)
Scrub and peel your sweetpotatoes. Using your largest saucepan, place your sweetpotato in the pot and add water until the sweetpotatoes are covered. Add your salt and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Cover your pot and reduce heat to low and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until sweetpotatoes are fork tender. Drain and cut cross-wise into 1/4 inch slices. [ Preheat your oven to 375-F ]
Using butter, or margarine, or vegetable shortening, thoroughly grease a 2-quart souffle’ dish or your deepest fanciest casserole dish. (any 2-quart ovenproof baking dish) may be substituted.
Peel your bananas and slice them cross-wise into 1/4 inch slices, into a bowl. Toss bananas with orange juice and lemon or orange zest. In another small bowl blend together your brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In the bottom of your prepared cassarole dish, arrange 1/3 of your sweet potato slices in a single layer, overlapping them slightly then add 1/2 of your banana in the same way and sprinkle with 1/3 of your sugar mixture, and dot with 1/3 of your pre-measured butter. Pour in 1/2 of orange juice mixture from bananas. Lay in a layering of the coloured marshmallows.
Repeat this layering 2 more times finishing with bananas on the top. ( If you wish to use this as a dessert, add some of your marshmallows to each layer.)
Bake for about 45 minutes or until bubbly and very hot.
If used as a dessert add a dolop of whipped cream or drizzle some chocolate or butter-scotch or caramel topping syrup over the top, and maybe sprinkle with some chopped nuts.
Whether served as a side-dish or as a dessert dish, this will definitely add some festiveness to your dinner.
Preparation: