Potato puree is comfort food “par excellence”. One of my favorite menus on a chilly evening is braised short ribs served over mashed potatoes (I gained about 3 pounds just by typing that sentence! 😉 ) Sometimes I crave that type of side dish, but I’d be happier with a lighter caloric load.
Giada de Laurentiis devised a perfect alternative during her “Light and Fabulous” menu, that paired broiled tilapia filets with a creamy puree of carrots and yams. You can find the recipes for that episode here. The puree has a beautiful, bright orange color, and its taste complements many main dishes.
CARROT AND SWEET POTATO PUREE
(adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 cups water
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the veggies, saving the cooking liquid. Transfer them to a food processor, and puree until still slightly chunky, adding some of the cooking liquid, until you reach the consistency you like. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: Our grocery had sweet potatoes, but not yams, so that’s what I used. Next time I’ll add a touch of ginger to the puree, because it goes so well with sweet potatoes. Maybe a little orange zest too? But even without these additional touches, this puree was an excellent side dish for our grilled, butterflied pork tenderloin. Something about eating bright colored food instantly makes me feel healthy. This puree tastes good, it’s not too heavy, and it gives that feeling of happy satisfaction at the end of the meal.
Want to make it even faster on a weeknight? Cut the veggies in the morning before work, and save them in the fridge. Small details make life a lot easier when you return home feeling a little spent. 😉
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Sally, that looks great! Truly bewitching. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe!
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hope you like it too…
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Sally, magnificent colour, almost a burnt orange! I love carrots, so we’ll give this a go, thank you!
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the color was amazing indeed, I used gorgeous organic carrots that were particularly bright, maybe that helped
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I’m not a fan of Giada but I might try this. The color is very appealing to me.:)
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Giada has some good recipes, but I changed the method slightly – the way the recipe is written in the site people were complaining the puree was not firm enough. Also, in the show she processed the mix while adding a lot of olive oil – but skipped that in the written recipe. I omitted it, and we definitely did not miss it.
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I eat sweet potatoes (and carrots) all year ’round… But wouldn’t this be wonderful for Thanksgiving? So nice.
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Indeed… a perfect dish for Thanksgiving, and I am making a note for myself… a nice change from the heavy mashed potato casserole that sometimes we bring to the table! 😉
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My husband took one bite of this and said, “This is amazing!” My kids requested the leftovers for dinner tonight. Delicious.
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So glad you enjoyed it! If I was going to cook this Thanksgiving, that would be on our menu, but once more we’ll be away from our own kitchen, and I’ll miss another opportunity to blog about a Thanksgiving turkey…. such is life!
thanks for reporting back!
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