New dishes for Thanksgiving

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - When it comes to enjoying a Thanksgiving feast, the side dishes are just as important as the turkey, so we invited Amy Sherman from the Spartan Culinary Classroom to come in and show us some ideas. Here are a few recipes she came up with to share with all of us. Check out the Spartan Culinary Classroom for more ideas and classes you can take, too!

Little J's Cranberry Sauce

1 (16 oz or close) bag of cranberries
1 jar red currant jelly
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
zest from one orange
juice from one orange
1/4 cup triple sec
1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Place the cranberries, jelly and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons of water.  Bring to a simmer and cook the cranberries until they start to burst and the sauce gets nice and thick, about 15 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes

4-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
zest and juice from 1 lemon
chopped fresh mint

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss sweet potatoes with oil and spread out on a sheet tray.  Roast in the oven until just starting to soften about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, place everything else except the mint in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook until reduced down by at least half.  It will thicken slightly, and take about 15 minutes.  Pour over the potatoes and place back in the oven.  Cook until slightly caramelized and soft, about another 10 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with fresh mint.

Dark Green Salad

about 10--12 cups dark leafy greens, like kale, Swiss chard, or spinach
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
pinch of sugar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
chopped toasted pistachios
shaved parmesan cheese

Rinse the greens well, then thinly slice into strips. Mix the shallot, mustard, sugar, oil, lemon and Worcestershire sauce together, season with salt and pepper. Toss with the greens, then lay them out on a platter. Top with nuts and cheese and serve.