All The Smiles w/ No Food Miles: Beijing-Inspired Holiday Sides

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In a year when many of us are separated from family for the holidays, it’s more than tempting to lean on familiar ingredients to make old favorites from home. But trying to replicate recipes in Beijing can quickly get expensive, not to mention the amount of food miles products rack up on their way from the US or Europe to China. So, this year, I set myself the challenge of coming up with some holiday dishes that offer a taste of home but use no imported ingredients.

Overall, this was easier than it sounds, although perhaps the most challenging was the stuffing. Wholegrain mantou, which can be bought from most larger local supermarkets, makes a good substitute for the bread, although they end up with a slightly gummier texture than regular bread. A loaf of sourdough from The Bake Shop (WeChat ID: thebakeshop) would also be perfect (although I can’t attest to whether their flour is imported or not).

Sausage stuffing
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
- 500g Andy’s Craft Sausages Maple sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
- 6 wholegrain mantou, cut into 1-2 cm cubes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 eggs
- 1 small bunch of parsley (you can also save the leaves from the celery and use those)
- Cooking oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the sausage meat. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as you go, until golden brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, toast the mantou cubes in a 320°F (160°C) oven until dry and lightly golden.
3. Add the onion and celery to the pan, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown (if you have dried herbs like parsley, sage, and thyme lying around your cupboards, add a teaspoon here). Remove from the pan and add to the bowl with the sausage.

4. Mix the bread cubes with the sausage and vegetables, and then set aside to cool.
5. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 320°F (~180°C) and grease a large baking dish. Mix the stock and the eggs and whisk thoroughly to combine. Spread the bread and sausage mixture out in the baking dish, then pour over the stock and egg mixture (you want the stuffing cubes to be infused with the stock but not wet — if the dish is looking wet, don’t use all the stock).
6. Cover with foil and bake until the stuffing is hot, about 20-30 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Note: Make sure the sausage and bread mixture and the stock are at room temperature before mixing with the eggs, otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.

This next side is quick and healthy and has the added benefit of being vegan.

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Whipped sweet potatoes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
- 1kg sweet potatoes
- 1 pot of Yeyo coconut yogurt (150g)
- Sea salt

Instructions
1. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, place on a plate lined with kitchen paper, and microwave for 5-10 minutes, turning every 3-4 minutes. You’ll know the potatoes are cooked when you can pierce them easily with a blunt knife.
2. Scoop the potatoes out of their skins into a food processor and add the coconut yogurt and few good pinches of salt. Process until light and fluffy and serve.

Soy-honey glazed Brussels sprouts
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
- 700g Brussels sprouts, cut in half, lengthways
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1.5 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (镇江香醋 zhènjiāng xiāng cù)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Cooking oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Blanche the sprouts in boiling water for about 2 minutes, then drain and leave to cool in a colander.
2. Heat a little cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the sprouts, trying to ensure most of them are cut side down, and increase the heat to medium-high. Fry for 5-6 minutes until the sprouts start to caramelize, seasoning with a little salt and pepper towards the end.
4. Meanwhile, mix the honey, vinegar, soy, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
5. When the sprouts are nearly ready, add the honey mixture to the pan. Stir thoroughly so the honey coats the sprouts, then serve warm, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

A sweet-sour glaze of honey and fragrant black vinegar help take away the bitter edge Brussels sprouts have that some people dislike. Sesame seeds add a toasty note -- just don't forget them like I did! 

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Photos: Robynne Tindall, Unsplash

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