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mashed sweet potatoes
Simple, sweet, and scrum-diddly-umptious. You can make these ahead of time if you like; just reheat in the microwave, or on the stove over medium-low heat (stirring gently to warm through, and adding a little milk if the mixture looks dry).

about a pound of sweet potatoes, or a little more
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. milk or cream
salt to taste

serves 2

1 Peel the sweet potato with a vegetable peeler, and cut into 1.5" chunks. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to keep the water at a gentle but definite bubble. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. You can start testing at 15 minutes, but try to resist the temptation to poke those taters too much; you'll get them water-logged. Drain the potatoes in a colander.

2 Transfer the sweet potatoes back to the drained, still-hot pot, and use a potato masher to mash with butter and milk/cream, until smooth. Season with salt.

green beans in shallot wine sauce
olive oil, about 2 tsps.
6 oz. fine green beans, ends trimmed
¼ cup sliced shallots
¼ cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste

serves 2

1 Heat a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet/sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots, and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the shallots are nice and soft. Add the green beans, stir to coat well, and cook for another minute or so. 

2 Pour in the white wine and quickly cover. Lower the heat and let the beans steam for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and test a bean (it should be crisp-tender; if it's not quite done, put the lid back on for a minute or two). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

don't stop: there's more goodness this way

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