This recipe sprouted from my mind not too long ago – when I needed a quick side dish to go with a pepper steak I was about to serve a few hours later. What do you mean last minute?

It had to be a recipe that would include potatoes as well as vegetables, be creamy but without the use of heavy cream or even butter. Bonus points for incorporating the tons of fresh basil I still had in my fridge. I also wanted it to be a little unorthodox (I can’t help it, I just like that), colorful and chock-full of flavor. So I came up with this recipe.

I thought of the ingredients as I cooked it – perfecting the balance as you go is something I practice a lot, especially with new recipes. I just love to randomly add or subtract things last minute. I went for a variety of flavors but also different textures. Once I tasted the final product I was sold. I just knew it would be a match made in heaven, and it really was.

It’s a combination of flavors you don’t come across every day. Creamy mashed potatoes, a hint of Gouda cheese along with the delicate crispiness of spring onions, a touch of sweet and crunchy green peas all combined with the peppery basil.

Ingredients:

1 pound potatoes
1 1/2 spring onions
1/4 to 1/2 cup cheese
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 garlic clove
fresh basil
nutmeg
pepper
salt

Directions:

Mise en place! It just look so good in a photo that I have to do it every now and then. Ok, I’m lying. I do it most of the time. But in my defense; I’m an organized cook, so I often line up the things I’ll be using anyway.

 

Peel and dice the potatoes. Now I don’t want to create mashed garlic potatoes, but I do like a little hint of garlic in them. Just a touch. So I added one clove to the potatoes and boiled it along, it will give a very delicate flavor.

 

Add a little salt and just enough water to cover the potatoes. Don’t over-season, you can always add more later. Boil the potatoes until they’re well done. I gave my potatoes 15 minutes, but I diced them small.

 

While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop the spring onions. You’re gonna be using them raw, so no large quantities and not too thick is key here. They’re supposed to add, not be the main ingredient.

Put the frozen peas in a cup and add a little warm water to them.

 

Chop the basil. I gave it a rough chop, but chop as finely as you like it. At this point I popped the frozen peas in the microwave for about 2 to 3 minutes and drained them.

 

The potatoes will be done by now, drain them and lightly mash them. Add the milk (I always use hot milk rather than cold), cheese and 1 to 2 tbsp sour cream -this will add plenty creaminess! I never use butter in my mashed potatoes, I personally think adding butter to things that are already creamy in and of itself is just a habit and completely unnecessary. It just won’t add flavor.

 

Check the seasoning. I threw in quite a pinch of pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. In Holland you’ll always find people putting nutmeg in mashed potatoes. It’s a match made in heaven. Now I have to admit I’m using it a whole lot more now that I’m grating it myself. The flavor just can’t be compared to anything pre-grated.

Add your spring onions, peas, basil and gently fold everything together. Keep the peas whole, it’ll look prettier. I absolutely love how the flavors came together in this dish. When you combine vegetables with potatoes, you create so much more than just a side dish, really. It’s all you need, along with a good piece of meat. Want to make the people you cook for really happy? Serve this with a flavorful gravy made from meat drippings or pan juices. That’ll do the trick!

 

Garnish with a small hand of peas and some whole basil leaves. I love how fresh and colorful it looks.