Thursday, November 14, 2013

Chicken-Stuffed Spuds


Serves 4
  • 4 baking potatoes (Russet)
  • 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
  • 1 bunch(es) green onions, sliced (1/4 cup), dark-green tops reserved
  • 1 teaspoon(s) fennel seeds
  • 1 pound(s) ground chicken
  • 1 large red pepper, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon(s) Asian chili sauce (Sriracha)
  • 1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
  1. Preheat toaster oven to 425 degrees F. Pierce potatoes with fork and place on microwave-safe plate; microwave on High 14 to 16 minutes or until tender, turning once. Transfer to toaster oven; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until skin is crisp.
  2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add green onions and fennel seeds; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken, red pepper, chili sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 8 minutes or until chicken loses its pink color throughout, stirring occasionally.
  3. To serve, cut a slit in each potato and fill with chicken mixture. Top with sour cream and green onion tops.

Accordion Potatoes


Serves 8
  • 8 large (8 ounces each) red potatoes
  • 2 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon(s) coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 teaspoon(s) chopped fresh thyme leaves
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Carefully slice each potato thinly without cutting all the way through.
  2. Place potatoes on microwave-safe dish and cover with waxed paper. Cook in microwave on High 12 to 15 minutes or until easily pierced with tip of knife.
  3. Transfer potatoes to metal baking pan. Carefully drizzle oil between slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tea­spoon coarsely ground black pepper. Roast in oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer potatoes to platter; sprinkle with herbs.



Sweet Potato, Red Onion & Fontina Tart


Serves 12
CRUST
  • 3/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
7 tablespoons ice-cold water
FILLING
  • 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 cup shredded fontina or Cheddar cheese
  • 1 large egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon water
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. To prepare crust: Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Combine in a large bowl with whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons thyme and/or rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Make a well in the center and add 1/2 cup oil and water. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough (it will seem wetter than other types of pastry dough). Knead in the bowl just until the dough comes together. Pat it into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 days.
  3. To prepare filling: Combine sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread on three-fourths of a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss onion in the bowl with 1 teaspoon oil. Spread evenly on the remaining one-fourth of the baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce temperature to 375°.
  4. Line a work surface with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, lightly dust with flour and dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll the dough into a rustic 15-inch circle, adding more flour, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Transfer the crust to a baking sheet with the parchment or baking mat in place.
  5. Leaving a 2-inch border, sprinkle cheese evenly over the crust. Make an overlapping ring of the larger sweet potato slices over the cheese, leaving the 2-inch border. Spread the onion slices in another ring closer to the center. Using the rest of the sweet potato slices, make an overlapping circle in the center of the crust (the pattern will look like a bull’s-eye). Pick up the edges of the crust using a spatula and fold over the filling, making pleats in the dough as necessary (it’s okay if the dough cracks a little as you fold it); the filling will not be completely covered. Brush the crust with the egg-white wash. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme and/or rosemary.
  6. Bake the tart until lightly browned on the edges, about 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the crust (Step 2), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Cool, cover and refrigerate the baked tart for up to 1 day. Reheat at 350°F for about 20 minutes.