Posted Nov 15, 2011
CIABATTA STUFFING WITH CHESTNUTS AND RAISINS
Italian Ciabatta bread is studded with chestnuts and raisins. This recipe is perfect for the bread stuffing lovers, but with a little Mediterranean flair.
Ingredients
10 cup (1-inch) cubed ciabatta bread (about 14 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled bottled chestnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden. Place bread in a large bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add celery and next 6 ingredients (through salt) to pan; cook 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add celery mixture, chestnuts, and raisins to bread; toss well. Combine chicken broth and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to bread mixture, tossing gently to combine. Spoon bread mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE WITH MADEIRA MUSHROOMS
Here’s a deliciously updated version of the classic, with fresh green beans and wine-infused mushrooms. We just had to keep the fried onion topping, which is arguably the best part.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped sweet onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 (8-ounce) package presliced button mushrooms
1/3 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup (about 2 ounces) canned fried onions (such as French’s)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place beans into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place beans in a large bowl; set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme to pan; saute 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; saute 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Add mushroom mixture to green beans; toss well. Place green bean mixture in a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine fried onions and grated cheese in a small bowl. Top green bean mixture evenly with fried onion mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 17 minutes or until top is lightly browned.
TWICE-ROASTED SWEET POTATOES WITH CHIPOTLE
Twice-baked sweet potatoes get mixed with a spicy-smoky chipotle butter that balances the sugar. Look for similar-sized sweet potatoes so they’ll cook at an even rate. To make ahead, stuff the potato halves, cover, and refrigerate up to one day. Set out at room temperature as the oven preheats to take the chill off.
Ingredients
6 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 green onions
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pierce potatoes with a fork; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. Cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Combine potato pulp, butter, chiles, adobo, and salt in a food processor. Finely chop white bottom part of onions; add to pulp mixture. (Reserve green onion tops.) Pulse mixture 5 times to combine.
3. Arrange potato shells on baking sheet. Spoon potato mixture into shells. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until hot. Thinly slice green top part of onions, and sprinkle over potatoes.
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