Sylvie’s Turkey Tagine

Tagine is a succulent, traditional Moroccan dish, and I believe it to be the perfect stew, and this unique version offers a delicious way to use leftover turkey! Since the meat has already been roasted, it's a quick way to put dinner on the table in no time. The spice mix is a great way to introduce new flavors to your dishes.

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Yellow Onion, coarsely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp. of Ras el Hanout (recipe follows)
1 tsp. Sweet Paprika

1 medium Yam (about 1 ½ cups), peeled, seeded and cubed

1 small Zucchini, cubed

2 small Carrots, chopped

3 Lbs. cooked Turkey Meat (leftover), cubed

1 c. Dried Currants
½ c. Water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Juice of ½ Lemon

Heat the oil in a tagine over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic, and when they begin to brown slightly, add the dry spices. Stir well to coat, for about 1 minute.

Add the yam, zucchini and carrots, stir to coat, then add the water. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally. Add the turkey meat and currant; simmer for an additional 8-10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and stir.

For serving, the consistency should be quite thick. If necessary, remove the lid and cook for a few minutes to thicken it.

Serves 4-6

Ras el Hanout

"Ras el hanout" translates from Moroccan into “head of the store.” This spice mixture can sometimes contain as many as 50 different spices. It is an excellent rub for beef or salmon. Here is my dad’s version.

Makes 3 ½ Tsp

2 tsp. ground Ginger

2 tsp. ground Coriander

1 ½ tsp. ground Cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. freshly ground Pepper

1 ½ tsp. ground Turmeric

1 ¼ tsp. ground Nutmeg

1 tsp. ground Allspice

1/4 tsp. ground Cloves

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container.

Candied Chestnuts

Marrons Glacés

A note from Sylvie:

Chestnuts are really delicious when they're simply roasted, but the candied version is a very special treat in France and is a traditional Christmas gift. They take about a week to make. But, this recipe is truly easy to prepare and is well worth the effort. I tested numerous methods of peeling the chestnuts, and I think this one's the most efficient.

3 lbs. Chestnuts

6 c. Sugar

2 whole Vanilla Beans or 3 Tbsp.Vanilla Extract

1 c. Powdered Sugar

Easy Peel:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

With a small, sharp knife cut a cross on the outer layer of the chestnuts. Boil the chestnuts in enough water to cover them for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and place on a baking sheet to roast for 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook them, as the skin will re-attach itself.

Remove chestnuts from the oven to peel them. It is best to work with them while they are still hot. You may do this step in batches and keep the chestnuts warm by covering them with a kitchen towel.

To Candy and Glaze the Chestnuts:

In a large saucepan, prepare the syrup by bringing 6 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar, and the vanilla beans to a boil. Turn heat off, and plunge the chestnuts into the syrup.Cover and set aside overnight.

The next day, add the remaining sugar,bring the syrup to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes, set aside and cover again. You will need to bring the syrup to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes everyday for 6 days, or until the syrup is almost completely absorbed. You will have enough syrup left to use in your glaze.

The last day, preheat the oven to 350degrees, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the chestnuts well and place them on the lined baking sheet. In a medium bowl combine the powdered sugar with enough warm syrup to obtain a smooth paste. Dip the chestnuts in the glazing paste and place on the prepared baking sheet again. To set the glaze, bake the chestnuts in the preheated oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the glaze looks set and dried. Remove from the oven and when cooled place the chestnuts in an air tight container. They will keep for up to two weeks.

Patty's Blue Hubbard Squash Soup

2 medium Blue Hubbard Squash

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Local Sweet Onion, diced

1 Leek (cut about 4”back on leek, compost stems), diced

1 tsp. Paprika

1/3 c. Olive Oil

1 tsp. ground Ginger

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. dried Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste
1 (32 0z) Vegetable Broth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place squash on a wide-rim baking sheet, meat side down, and puncture with knife several times. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until flash is soft when punctured with a knife. Allow to cool, then scoop out the soft flesh and reserve. 

In a medium-size skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté sweet onion over medium low temperature for about 5 minutes, then add leek and cook for another 5 minutes.

Put squash flesh, onion and leek mixture, the spices and the broth in the blender (you may need to divide into two or more batches, depending on the size of your blender). Blend until smooth.

Enjoy!

Sylvie’s Brioche and Chicken Apple Sausage Stuffing

A note from Sylvie:

I like to experiment with this dish and use different types of breads to make my holiday stuffing. Brioche adds a unique, rich sweetness that I just love. It is best to buy the brioche a couple of days ahead of time to allow it to dry before using it. I also like to toast it in the oven for a few minutes. This prevents the stuffing from getting too wet and mushy. We are lucky to have great bakeries in town ,and I used the brioche from Café de Paris.

1 Brioche, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp ground Ginger

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp dried Thyme

1 tsp dried Rosemary

1 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp dried Sage

1 tsp Celery Salt

1 medium Yam, peeled and cubed

1 lb. Apple Chicken Sausage (I used the Boise Co-op house made sausages), chopped

1 medium Red Onion (I used King Crown Local), minced

3 stalks Celery, sliced

1 medium Leek, washed, sliced

1-½ c. Spinach

1 Pear, peeled, cored and cubed

2 Tbsp dried Cherries

1/2 cup Chicken Broth, more if needed

3 Tbsp Maple syrup

3 Tbsp toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl mix together cubed brioche and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Make sure to coat the bread well. Place on a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage and celery salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the yam and cook, uncovered, on low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sausage and cook for 10 minutes. Add the onion, celery, leek, spinach, pear, and dried cherries, cook for 5 more minutes then add the broth and maple syrup. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until liquids have been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. 

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, let it cool, then add the toasted brioche and toasted pumpkin seeds. This dish can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. 

To re-heat, drizzle with a small amount of maple syrup and place in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Bon appétit!

Glühwein, Mulled Wine

Glühwein, Mulled Wine

1 bottle dry Red Wine

1/2 c. of Raw Cane Sugar

Juice and peel of one small Orange

2 Cardamom pods

4 Cloves

2 Bay Leaves

2 Cinnamon Sticks

Put all ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan. Stir to melt the sugar. Heat the mixture over low heat, and leave for about an hour - it should never boil, just sort of seethe.

Serve in small mugs (straining out the peel and spices), with optional shot of brandy, kirsch or other liqueur.

Notes: You may vary the sweetener to change the taste - honey is interesting, as is dark brown sugar or molasses.