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!