Category Menus & Recipes

Getaway from the Cold with Moroccan Bisteeya Baskets

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , March 25th, 2010 @ 10:37 am

Last week, San Franciscans thanked their lucky stars they live in California.  This week, we join Seattlites and Chicagoans with cold, rainy weather so we decided to post a recipe that will help us all warm up and take a break from the cold.  Escape to Morocco without leaving the comfort of your home with our Moroccan Bisteeya Baskets Filled with Chicken, Raisins & Cinnamon Recipe.

Imagine yourself in the Red City as you sink your teeth into these savory & sweet phyllo dough pies with bite-sized servings of juicy chicken, exotically spiced with saffron, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and cumin.  The blend of spices will whisk you away to the wonderful spice markets in Marrakech.

Ingredients:

Chicken Filling:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, shredded in a food processor
3/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Topping:
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Baskets:
6 sheets of phyllo dough (1/3 pound)
1 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Methods/Steps:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Filling: Melt butter in large sauté pan. Add chopped onion. Cook on medium heat until begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, saffron, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper and cook 1 more minute.  Add chicken and cook over low heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add chopped raisins and then slowly add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly until set, about 2-3 minutes. Mixture looks curdled. Transfer the filling to a bowl to cool. Stir in almonds and the chopped parsley and cilantro.

Topping: Combine cinnamon and powdered sugar. Set aside.

Make Baskets: Place 1 sheet phyllo on dry surface.  Keep remaining dough moist with damp towel. Brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet, brush with butter. Finish with third sheet, brush with butter.  Cut out a 3-inch circle.  Sprinkle circle with the cinnamon sugar topping.  Transfer the circle in a mini muffin tin. Once a muffin tin is full, transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.  Remove from the oven and fill each cup with chicken filling and return to the oven for 2 more minutes to heat through.

Serve: Sprinkle with more cinnamon topping and garnish with a cilantro sprig and serve while hot.  Makes 30.

Recipe created by Parties That Cook® www.PartiesThatCook.com

Enjoy the Sunshine with a Berry-ful Dessert From Parties That Cook

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Menus & Recipes, Menus and Recipes Tagged with , , , March 18th, 2010 @ 10:11 am

Now that we’re well into March, it’s time to give those New Years diets a rest. And with spring just around the corner, what better way to indulge that with a fresh fruit dessert. Take your basic cobbler to the next level with Parties That Cook’s recipe for a Blueberry Buckle with Aunt Polly’s Hot Cream Sauce. Feel free to substitute another berry or use a mix of fresh of fresh fruits.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

Buckle:
Melted butter and granulated sugar for preparing pan
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
5 cups wild or cultivated blueberries, green stems removed

Cinnamon-Oat Topping:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (cut into cubes and chilled)

Hot Cream Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Methods/Steps:

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Prepare Pan: Brush a 9-inch spring-form pan or 14 ramekins with melted butter then dust it with sugar.   Set aside.

Make Buckle: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.  Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce mixer speed to low, then add egg and vanilla.  Scrape down the sides and mix until well combined.  Alternate adding the reserved flour mixture and the milk to the mixer beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the blueberries.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Set aside while making the topping.

Cinnamon-Oat Topping: In a bowl, combine all the topping ingredients and pinch them together with your finger to with make crumbs.  Mix well. Spread topping over the Buckle.

Bake: Bake for 40-50 minutes (or 20-25 minutes if in ramekins), until the fruit is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife and a cake tester comes out batter-free.  Remove the cake from the oven; leave in the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.  Remove from pan and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. (If using ramekins, serve right in the ramekins and pass the sauce at the table).

Hot Cream Sauce: In a heavy saucepan, add the milk, sugar, and butter.  Slit the vanilla bean down the center and scrap out the seeds into the milk mixture.  Add the bean, cinnamon and salt. Heat all the ingredients until the cream bubbles around the rim of the pan. Remove the bean.

Serve: Serve a slice of the buckle in a bowl and ladle the cream generously over. Or serve in a ramekin with the cream sauce in a separate bowl.  Serve immediately.

Recipe created by Parties That Cook® www.PartiesThatCook.com

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