Tag: chestnuts

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Whole30 compliant

Butternut “squashed”

Belinda

Fabulous recipe from Jamie Oliver
“This is the easiest method for cooking squash. All the flavor is added at the last minute when you smash it in. Don’t panic if you’re tight for hob or oven space and the squash isn’t piping hot by the time you serve – it’s just as good warm. ”

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2 butternut squash
2oz (50g) pine nuts
a few sprigs of fresh sage
extra virgin olive oil
½ fresh red chili
7oz (200g) vacuum-packed chestnuts
½ tsp ground cinnamon
balsamic vinegar, optional

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/350F/gas 4.
Wash and dry the whole squash, then place on a baking tray. Pierce once or twice with the tip of a sharp knife, then bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden and very soft.
Scatter the pine nuts on a baking tray and toast them in the oven at the same time – they will only need a couple of minutes to turn golden, so make sure you keep an eye on them to prevent them burning.
Add a lug of oil to a frying pan, then pick in the sage leaves and fry until crisp. Remove to piece of kitchen paper to drain, reserving the oil.
Lay the cooked squash on a board, remove the stalks and, using a knife and tongs, carefully slice the squash lengthways, down the middle. Scoop out and discard the seeds.
Finely chop the chili and crumble the chestnuts, then sprinkle over the squash halves with the cinnamon and a good pinch of black pepper. Really mash and chop all the lovely toppings into the squash with your knife, so all the flavors go right through.
Serve the squash halves topped with the crisp sage, the toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of the reserved sage oil and a little balsamic vinegar (if using).

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable-related

Middle Eastern-spiced nut roast with three-potato topping

Belinda

This is a nut roast recipe from Delicious Magazine like no other. A mouth-watering mix of nuts, quinoa, dried fruit, fresh herbs and halloumi are topped with, not one but, three types of potato. Drown it in gravy and dig in.
I would prefer this to turkey on any Holiday!

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SERVES 10

5 sweet potatoes
Oil to drizzle
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6oz (180g) pack cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
4 oz (100g) dried cranberries
2 oz (50g) dried apricots, chopped
2 tbsp za’atar spice mix
2 tbsp aleppo pepper, (or a good quality paprika if you don’t have any) plus extra to serve
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
9 oz (250g) cooked quinoa
4 oz (100g) shelled unsalted pistachios, toasted in a dry pan
3 oz (90g) pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Small bunch fresh dill, chopped, plus extra to serve
Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
5 oz (125g) halloumi cheese, grated
1 purple sweet potato
1 maris piper (baking) potato

You’ll also need…
9″ (23cm) springform cake tin, greased, base lined with non-stick baking paper
Useful to have…
Mandoline

Heat the oven to 375F/180°C/160°C fan/gas 6.
Peel 4 of the sweet potatoes and slice into 1/4″ (1cm) rounds.
Spread evenly on a large roasting tray, drizzle with oil, season, then roast for 30 minutes.

Heat another drizzle of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the onion. Cook gently for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the cumin, coriander and cinnamon and cook for a final 2 minutes, then put in a mixing bowl. Add the chestnuts, cranberries, apricots, za’atar, aleppo pepper, lemon zest and juice, quinoa, pistachios, pine nuts, pomegranate molasses, dill and parsley. Season generously, then stir in the eggs and grated halloumi until combined.

Layer half the roast sweet potato in the base of the prepared tin, then spoon half the spicy chestnut filling over the top. Repeat with the rest of the roast sweet potato and filling and press down firmly.
Peel the remaining sweet potato, purple sweet potato and maris piper potato, then slice thinly (about 3/4″ (2mm) thick) with a mandoline or sharp knife.
Toss with olive oil and salt, then layer tightly on top of the filling, overlapping the slices as you go and creating an attractive mix of colors.

Weigh the topping down with a casserole lid wrapped in baking paper and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and crisp.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Remove and serve sprinkled with extra dill and aleppo pepper.
delicious. tips
Make the day ahead, keep covered in the fridge, then reheat until piping hot in
a low oven to serve.

*Aleppo pepper is not-too-hot chili flakes from the Middle East.If you can’t find it, use a good-quality paprika instead.

**Purple sweet potatoes have a rich flavor and creamy texture. If you can’t find them, use another regular sweet potato.

Gluten Free · Soup

Warming, sweet and spicy chestnut and chorizo soup

Belinda

So delicious and soul satisfying with the flavors from the mountains of Spain.
Serve 4

4 tbsp olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
1 medium carrot , diced,
1 stick of celery, peeled and sliced thinly
5 oz mild Spanish chorizo, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin (I roast my own)
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 small dried red chiles, crushed
2 tomatoes, fresh or tinned, roughly chopped
1lb cooked, peeled chestnuts, vacuum packed, roughly chopped
20 saffron threads infused into 4 tbsp boiling water
2.2 pints water or chicken broth
sea salt and black pepper

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil and fry the onion, celery, carrot, chorizo and a pinch of salt.
Fry for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until everything caramelizes and you get a good brown color.
This will give the soup a wonderfully rich color and flavor.
Now add the garlic, cumin, thyme and chile and cook for 1 more minute, followed by the tomato and after about 2 more minutes, the chestnuts.
Give everything a good stir then add the saffron infused liquid and the water or stock and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and mash by hand with a potato masher until almost smooth but still leaving some texture.
Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Grains · Nuts

Chestnut risotto with butternut squash

Belinda

It’s my favorite time of year for being in the kitchen with all the wonderful comforting dishes to make!

Serves 4

6 cups chicken or turkey broth
1/4 cup Riesling or other wine on the sweeter side
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups (10 oz) Arborio rice
2 cups peeled, roasted chestnuts, or jarred chestnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 to 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and 2 tbsp butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, chestnuts and squash. Cook until the onion is translucent, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.

Add the rice to the onion-squash-chestnut mixture and coat the grains with the butter, cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is translucent at the edges but still opaque in the center.
Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates.

Add 1 cup of the warm broth, simmer until almost absorbed, stirring often for about 4 minutes.
Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next one, until the rice is just tender, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes total.
Stir in the thyme and marjoram.
Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter, cheese and parsley.
Season the risotto with salt and pepper and serve

Meat

Roasted sausages with grapes and chestnuts

Belinda

Now Fall is coming, I think of roasted and baked dishes, especially this one with the woodsy flavor of the roasted chestnuts and sticky sweetness of the grapes along with the divine sausages. Some simple mashed potato would suffice here.

Serves 4

8 good quality pork sausages
7 oz cooked vacuum packed chestnuts
10 oz Portobello mushrooms, cut into thick chunks
9 oz sweet seedless grapes
1 large onion, cut into half moon shaped wedges
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 whole garlic bulb, all the cloves separated but not peeled
10 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 good sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
10 fl oz red wine
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F

Put everything except the red wine into a broad, shallow ovenproof dish.
Turn the ingredients over so that they get coated in the olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, crush about half of the grapes so they release their juices into the pan.
Put into the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
Put in the red wine, mix well and cook for another 25 minutes or so. You can turn the sausages halfway through the cooking so they get colored on both sides.
The sausages and vegetables will cook and brown beautifully and the wine will reduce, leaving you with a gorgeous dark and bubbling dish.