Chestnut And Apple Casserole With Swiss Chard And Cranberry Granola Recipes

Steps:

• Arrange the rack in the middle of oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
• Stem the chard, keeping the leaves whole. Salt the boiling water and add the chard and let wilt. The pot will be packed at first. Boil the chard 10 minutes, drain in a colander and run under cool water. Let it drain and squeeze out any excess liquid in a clean kitchen towel. Chop.
• Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, and then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the roasted garlic paste. Thicken the sauce to coat the back of a spoon and adjust seasonings to taste.
• Layer half the greens in a medium casserole (8 to 10 inches long). Top with half the bechamel sauce and half the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Bake until bubbly and brown, 20 to 30.

Steps:

• Make the cranberry granola. Toast nuts and oats on a cookie sheet in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven until golden brown. Allow to cool and coarsely chop.
• Cut dried cranberries into small pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine cranberries, parsley, thyme leaves, lemon zest and juice, garlic, cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add nuts and oats. Spread mixture on a cookie sheet and bake in 250 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the casserole. In a sauté pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until the butter is golden brown. Add frozen chestnuts and roast for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups vegetable stock, and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until tender and the chestnuts have absorbed most of the liquid
• Peel and core apples and cut each into four pieces. In a sauté pan, heat remaining butter and sauté apples until lightly caramelized.
• Cut green leaves from the Swiss chard, wash and reserve. Peel white skin off of the Swiss chard stems and keep stems in water with lemon juice. Cut stems in strips and sauté stems and leaves with most of remaining olive oil. Cover with remaining 2 cups vegetable stock and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Peel onions, season with salt and pepper to taste and place in sauté pan. Add water until onions are just covered. Cook until the onions are tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed.
• in a pot, combine chestnuts, apples, Swiss chard, pearl onions and remaining cooking liquids. Heat and check seasonings. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve in a bowl topped with cranberry granola.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a chestnut knife or a small paring knife, make an incision about 1/8 inch deep through the shell and into the flesh of each chestnut almost all the way around the circumference of the nut. Transfer to a chestnut pan or rimmed baking pan. Roast in the oven until the chestnuts are tender, about 35 minutes.Turn the oven off. Leaving the pan with the chestnuts in the oven, remove several at a time.Working quickly, place 1 chestnut in a towel. Holding both, peel chestnut while still hot. Remove and discard the shells and inner skin.Transfer chestnuts to a medium saucepan. Heat oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Add 4 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar to the chestnuts; place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer chestnuts until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the chestnuts are falling-apart tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Drain in a colander. Break chestnuts into small pieces, and set aside to cool.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the oil and remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and mix on medium-low speed until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook, and mix until the dough is smooth and shiny without sticking to your fingers when squeezed, about 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a clean surface, and knead into a ball. Cover dough with a bowl, and let stand at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the apples and 1/4 cup sugar, and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender and golden on the edges, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer apples to a shallow bowl, and set aside until cool. Repeat cooking the remaining half of the apples in 3 tablespoons butter with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.
• Place bread in a food processor; pulse until texture resembles coarse meal. Add bread crumbs to reserved apples, along with the reserved chestnuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine well; set aside.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Brush a baking sheet with melted butter, and set the remaining butter aside. Place a clean sheet or a very large apron on a clean surface about 36 inches square, and sprinkle with flour. Place the dough in the center, and roll into a 12-inch square. Cover dough with a damp towel, and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove the towel and slide both hands, palms down, under the dough. Lift dough, and begin stretching until it becomes too big to stretch on top of hands. Carefully set the dough back down on the cloth, making sure to spread the dough out without any wrinkles. Begin to pull the dough out in all directions, maintaining the square shape, until it is almost translucent and about 36 inches square.
• Using a sharp knife or scissors, trim about 1/2 inch of the thicker edges off. The dough that remains should be only the very thinnest dough. Gently brush the butter evenly all over the dough, and arrange the apple-chestnut mixture on top, leaving a 1-inch border.
• Lift the front edges of the cloth off the table, and flip the dough and apple-chestnut mixture over onto itself, enclosing the mixture.This first fold should be 3 to 4 inches wide. Continue folding the dough in this manner using the cloth until dough is completely rolled up and has the final edge on top. Carefully form dough into a C shape. Place the prepared baking sheet right next to the strudel, and flip strudel over onto the prepared baking sheet so that the top now becomes the bottom. Brush with butter, and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer baking sheet to a wire rack, and let stand until strudel is warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Rinse the swiss chard, drain it and chop it fine.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion, saute over medium heat until tender but not brown, then stir in the garlic. Add the scallions and tomatoes, then add the chopped swiss chard. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the swiss chard has wilted.
• Remove from heat, stir in all but two tablespoons of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spoon the swiss chard mixture into a one-quart casserole. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, then serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine apple pie filling and cranberry sauce in a shallow baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, mix the butter, oats, and brown sugar until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until browned and crisp.