Jalapeño Cheddar Sweet Potato Au Gratin

 JW & KATHRYN’S WORLD FAMOUS JALAPENO CHEDDAR SWEET POTATO ES AU GRATIN

Sweet potato jalapeno & cheddar au gratin

 

Idaho potatoes ​​1 ½ pound

Sweet potatoes​​1 ½ pound 

Heavy cream​​2 cups 

Garlic-chopped​​1 teaspoon for cream mixture

Garlic-chopped ​​1 teaspoon for baking dish

Kosher salt​​2 teaspoon 

Nutmeg​​½ teaspoon

Sharp cheddar cheese​2 cups 

Pickled jalapenos​2 tablespoons 

Bread crumbs ​​½ cup 

Butter whole unsalted​½ cup 

 

• Pour the cold heavy cream into the heavy deep sauce pot

• Slice the potatoes on a mandoline approximately ¼ inch thick straight into a heavy deep sauce pot. 

• Once the potatoes are sliced add the kosher salt, chopped pickled jalapenos, and chopped garlic

• Place the sauce pot over low to medium heat. Slowly heat up the mixture to a slow simmer. Be sure to taste the cream mixture, the flavor should have a good balance of seasoned cream with hints of garlic, jalapeno and seasoned cream.

• This mixture will simmer approximately 15-20 minutes.  Once the cream becomes thick and the potatoes are slightly fork tender, remove from the heat. 

• Prepare a heavy duty baking pan by coating the bottom and side surfaces with softened butter. Add the second raw garlic. 

• Transfer the heavy cream, potato mixture to the prepared baking pan. 

• Top with cheddar cheese and bread crumb

• Cover with plastic wrap, then with foil. 

• Place in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

• After the 20 minutes remove the plastic wrap and foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top of the au gratin is golden brown

• Ready to eat!! Let me know how it goes

Moroccan Chicken

Hard to beat this one :) I served it with cauliflower rice that I sauted with white onions, and the spices from the chicken. Adapted and modified from this wonderful recipe: https://www.daringgourmet.com/moroccan-tagine/ 

Ingredients: 

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs 

1 tablespoon garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon ginger, grated 

2 teaspoons ground turmeric 

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

2 teaspoons ground coriander 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 small onion, diced 

1 tablespoon harissa (or less if you prefer less spicy) (or other red chile paste) 

⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped 

⅓ cup white raisins, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced 

⅓ cup slivered almonds 

4 cups + chicken stock 

lots of lemon juice 

1 cup english peas, fresh if you can find. 

Salt to taste 

Extra slivered almonds for garnishing 

Cauliflower rice and 1/2 white onion, chopped (for the base if you'd like)

I started by trimming about 8-10 boneless chicken thighs. Heat up my Dutch Oven with some olive oil. I made my spice rub for the chicken with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon (you can double if you want to hold on to some of it for the cauliflower rice). Rub generously onto the chicken, then brown each piece on both sides and set aside. In the same Dutch oven add a little more olive oil, then saute the onions for 3 minutes. Add the harissa and stir in. Then add the apricots, white raisins and garlic. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir. Add about 4 cups of chicken broth and at least 2 Tbs of lemon juice. Put in about one cup of english peas. Let cook for several hours until chicken pulls apart. Serve over the flavorful cauliflower rice (doctor it with the onion, olive oil, and spices from the mixture used to rub the chicken).